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IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


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Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JANUARY  1,  1944  No.  1 

THE  TAX  QUESTION 


According  to  a  recent  bulletin  issued  by  Abram 
F.  Myers,  National  Allied's  General  Counsel,  the 
future  of  the  proposed  amusement  tax  of  lc  on  each 
?c  or  fraction  of  admission  is  uncertain. 

Myers  points  out  that,  when  the  tax  bill  was  re- 
ported out  of  the  Senate  Finance  Committee,  it  seemed 
as  if  the  Senate  would  pass  on  it  quickly,  and  that  an 
effort  would  be  made  to  reconcile  the  differences  be- 
tween  both  Houses  so  that  the  bill  might  be  enacted 
before  Congress  recessed  for  the  holidays. 

".  .  .  Since  Congress  recessed,"  states  Myers,  "Sec- 
retary  Morganthau  has  launched  an  attack  on  the  bill 
which  appears  to  forshadow  a  determined  fight  against 
it  by  the  Administration.  Opposition  to  the  bill  is 
based  on  (a)  its  alleged  failure  to  provide  adequate 
revenue  to  finance  the  war  and  curb  inflation ;  (b)  its 
limitations  on  the  re-negotiation  of  war  contracts. 

"Therefore,  we  may  wake  up  some  morning  early 
in  1944  to  find  that  the  Treasury  is  still  waging  its 
battle,  perhaps  more  furiously  than  ever,  to  step  up 
the  tax  to  3c  on  each  10c  or  fraction. 

"If  the  storm  signals  are  raised  you  will  be  duly 
notified.  .  .  .  When  this  fight  is  finished  this  office  will 
issue  a  bulletin  giving  some  of  the  details  and  making 
definite  suggestions  for  the  future.  Every  man  and 
woman  interested  in  any  way  in  the  operation  of 
theatres  must  be  organised  to  resist  future  attempts 
at  discriminatory  taxation." 

Myers1  warning  of  a  possible  fight  against  the  tax 
bill  by  the  administration  should  be  heeded  by  every 
exhibitor,  for  the  campaign  against  discriminatory 
taxation  is  yet  to  be  won.  Any  laxity  at  this  stage  of 
the  game  may  prove  fatal  to  your  business.  Keep  on 
bombarding  your  Senators  and  Congressmen  with 
letters  and  telegrams  of  protest.  Tell  them  than  an 
increase  in  the  admission  tax  will  prove  ruinous,  not 
only  to  yourself,  but  also  to  the  industry  as  a  whole. 
The  intensive  campaign  waged  thus  far  by  you  and 
your  organizations  has  been  chiefly  responsible  for  the 
downward  revision  of  the  originally  proposed  30% 
tax  by  both  the  Ways  and  Means  and  the  Senate 
Finance  Committees.  Your  efforts  will  have  to  be  in- 
tensified even  more  if  you  are  to  frustrate  the  Treasury 
Department's  attempts  to  impose  on  admissions  a 
greater  tax.  Act  now! — your  business  is  at  stake. 
*       *  * 

Although  the  proposed  tax  increase  on  admissions 
is  to  be  borne  by  the  public,  we  cannot  get  away  from 
the  fact  that  the  exhibitors  will  suffer  from  it.  It  is  to 


be  expected  that  an  increase  in  admission  prices,  owing 
to  the  tax  rise,  will  have  an  adverse  effect  on  theatre 
attendance.  Public  opinion,  which  for  a  time  was 
geared  for  an  increase  in  the  general  cost  of  living, 
has  definitely  changed,  for  the  cost  of  living  has  by 
far  outdistanced  the  rise  in  wages. 

As  a  result,  the  public  today  is  not  in  the  mood  to 
accept  increased  prices,  whether  they  may  be  for  com- 
modities or  for  entertainment.  The  devious  methods 
employed  by  many  sellers  to  circumvent  OPA  rulings; 
the  deliberate  flaunting  of  ceiling  prices  by  arrogant 
and  discourteous  shopkeepers;  and  other  rank  abuses, 
to  numerous  to  mention,  has  raised  public  indignation 
to  a  point  where  a  price  rise,  even  one  that  is  justified 
and  beyond  the  control  of  the  seller,  is  resented  deeply. 
So  strong  is  this  indignation  that  each  day  more  and 
more  people  are  assuming  an  'Tll-simply-get-along- 
without  it"  attitude.  And  they  mean  it! 

So  far  as  the  exhibitor  is  concerned,  he  can  offset 
this  resentment  to  some  extent  by  educating  his  patrons 
to  the  fact  that  an  increase  in  admission  price  repre- 
sents a  government  amusement  tax.  This  can  be  done 
through  trailers,  handbills,  and  suitable  notices  posted 
in  the  lobby  of  the  theatre. 

Even  though  an  exhibitor  will  take  the  precaution 
to  inform  his  patrons  that  an  admission  price  rise  is  the 
result  of  a  government  tax,  I  doubt  if  it  will  stem  the 
decrease  in  patronage  to  an  appreciable  degree  for,  in 
addition  to  those  who  resent  price  increases  in  the  be- 
lief that  it  is  a  form  of  profiteering,  there  are  millions 
of  workers  whose  pockets  are  not  lined  with  excessive 
cash,  and  who  find  it  difficult  enough  to  make  ends 
meet  just  buying  the  bare  necessities  of  life.  In  the 
latter  class  is  generally  found  the  family  man,  who 
together  with  his  wife  and  children  make  up  a  large 
percentage  of  the  steady  picture-going  public,  for  the 
motion  picture  has  always  been  the  type  of  entertain- 
ment he  can  best  afford.  Without  this  family  man's 
patronage,  many  small-town  and  neighborhood  thea- 
tres could  not  exist.  Yet  the  exhibitors  are  being  com- 
pelled to  raise  their  prices,  thus  risking  his  loss  as  a 
customer. 

Since  the  exhibitor,  burdened  by  high  operating 
costs  and  exhorbitant  film  rentals,  cannot  afford  to 
absorb  the  tax  increase,  thus  retaining  his  present 
admission  level  in  order  to  prevent  decreased  attend- 
ance, it  naturally  follows  that  he  will  suffer  financial 
losses,  perhaps  to  the  extent,  in  some  cases,  of  losing 
his  business.  For  this  reason  something  has  to  be  done 
about  it.  (Continued  on  last  page) 


2 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  1,  1944 


"Tender  Comrade"  with  Ginger  Rogers 
and  Robert  Ryan 

(RKO  release  date  not  set;  time,  103  min.) 

A  good  topical  drama.  It  will  undoubtedly  do  exeep- 
tional  business  because  of  Ginger  Rogers'  popularity,  and 
of  the  several  deeply  emotional  situations.  The  story  re 
volvcs  around  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  four  women, 
who  live  together  and  seek  solace  from  one  another  while 
waiting  for  their  husbands  to  return  from  the  war.  The 
action  is  slowed  down  considerably  by  excessive  dialogue, 
but  it  has  much  heart  interest,  and  the  characters  because 
of  their  honesty  towards  each  other,  arouse  one's  sympathy. 
It  has  a  good  share  of  comedy,  and  several  of  the  situations 
will  tug  at  one's  heart  strings.  Although  Miss  Rogers  is  cast 
in  a  sympathetic  role,  there  is  about  her  portrayal  a  harsh- 
ness that  tends  to  detract  from  the  characterization.  The 
ending,  where  Miss  Rogers  is  notified  of  her  husband's 
death,  is  tragic  and  leaves  one  with  a  depressed  feeling;  in 
these  days,  it  may  remind  many  women  that  a  similar  tragedy 
might  befall  them.  A  good  part  of  the  action  is  in  flashback, 
revealing  incidents  in  the  married  life  of  Miss  Rogers  and 
Robert  Ryan  before  his  departure  overseas: — 

Ginger  Rogers  and  Robert  Ryan,  a  happily  married  young 
couple,  are  separated  when  war  comes  and  Ryan  is  sent 
overseas.  Ginger  secures  employment  in  a  defense  plant, 
where  she  makes  friends  with  Ruth  Husscy,  a  flighty  mar- 
ried woman,  who  was  not  above  going  out  with  other  men 
while  her  husband  served  overseas;  Patricia  Collinge,  a 
middle-aged  woman,  whose  husband  and  son  were  in  the 
service;  and  Kim  Hunter,  a  lovable  young  girl  who  had 
married  Richard  Martin  one  hour  before  his  departure 
overseas.  The  four  lonely  wives  pool  their  resources  and 
live  together.  Their  advertisement  for  a  housekeeper  is 
answered  by  Mady  Christians,  an  educated  German-born 
woman,  who,  unable  to  work  in  a  defense  plant  because  of 
non-citizenship,  seeks  to  do  her  part  by  helping  war  work- 
ers. Moreover,  her  husband  an  American,  was  in  the  ser- 
vice. The  wives  accept  Mady  as  one  of  the  family,  sharing 
their  wages  with  her.  When  Ruth's  husband  is  reported 
missing  in  action,  the  women  are  drawn  closer  together.  All 
are  delighted  when  Ginger  announces  that  she  is  going  to 
have  a  baby.  With  the  birth  of  the  child  they  act  as  if  it 
were  their  own.  To  add  to  the  cheerfulness,  Ruth  learns 
that  her  husband  had  been  rescued  at  sea,  and  she  deter- 
mines to  turn  over  a  new  leaf.  A  surprise  visit  by  Kim's 
husband  gives  each  woman  an  opportunity  to  fuss  over  him 
as  if  he  were  their  own.  In  the  midst  of  this  gaiety,  Ginger 
receives  a  telegram  notifying  her  of  Ryan's  death.  Keeping 
the  news  from  the  others,  she  resolves  that  her  son  shall 
emulate  his  father  in  courage  and  faith;  she  determines  to 
join  the  others  in  helping  to  entertain  Kim's  husband. 

Dalton  Trumbo  wrote  the  story  and  screen  play,  David 
Hempstead  produced  it,  and  Edward  Dmytryk  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Sing  a  Jingle"  with  Allan  Jones, 
June  Vincent  and  Edward  Norris 

(Universal,  January  7;  time,  62  min.) 

A  routine  program  musical,  differing  little  from  numerous 
such  pictures  that  have  come  off  Universal's  assembly  line. 
There  is  very  little  to  the  plot,  which  concerns  itself  with  a 
famed  radio  personality  who  hides  his  identity  in  order  to 
do  his  share  in  the  war  effort.  The  outcome  is  quite  obvious, 
and  there  is  nothing  in  the  story  really  to  hold  one's  interest. 
It  should  do  as  entertainment  for  the  younger  element,  for 
Allan  Jones'  singing  is  pleasant,  and  the  music  is  of  the 
popular  variety.  Gus  Schilling  and  Betty  Kean  provide  some 
mildly  effective  comedy: — 

Upon  completion  of  a  farewell  broadcast  over  a  nation- 
wide hookup,  preparatory  to  his  entering  the  Army,  Ray 
King  (Allan  Jones),  a  popular  baritone,  learns  from  Wright 
Andrews  (Jerome  Cowan),  his  manager,  that  he  had  been 
rejected  from  service.  Incensed,  King  reassumes  his  legal 
name,  Steve  Roberts  and  secures  employment  in  a  mid- 
western  defense  plant  owned  by  S.  P.  Crane  (Samuel  H. 


Hinds).  Because  of  a  housing  shortage,  Steve  is  given  tem- 
porary lodging  in  the  Crane  mansion,  where  he  meets 
Muriel  (June  Vincent),  Crane's  daughter,  who  falls  in  love 
with  him.  Muriel,  a  spoiled  debutante,  becomes  piqued  by 
Steve's  indifference  to  her.  She  develops  a  sudden  interest 
in  the  war  effort,  and  goes  to  work  in  her  father's  plant. 
Together  with  Steve,  she  plans  a  war  bond  show  for  the 
employees.  Meanwhile  Jeffery  Abbott  (Edward  Norris),  a 
wealthy  wastrel,  who  loved  Muriel,  is  moved  to  jealousy  by 
her  interest  in  Steve.  He  manages  to  obtain  Steve's  person- 
nel record  from  the  company's  files,  and  notifies  Andrews 
in  New  York  of  his  whereabouts.  Steve,  to  assure  the  show's 
success,  promises  to  secure  the  services  of  the  famous  Ray 
King.  When  Andrews  arrives  in  town,  Steve  induces  him 
to  publicize  "King's"  appearance.  Steve  reveals  his  iden- 
tity on  the  night  of  the  show.  Abbott  goes  on  the  stage 
and  tries  to  expose  him  as  a  cheap  publicity  hunter.  An- 
drews takes  charge  of  the  situation  and,  quieting  the  audi- 
ence, explains  Steve's  sacrifice  of  fame  and  fortune  in  order 
to  serve  his  country.  Steve  wins  the  acclaim  of  the  audi- 
ence, and  he  finishes  his  concert  with  Muriel  in  his  arms. 

John  Grey,  Eugene  Conrad,  Lee  Sands,  and  Fred  Bath 
wrote  the  screen  play.  Edward  C.  Lillcy  produced  and  di- 
rected it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Heavenly  Body"  with  William  Powell, 
Hedy  Lamarr  and  James  Craig 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  95  min.) 

An  amusing  marital  farce-comedy,  which  will  have  to 
depend  on  the  drawing  power  of  the  leading  players  for  its 
box-office  chances.  The  story  is  far-fetched,  and  none  of  the 
characters  do  anything  to  arouse  sympathy,  since  most  of 
their  actions  are  ridiculous.  The  comedy  is  provoked  by  the 
marital  difficulties  encountered  by  an  astronomer  when  his 
wife  takes  a  sudden  interest  in  astrology  and  believes  a  pre- 
diction that  a  new  man  would  come  into  her  life.  Though 
some  of  the  situations  are  laugh-provoking,  there  is  not 
really  one  that  will  remain  in  one's  mind.  Miss  Lamarr  and 
Powell  do  their  best  with  second-rate  material: — 

Feeling  neglected  and  restless  because  William  Powell, 
her  astronomer-husband,  was  preoccupied  with  a  new  comet 
he  had  discovered,  Hedy  Lamarr  seeks  some  diversion. 
Through  Spring  Byington,  a  neighbor  Hedy  meets  Fay 
Bainter,  an  astrologist,  and  is  told  by  her  that,  by  the 
twenty-second  of  the  month,  she  will  fall  in  love  with  a 
man  who  had  traveled  widely.  Hedy  thoroughly  honest, 
informs  Powell  of  the  prediction.  Upset  at  Hedy's  belief  in 
astrology,  Powell  leaves  her  and  goes  to  live  in  his  observa- 
tory. Hedy  patiently  waits  for  her  "man"  to  appear,  but 
nothing  happens.  After  an  uneventful  day  on  the  twenty- 
second  of  the  month,  she  telephones  Powell  and,  admitting 
that  she  was  wrong,  asks  him  to  return  home.  Just  as  mid- 
night approaches,  James  Craig,  an  air  raid  warden,  repri- 
mands Hedy  for  violating  a  blackout  rule.  She  invites  him 
into  the  house  and,  questioning  him,  learns  that  he  had 
traveled  widely.  Hedy  feels  sure  that  the  prediction  had 
come  true.  Powell  arrives  home  just  as  Craig  leaves,  and 
senses  Hedy's  reaction.  On  the  following  day,  Powell  meets 
Craig  and  asks  him  to  change  his  district.  Craig,  however, 
admits  frankly  that  he  had  fallen  in  love  with  Hedy.  De- 
spite Powell's  efforts  to  keep  them  apart,  fate  keeps  throw- 
ing Hedy  and  Craig  together.  Powell  decides  to  employ 
astrology  to  repair  his  marriage.  He  visits  Miss  Bainter  and 
compels  her  to  write  a  fake  horoscope  for  Hedy,  in  which 
his  own  untimely  death  is  foretold.  He  feigns  illness  to  gain 
her  sympathy,  but  to  no  avail  for  Hedy  learns  of  the  fake 
horoscope.  Powell  gives  up  hope  and  leaves  her  once  again. 
At  Craig's  urging,  Hedy  decides  to  go  to  Reno,  but  she 
changes  her  mind  at  the  last  moment  and  effects  a  recon- 
ciliation with  Powell. 

Michael  Arlen  and  Walter  Reisch  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Arthur  Hornblow,  Jr.,  produced  it,  and  Alexander  Hall 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Henry  O'Neill,  Morris  Ank- 
rum,  Connie  Gilchrist  and  others. 

There  are  no  objectionable  situations. 


January  1,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


3 


"Suspected  Person"  with  Clifford  Evans 

(PRC,  Js[ovember  29;  time,  76  min.) 

This  English-made  gangster  melodrama  is  moderately 
entertaining  program  fare.  It  directs  some  human  appeal, 
but  the  story  is  trite  and  lacks  originality  in  treatment. 
Moreover,  it  is  short  on  suspense  and  the  action  is  slow, 
most  of  the  excitement  being  concentrated  in  the  closing 
scenes  where  the  criminals  are  apprehended.  On  the  whole, 
American  audiences  may  find  it  a  bit  too  "British."  The 
romantic  interest,  though  pleasant,  is  incidental: — 

Acquitted  of  a  bank  robbery  through  lack  of  evidence, 
Robert  Beatty  and  Eric  Clavering,  American  gangsters, 
learn  from  an  accomplice  that  Clifford  Evans,  an  English- 
man, had  taken  the  $50,000  stolen  from  the  bank  back  to 
England.  They  set  out  to  follow  Evans.  Upon  his  arrival  in 
England  Evans  goes  to  live  at  an  apartment  house  operated 
by  his  sister  (Patricia  Roc).  There  he  meets  and  falls  in 
love  with  Anne  Firth,  a  cabaret  singer.  Suspicious  of  Evans' 
mysterious  movements,  Patricia  searches  his  room  and 
learns  through  newspaper  clippings  that  he  was  involved  in 
the  robbery.  Meanwhile  Inspector  David  Farrar  of  Scotland 
Yard,  informed  by  the  New  York  police  that  the  gangsters 
were  en  route  to  England,  decides  to  shadow  them  in  the 
hope  that  they  will  lead  him  to  the  stolen  money.  Upon 
their  arrival,  the  gangsters,  through  underworld  acquaint- 
ances, learn  of  Evans'  whereabouts.  They  go  to  the  apart- 
ment house  and  threaten  him,  but  Evans,  at  gun-point, 
forces  them  to  leave.  Suspecting  Evans,  Farrar  poses  as  a 
traveler  and  secures  lodging  at  the  house.  He  falls  in  love 
with  Patricia.  To  change  the  stolen  money  into  English 
currency,  Evans  travels  to  Holyhead.  The  gangsters  follow 
him  and  knock  him  unconscious,  but  Evans,  prepared  for 
such  an  eventuality,  had  mailed  the  money  to  himself  at 
Holyhead.  As  he  calls  for  the  package  on  the  following 
day,  Evans  is  confronted  by  Farrar.  To  the  surprise  of  both 
men  the  package  contains  newspapers.  Returning  to  Lon- 
don, Evans  learns  that  the  gangsters  had  kidnapped  Anne. 
Desperate,  he  arranges  to  meet  them  at  a  dockside  inn, 
promising  to  produce  the  money  in  exchange  for  Anne. 
Farrar  and  his  men  trail  Evans  to  the  inn  and,  after  a  gun 
battle  arrest  the  gangsters.  Later,  Evans  and  Farrar  learn 
that  Patricia  had  substituted  the  newspapers  for  the  money, 
and  that  she  had  mailed  the  $50,000  to  the  American  em- 
bassy. Assured  that  Evans  will  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  Farrar 
drops  the  investigation  and  proposes  to  Patricia. 

Lawrence  Huntington  wrote  the  screen  play  and  directed 

it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"The  Girl  from  Monterrey"  with  Armida, 
Jack  LaRue  and  Edgar  Kennedy 

(PRC,  September  24;  time,  59  min.) 

A  pretty  good  program  comedy-melodrama  with  music; 
it  is  fast-moving,  has  good  comedy  situations,  and  the  story 
holds  one's  interest  throughout.  Although  produced  on  a 
modest  budget,  its  entertainment  values  make  it  worthy  of 
playdates  in  situations  other  than  the  normal  PRC  market. 
Much  of  the  enjoyment  is  derived  from  the  engaging  per- 
formances of  the  cast,  particularly  of  Armida,  as  a  fiery 
Mexican  singer,  who  guides  the  boxing  career  of  her  brother 
and  leads  him  to  the  world's  championship.  Edgar  Kennedy 
is  quite  comical  as  a  fight  promoter,  provoking  much  laughter 
with  his  well  known  exasperations:- — 

Armida,  popular  entertainer  in  a  Mexican  cafe  is  visited 
by  Anthony  Caruso,  her  brother,  who  informs  her  that  he 
had  left  college  to  become  a  prizefighter.  Caruso  comes  to 
the  attention  of  Edgar  Kennedy,  an  American  fight  pro- 
moter, who  signs  him  to  a  contract.  Armida  accompanies 
Caruso  to  New  York,  where  she  becomes  his  manager  and 
trainer.  In  Kennedy's  office,  Armida  meets  Terry  Frost, 
contender  for  the  light  heavyweight  championship,  and 
falls  in  love  with  him.  Under  Armida's  guidance,  Caruso 
wins  one  fight  after  another  by  knockouts.  Meanwhile  Frost 
works  his  way  up  to  the  championship,  much  to  Armida's 
delight.  Caruso's  sensational  record  impresses  the  boxing 
commissioner,  who  orders  a  match  between  Caruso  and 


Frost.  Frantic  at  the  thought  that  her  brother  and  sweet- 
heart would  fight  each  other,  Armida  protests  against  the 
match,  but  to  no  avail.  Jack  LaRue,  Frost's  crooked  fight 
manager,  arranges  with  Veda  Ann  Borg,  a  cabaret  enter- 
tainer, to  keep  Caruso  out  of  condition,  so  that  Frost  would 
win  the  fight.  Frost,  however,  was  unaware  of  the  arrange- 
ment. On  the  eve  of  the  fight,  Veda  brings  Caruso  home  in 
an  intoxicated  condition.  Armida,  suspecting  foul  play, 
forces  a  confession  from  Veda.  Angry  because  Caruso  re- 
sented her  treatment  of  Veda,  and  disappointed  because 
she  believed  Frost  was  involved  in  the  plot,  Armida  attends 
the  bout,  but  does  not  root  for  either  man.  After  a  furious 
battle,  Caruso  beats  Frost  and  wins  the  championship.  The 
two  fighters  disappear  after  the  fight.  They  show  up  several 
days  later  in  Army  uniforms  and  effect  a  reconciliation  with 
Armida. 

Arthur  Hoerl  wrote  the  screen  play  from  a  story  by 
George  Green  and  Robert  Gordon.  Jack  Schwarz  produced 
it  and  Wallace  Fox  directed  it.  Harry  D.  Edwards  was 
associate  producer. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Three  Russian  Girls"  with  Anna  Sten 
and  Kent  Smith 

(United  Artists,  January  14;  time,  80  min.) 

As  a  tribute  to  the  valor  of  Russian  nurses  serving  on 
the  battlefront,  this  war  film  is  forceful,  for  it  depicts  realis- 
tically the  magnificent  service  they  are  rendering  under  the 
most  trying  conditions;  as  entertainment,  however,  it  is  no 
more  than  moderately  engrossing  program  fare,  for  as  far 
as  the  story  is  concerned  it  presents  little  in  the  way  of 
novelty  and  lacks  substance.  It  depends  for  its  drama  on  a 
series  of  hackneyed  situations  that  fail  to  impress.  There  are 
some  exciting  battle  scenes  towards  the  finish.  Actual  scenes 
of  the  Leningrad  siege  have  been  inserted  to  good  effect.  But 
on  the  whole,  the  action  is  slow.  The  production  values, 
however,  are  good : — 

As  the  citizens  of  Leningrad  rise  to  the  defense  of  their 
historical  city,  Red  Cross  headquarters  calls  all  volunteer 
nurses  to  duty.  Among  those  reporting  are  Anna  Sten, 
whose  love  for  Russia  sets  an  example  for  the  others;  Mimi 
Forsaythe,  a  former  dancer,  who  reluctantly  exchanges  her 
dancing  slippers  for  military  boots;  and  Cathy  Frye,  a 
'teen-age  girl  who  pleads  that  she  be  allowed  to  serve. 
Within  a  few  hours,  Anna  leads  a  group  of  twenty  nurses  to 
the  battlefront,  where  they  convert  an  old  house  into  a  field 
hospital.  Despite  the  terrifying  bombardment,  the  nurses, 
under  Anna's  inspiring  leadership,  carry  on  with  their  work. 
Kent  Smith,  an  American  flyer  who  had  been  shot  down 
while  testing  a  plane,  is  brought  to  the  hospital  wounded 
seriously.  Though  an  operation  on  him  proves  successful, 
Kent's  legs  remain  numb  from  the  shock.  Anna  cares  for 
him  day  and  night,  and  Kent,  though  despondent,  slowly 
recovers  his  will  to  live.  The  approaching  enemy  forces  the 
nurses  to  evacuate  the  patients,  but,  owing  to  a  shortage  of 
ambulances,  Anna  remains  behind  with  some  of  the 
wounded,  seeking  refuge  in  a  dugout.  In  this  moment  of 
danger  Anna  and  Kent  fall  in  love  with  each  other.  They 
are  rescued  on  the  following  day  and  driven  to  another 
hospital  far  removed  from  the  front.  Smith  recovers  and 
walks  again.  Anna,  though  deeply  in  love  with  him,  does 
not  permit  her  personal  feelings  to  interfere  with  her  duty. 
When  a  call  comes  from  the  front  for  volunteer  nurses,  she 
goes  without  hesitation,  as  do  Mimi  and  Cathy.  At  the 
front  Anna  acts  as  both  soldier  and  nurse.  Mimi  is  killed  by 
a  sniper's  bullet,  and  Anna,  wounded  seriously  in  a  pitched 
battle  with  the  enemy,  is  taken  to  a  hospital  in  Leningrad. 
Ordered  to  return  to  the  United  States  for  duty,  Smith  visits 
Anna  at  the  hospital  and  bids  her  goodbye  with  the  assur- 
ance that  they  will  meet  again  when  victory  is  their's. 

Aben  Kandel  and  Dan  James  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Gregor  Rabinovitch  produced  it,  and  Fedor  Ozep  and  Henry 
Kesler  directed  it.  Eugene  Frcnke  was  associate  producer. 
The  cast  includes  Alexander  Granach,  Paul  Guilfoyle  and 
others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


4 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  1,  1944 


The  pending  tax  bill  provides  that  the  new  rates 
are  temporary,  and  that  they  shall  end  "on  the  first 
day  of  the  first  month  which  begins  six  months  or 
more  after  the  date  of  the  termination  of  hostilities 
in  the  present  war." 

It  is  reasonable  to  assume  that,  so  long  as  this  war 
lasts,  and  assuredly  six  months  after,  the  distributors 
will  enjoy  as  great,  and  even  greater,  profits  as  they 
are  enjoying  today.  And,  mind  you,  these  profits  are 
the  greatest  in  their  history,  even  though  their  revenue 
from  foreign  markets  has  been  reduced  substantially. 
In  addition,  they  have  a  large  backlog  of  product, 
which, .after  the  war,  will  net  them  millions  of  dollars 
from  the  foreign  markets  they  are  not  serving  now.  In 
the  midst  of  all  this  plenty,  why  not  look  to  the  dis- 
tributors to  make  up  part  of  the  losses  the  exhibitors 
will  suffer  during  the  period  the  emergency  tax  in- 
crease is  in  effect?  For  them  to  assume  some  of  the 
exhibitors'  burden  would  have  little,  if  any,  effect  on 
their  net  profits.  Moreover,  by  helping  the  small  ex- 
hibitor now  they  help  themselves,  for  when  normalcy 
returns  they  will  find  the  outlets  for  their  product  still 
intact.  And  in  normal  times  the  small  independent 
exhibitor's  business  spells  the  difference  between  loss 
and  profit. 

One  method  by  which  the  distributors  can  make  up 
an  exhibitor's  losses  is  to  reduce  in  an  equitable  amount 
their  film  rental  rates,  whether  on  flat  terms  or  on  per- 
centage. This  reduction  should,  of  course,  be  based  on 
normal  film  rental  rates  and  not  on  the  inflated  terms 
being  demanded  today  because  of  an  artificial  product 
shortage. 

The  distributors  have  an  opportunity  to  do  them- 
selves and  the  industry  in  general  a  great  service.  Will 
they  take  advantage  of  it? 

*       *  * 

Assuming  that  the  proposed  tax  of  lc  on  each  5c  or 
fraction  is  finally  adopted,  it  would  be  foolhardy  for 
an  exhibitor  to  absorb  any  part  of  the  tax  increase  in 
order  to  maintain  his  present  level  of  admissions.  Such 
a  policy  will  create  a  competitive  condition  that  may 
prove  disastrous  to  the  exhibitors.  As  pointed  out  by 
Mr.  Myers  recently,  "the  law  not  only  does  not  con- 
template absorption  of  the  tax,  it  actually  provides 
that  it  shall  be  paid  by  the  public.  In  essence,  the  tax 
is  an  excise  on  the  right  to  buy  a  ticket  not  to  sell  it." 

An  exhibitor  who  attempts  to  absorb  any  part  of 
the  new  tax  would  compel  his  competitor  to  do  like- 
wise. This  vitally  important  matter  requires  the  im- 
mediate attention  of  all  exhibitor  organizations,  for 
a  unified  policy  is  essential  if  an  admission  war  be- 
tween competitors  is  to  be  averted. 


CAUSES  OF  THE 
CHRISTMAS  WEEK  SLUMP 

Here  are  some  of  the  possible  causes  of  the  business 
slump  during  the  days  before  Christmas:  The  pay- 
ment December  15  of  a  second  installment  of  the  1944 
taxes;  the  influenza  epidemic;  the  inability  of  people 
to  make  quick  purchases  as  a  result  of  the  jam  at  the 
stores,  leaving  them  little  time  for  taking  the  family 
to  the  picture  show;  the  high  cost  of  everything,  drain- 
ing the  family's  pocket,  and  above  all  the  poor  quality 
of  most  pitcures. 


"Son  of  Russia"  with  Robert  Taylor 
and  Susan  Peters 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  107  min.) 

Lavishly  produced,  "Song  of  Russia"  is  a  sensitive 
and  stirring  account  of  Russia  at  peace  and  at  war, 
told  in  terms  of  an  appealing  romance  between  a 
famed  American  symphony  orchestra  conductor  and 
a  cultured  Russian  peasant  girl.  It  is  the  type  of  pic- 
ture the  masses  should  enjoy,  for  it  deals  with  people 
whose  actions  and  emotions  they  can  understand. 
Music  lovers  should  find  the  music  by  Tschaikowsky 
and  by  modern  Russian  composers  a  treat.  The  per- 
formances are  exceptionally  good,  particularly  that  of 
Susan  Peters;  she  makes  the  character  of  the  peasant 
girl  so  real  and  so  lovable  that  one's  interest  in  her 
welfare  is  held  throughout.  The  first  half  of  the  film 
concerns  itself  with  the  romance  amid  gay  and  charm- 
ing surroundings.  This  m<xxJ  serves  to  accentuate  the 
inhumaness  of  the  Nazi  invasion,  which  takes  place  in 
the  second  half.  Several  of  the  situations  will  draw 
tears.  One  such  situation  is  where  a  Russian  youngster 
is  strafed  by  a  Nazi  plane,  dying  in  his  father's  arms; 
few  patrons,  after  witnessing  this,  will  remain  with 
dry  eyes: — 

Arriving  in  Russia  for  a  symphonic  tour,  Robert 
Taylor,  famed  American  conductor,  is  approached  by 
Susan  Peters,  who  unsuccessfully  attempts  to  speak 
to  him.  Later,  at  a  rehearsal,  she  sneaks  on  stage  and 
attracts  his  attention  by  playing  a  brilliant  piano  solo. 
Speaking  on  behalf  of  music  students  in  Tschaikovs- 
koe,  a  tiny  Russian  village,  which  celebrated  a  music 
festival  each  year,  Susan  pleads  with  Taylor  to  include 
the  festival  on  his  tour.  Both  are  drawn  to  one  another, 
and  together  they  see  the  sights  of  Moscow.  Taylor 
declares  his  love  for  her,  but  Susan,  believing  that 
their  different  backgrounds  would  not  make  for  an 
harmonious  marriage,  returns  home.  Several  months 
later  Taylor  visits  the  village,  and  after  a  whirlwind 
courtship  overrules  Susan's  objections  and  marries  her. 
They  spend  their  honeymoon  on  his  concert  tour. 
When  the  Nazis  attack  Russia,  Susan  expresses  her 
desire  to  return  to  her  family.  Taylor,  being  in  sym- 
pathy with  her  desire  to  help  her  people,  agrees  that 
she  go  while  he  completes  the  tour.  At  the  conclusion 
of  his  final  concert,  Taylor  learns  that  the  Nazis  are 
closing  in  on  the  village.  Worried  about  Susan,  he 
secures  passage  to  Tschaikovskoe  as  a  musician  going 
to  the  front  to  entertain  soldiers.  Taylor  manages  to 
reach  the  village  after  a  series  of  adventures,  and  finds 
it  in  ruins  as  the  result  of  shelling  and  the  scorched- 
earth  policy.  He  searches  frantically  for  Susan  and 
finds  her  setting  fire  to  the  wheat  fields.  Angered  by 
the  Nazi's  brutality,  he  determines  to  stay  in  Russia 
to  fight  the  invaders.  But  a  kindly  priest  points  out 
that  he  and  Susan  can  contribute  more  by  returning 
to  the  United  States.  Back  in  America,  Taylor,  with 
Susan  playing  the  piano,  devotes  himself  to  telling  of 
Russia's  great  fight  through  his  inspiring  music. 

Paul  Jarrico  and  Richard  Collins  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Joseph  Pasternak  produced  it,  and  Gregory 
Ratoff  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Robert  Benchley, 
John  Hodiak,  Felix  Bressart,  Michael  Chekhov,  Darryl 
Hickman,  Jacqueline  White  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  TWO 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI 


NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  JANUARY  1,  1944 


No.  1 


(Semi-Annual  Index — Second  Half  of  1943) 


Titles  of  Pictures 


Reviewed  on  Page 


Adventure  in  Blackmail — English  Films  (70  min.)  ....  131 

Adventure  in  Iraq — Warner  Bros.  (64  min.)  154 

Adventures  of  a  Rookie — RKO  (65  min.)  135 

Adventures  of  Tartu — MGM  (see  "Tartu")  126 

Always  a  Bridesmaid- — Universal  (61  min.)  146 

Appointment  in  Berlin — Columbia  (75  min.)  118 

Arizona  Trail — Universal  (57  min.)  not  reviewed 

Around  the  World— RKO  (81  mm.)  191 

Avenging  Rider — RKO  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Bar  20 — United  Artists  (54  min.)  not  reviewed 

Behind  the  Rising  Sun— RKO  (87  min.)  116 

Best  Foot  Forward — MGM  (93  min.)  106 

Beyond  the  Last  Frontier — Republic 

(55  min.)   not  reviewed 

Billy  the  Kid  in  Cattle  Stampede — PRC 

(58  min.)   not  reviewed 

Billy  the  Kid  in  The  Renegade — PRC  (58  m.)  .not  reviewed 
Billy  the  Kid  in  Western  Cyclone— PRC 

(64  min.)   not  reviewed 

Black  Hills  Express — Republic  (55  m.)  not  reviewed 

Black  Market  Rustlers — Monogram  (59  m.)  .  .not  reviewed 

Blazing  Frontier — PRC  (59  min.)  not  reviewed 

Bomber's  Moon — 20th  Century-Fox  (70  min.)  110 

Bordertown  Gun  Fighters— Republic  (56  m.)  .not  reviewed 
Bullets  &  Saddles — Monogram  (54  m.)  not  reviewed 

California  Joe — Republic  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Calling  Dr.  Death— Universal  (64  min.)  204 

Calling  Wild  Bill  Elliott — Republic  (55  m.)  .  not  reviewed 

Campus  Rhythm — Monogram  (61  min.)  158 

Canyon  City — Republic  (54  min.)  not  reviewed 

Career  Girl— PRC  (67  min.)  208 

Chance  of  a  Lifetime,  The — Columbia  (66  min.)  167 

Charlie  Chan  in  Secret  Service — Monogram  (64  min.).  204 

Claudia — 20th  Century-Fox  (91  min.)  135 

Coastal  Command— RKO  (69  min.)  119 

Colt  Comrades — United  Artists  (67  m.)  not  reviewed 

Constant  Nymph,  The — Warner  Bros.  (112  min.)  ....  107 

Corvette  K-2 2 5— Universal  (98  min.)  158 

Crazy  House — Universal  (80  min.)  170 

Crime  Doctor — Columbia  (66  min.)  110 

Crime  Doctor's  Strangest  Case — Columbia  (69  min.) .  .  199 

Cross  of  Lorraine,  The— MGM  (90  min.)  182 

Cry  "Havoc"— MGM  (97  min.)  179 

Dancing  Masters,  The — 20th  Century  Fox  (63  min.)  . .  174 

Dangerous  Blondes — Columbia  (80  min.)  167 

Danger!  Women  at  Work— PRC  (58  min.)  118 

Days  of  Old  Cheyenne — Republic  (55  m.). .  .not  reviewed 
Death  Valley  Manhunt — Republic  (55  m.)  — not  reviewed 
Death  Valley  Rangers — Monogram  (56  m.)  .  .not  reviewed 

Deerslayer — Republic  (67  min.)  184 

Desert  Song,  The — Warner  Bros.  (96  min.)  202 

Destination  Tokyo — Warner  Bros.  (135  min.)  207 

Destroyer — Columbia  (94  min.)  136 

Devil  Riders,  The — PRC  (58  min.)  not  reviewed 

Doughboys  in  Ireland — Columbia  (63  min.)  203 

Drifter,  The — PRC  (60  min.)  not  reviewed 

Drums  of  Fu  Manchu — Republic  (68  min.)  203 

Falcon  and  the  Co-Eds,  The— RKO  (68  min.)  178 

Falcon  in  Danger,  The— RKO  (73  min.)  116 

Fallen  Sparrow,  The— RKO  (94  min.)  134 

Find  the  Blackmailer — Warner  Bros.  (55  min.)  171 

Fired  Wife— Universal  (73  min.)  162 

First  Comes  Courage — Columbia  (85  min.)  147 

Flesh  and  Fantasy— Universal  (93  min.)  151 

Follies  Girl— PRC  (70  min.)  115 

Footlight  Glamour — Columbia  (70  min.)  187 

For  Whom  The  Bell  Tolls— Paramount  (168  min.)  115 

Frontier  Bad  Man — Universal  (76  min.)  132 


Frontier  Law — Universal  (58  min.)  not  reviewed 

Fugitive  from  Sonora- — Republic  (55  m.) ...  .not  reviewed 

Gals,  Incorporated — Universal  (60  min.)  Ill 

Gang's  All  Here,  The— 20th  Century-Fox  (103  min.) . .  194 

Gangway  for  Tomorrow — RKO  (69  min.)  180 

Gentle  Gangster,  A — Republic  (57  min.)  106 

Ghost  Ship,  The— RKO  (69  min.)  198 

Gildersleeve  on  Broadway — RKO  (65  min.)  170 

Girl  Crazy— MGM  (97  min.)  126 

Good  Fellows,  The — Paramount  (69  min.)  130 

Good  Luck,  Mr.  Yates — Columbia  (69  min.)  119 

Government  Girl— RKO  (93  min.)  178 

Guadalcanal  Diary — 20th  Century-Fox  (93  min.)  175 

Gung  Ho! — Universal  (88  min.)  206 

Gunsmoke  Mesa — PRC  (59  min.)  not  reviewed 

Guy  Named  Joe,  A — MGM  (120  min.)  208 

Hail  to  the  Rangers — Columbia  (57  min.) . . .  .not  reviewed 
Hands  Across  the  Border — Republic  (73  m.)  .  not  reviewed 

Happy  Land — 20th  Century-Fox  (75  min.)  182 

Harvest  Days — Republic  (see  "The  Old 

Homestead")   1942,138 

Harvest  Melody— PRC  (70  min.)  174 

Headin'  For  God's  Country — Republic  (78  min.)  124 

Heat's  On,  The — Columbia  (79  min.)  194 

Heaven  Can  Wait — 20th  Century-Fox  (112  min.)  119 

Henry  Aldrich  Haunts  a  House — Paramount  (72  m.)  . .  182 

Here  Comes  Elmer — Republic  (74  min.)  166 

Here  Comes  Kelly — Monogram  (64  min.)  124 

Hers  to  Hold — Universal  (93  min.)  114 

Hi  Diddle  Diddle — United  Artists  (72  min.)  128 

Higher  and  Higher — RKO  (91  min.)  200 

His  Butler's  Sister — Universal  (93  min.)  186 

Hit  the  Ice — Universal  (82  min.)  107 

Hi  'Ya  Sailor — Universal  (62  min.)  162 

Holy  Matrimony — 20th  Century-Fox  (87  min.)  139 

Honeymoon  Lodge — Universal  (63  min.)  122 

Hoosier  Holiday- — Republic  (72  min.)  138 

Hostages — Paramount  (88  min.)  131 

I  Dood  It— MGM  (101  min.)  123 

In  Old  Oklahoma— Republic  (102  min.)  171 

Iron  Major,  The— RKO  (85  min.)  175 

Is  Everybody  Happy? — Columbia  (73  min.)  191 

Isle  of  Forgotten  Sins— PRC  (82  min.)  174 

Jack  London — United  Artists  (94  min.)  191 

Jive  Junction — PRC  (62  min.)  195 

Johnny  Come  Lately — United  Artists  (97  min.)  138 

Klondike  Kate — Columbia  (64  min.)  206 

Lady  Takes  A  Chance,  A— RKO  (86  min.)  135 

Larceny  With  Music — Universal  (64  min.)  146 

Lassie  Come  Home — MGM  (89  min.)  134 

Law  of  the  Northwest — Columbia  (59  m.) .  .  .not  reviewed 

Law  Rides  Again — Monogram  (57  m.)  not  reviewed 

Leather  Burners — United  Artists  (58  m.) .  . .  .not  reviewed 

Let's  Face  It — Paramount  (76  min.)  126 

Lone  Rider  in  Law  of  the  Saddle — PRC 

(57  min.)   not  reviewed 

Lone  Rider  in  Raiders  of  Red  Gap — PRC 

(59  min.)   not  reviewed 

Lone  Rider  in  Wolves  of  the  Range — PRC 

(60  min.)   not  reviewed 

Lone  Star  Trail,  The — Universal  (57  m.) . . .  .not  reviewed 
Lost  Angel— MGM  (91  min.)  179 

Madame  Curie— MGM  (124  min.)  187 

Mad  Ghoul,  The— Universal  (65  mm.)  203 

Man  from  Down  Under,  The— MGM  (102  min.)  127 

Man  from  Music  Mountain — Republic 

(71  min.)   not  reviewed 

Man  from  the  Rio  Grande — Republic  (55  m.)  .not  reviewed 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Index  --  Second  Half  of  1943,  Page  B  '/>M 


Man  from  Thunder  River — Republic  (55  m.) .  not  reviewed 

Marshal  of  Gunsmoke — Universal  (58  m.)  .  .  .not  reviewed 

Melody  Parade — Monogram  (76  mm.)  124 

Mexican  Spitfire's  Blessed  Event — RKO  (63  min.)  ....  1 14 

Minesweeper — Paramount  (67  min.)  182 

Mr.  Muggs  Steps  Out— Monogram  (63  min.)  180 

Moonlight  in  Vermont — Universal  (62  min.)  207 

Murder  on  the  Waterfront — Warner  Bros.  (48  min.)  .  .  128 

My  Kingdom  for  a  Cook — Columbia  (81  min.)  170 

Mystery  Broadcast — Republic  (63  min.)  171 

Mystery  of  the  Thirteenth  Guest — Monogram 

(see  The  Thirteenth  Guest)  155 

Nearly  Eighteen — Monogram  (61  min.)  150 

Never  a  Dull  Moment — Universal  179 

Nobody's  Darling — Republic  (71  min.)  132 

Northern  Pursuit — Warner  Bros.  (93  min.)  170 

North  Star,  The— RKO  (105  min.)  166 

No  Time  lor  Love — Paramount  (83  min.)  183 

Old  Acquaintance — Warner  Bros.  (110  min.)  178 

O,  My  Darling  Clementine — Republic  (70  min.)  195 

Outlaws  ol  Stampede  Pass — Monogram 

(55  m.in)   not  reviewed 

Pans  After  Dark— 20th  Century-Fox  (85  min.)  162 

Passport  To  Suez — Columbia  (72  min.)  139 

Phantom  ol  the  Opera,  The — Universal  (91  min.) ....  136 

Petticoat  Larceny — RKO  (61  min.)  114 

Pistol  Packin'  Mama — Republic  (64  min.)  199 

Prairie  Chickens — United  Artists  (47  min.)  110 

Pride  of  the  Plains — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Princess  O'Rourke — Warner  Bros.  (94  min.)  154 

Raiders  of  San  Joaquin — Universal  (60  m.)  .  .not  reviewed 
Raiders  oi  Sunset  Pass — Republic  (56  m.)  .  .  .not  reviewed 
Red  River  Robin  Hood — RKO  (57  min.)  .  .  .  .not  reviewed 

Return  ol  the  Rangers — PRC  (60  min.)  not  reviewed 

Revenge  ol  the  Zombies — Monogram  (61  min.)  130 

Riders  ol  the  Rio  Grande — Republic  (55  in.). not  reviewed 

Riding  High — Paramount  (89  min.)  183 

Robin  Hood  of  the  Range — Columbia  (57  in  )  .not  reviewed 
Rookies  in  Burma — RKO  (63  min.)  198 

Saddles  if  Sagebrush — Columbia  (55  m.)  . . .  .not  reviewed 

Sahara — Columbia  (95  min.)  159 

Saint  Meets  the  Tiger,  The — Republic  (70  min.)  130 

Salute  to  the  Marines — MGM  (101  min.)  122 

Scream  in  the  Dark,  A — Republic  (55  min.)  154 

Seventh  Victim,  The— RKO  (71  min.)  138 

Sherlock  Holmes  Faces  Death — Universal  (68  min.)..  142 

She's  For  Me— Universal  (60  min.)  194 

Silent  Witness,  The — PRC  (see  "Secrets  of  a 

Co-Ed")   1942,162 

Silver  City  Raiders — Columbia  (55  nun.) .  . .  .not  reviewed 

Silver  Spurs — Republic  (68  min.)  not  reviewed 

Sky's  the  Limit,  The— RKO  (90  min.)  116 

Six  Gun  Gospel — Monogram  (55  m.)  not  reviewed 

Sleepy  Lagoon — Republic  (65  min.)  136 

Smart  Guy — Monogram  (63  min.)  190 

Someone  to  Remember — Republic  (80  min.)  123 

Song  of  Texas — Republic  (69  min.)  not  reviewed 

Son  of  Dracula — Universal  (79  min.)  184 

So's  Your  Uncle — Universal  (64  min.)  190 

So  This  Is  Washington— RKO  (64  min.)  134 

Spider  Woman — Universal  (62  min.)  202 

Spotlight  Scandals — Monogram  (73  min.)  118 

Strange  Death  of  Adolph  Hitler,  The — Universal 

(72  min.)  166 

Stranger  from  Pecos,  The — Monogram 

(57  min.)   not  reviewed 

Striptease  Lady — United  Artists  (see  "Lady  of 

Burlesque")   71 

Submarine  Base — PRC  (65  min.)  115 

Sultan's  Daughter,  The — Monogram  (64  min.)  186 

Sweet  Rosie  O'Grady — 20th  Century-Fox  (76  min.).  .155 

Swing  Fever— MGM  (80  min.)  183 

Swing  Out  the  Blues — Columbia  (71  min.)  206 

Swingtime  Johnny — Universal  (60  min.)  207 

Tartu— MGM  (103  min.)  126 

Tarzan's  Desert  Mystery — RKO  (70  min.)  198 

Texas  Kid — Monogram  (57  m.)  not  reviewed 

Texas  Rangers  in  Border  Buckaroos — PRC 

(59  min.)   not  reviewed 

Texas  Rangers  in  Fighting  Valley — PRC 

(59  min.)   not  reviewed 


Texas  Rangers  in  Trail  of  Terror — PRC 

(63  min.)   not  reviewed 

Texas  Rangers  in  West  of  Texas — PRC 

(59  min.)   not  reviewed 

Thank  Your  Lucky  Stars — Warner  Bros.  (127  min.)..  136 

Thirteenth  Guest,  The — Monogram  (61  min.)  155 

Thi6  Is  the  Army — Warner  Bros.  (114  min.)  127 

Thousands  Cheer — MGM  (124  mm.)  151 

Tiger  Fangs— PRC  (58  mm.)  no 

Top  Man — Universal  (82  min.)  150 

Tornado — Paramount  (83  mm.)  132 

True  to  Life — Paramount  (93  min.)  131 

Underdog,  The — PRC  (65  mm.)  186 

Unknown  Guest,  The — Monogram  (64  min.)  142 

Victory  Through  Air  Power — United  Artists  (65  in.).  Ill 

Wagon  Tracks  West— Republic  (55  min.) ....  not  reviewed 

Watch  on  the  Rhine — Warner  Bros.  (114  min.)  123 

West  Side  Kid,  The — Republic  (57  min.)  139 

Westward  Bound — Monogram  (54  min.)  ....  not  reviewed 
We've  Never  Been  Lacked — Universal  ( 103  mm.) ....  1 28 

What  a  Man — Monogram  (73  mm.)  202 

What  A  Woman! — Columbia  (94  min.)  200 

What's  Buzzin'  Cousin? — Columbia  (75  min.)  124 

Where  Are  Your  Children? — Monogram  (72!/2  min.).  190 

Whispering  Footsteps — Republic  (56  min.)  208 

Whistling  in  Brooklyn — MGM  (88  mm.)  158 

Wintertime — 20th  Century-Fox  (82  min.)  146 

Woman  of  the  Town,  The — United  Artists  (90  min).  204 
Women  in  Bondage — Monogram  (71  min.)  180 

Yanks  Ahoy — United  Artists  (60  min.)  106 

Young  Ideas — MGM  (76  min.)  122 

Youth  Takes  a  Hand— PRC  (see 

"Behind  Prison  Walls")    39 


RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 
Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave..  Hew  York  19,  >{.  T.) 

5024  Return  of  the  Vampire — Lugosi  Nov.  11 

5017  There's  Something  About  a  Soldier — 

Kcyes-Neal   Nov.  30 

5009  The  Heat's  On— West-Moore-Gaxton  Dec.  2 

5021  Crime  Doctor's  Strangest  Case — 

Baxtcr-Hobart  Dec.  9 

Klondike  Kate — Neal-Savage  Dec.  16 

Cowboy  in  the  Clouds — Starrctt  Dec.  23 

5005  What  a  Woman! — Russell-Aherne  Dec.  28 

The  Racket  Man — Neal-Bates  Jan.  18 

Swing  Out  the  Blues — Haymes-Mernck  Jan.  20 

Beautiful  But  Broke — Davis-Frazee  Jan.  28 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Features 

( 1 540  Broadway,  7-lew  York  19,  \.  T.) 
(Block  2 — release  dates  are  tentative) 

413  Thousands  Cheer — Grayson-Kelly   January 

414  Cross  of  Lorraine — Aumont  January 

415  Lost  Angel — O'Brien-Craig  January 

416  A  Guy  Named  Joe — Tracy-Dunne  February 

417  Cry  "Havoc" — Sullavan-Sothern  February 

418  Rationing — Beery -Main   February 

<*19  Broadway  Rhythm — Murphy-Simms  March 

420  See  Here,  Private  Hargrove — Walker-Reed  March 

421  Heavenly  Body — Powell-Lamarr  March 

422  Song  of  Russia — Taylor-Peters  April 

423  Swing  Fever — Kay  Kyser  April 

490  Madame  Curie — Garson-Pidgeon   April 


Monogram  Features 

(630  Tiinth  Ave.,  Jiew  Yor\  19,  H..  T.) 

1942-  43 

228  What  a  Man — Downs-McKay  Jan  31 

(End  of  1942-43  Season) 

1943-  44 

308  Melody  Parade — Quillan-Hughes  Aug.  27 

307  Spotlight  Scandals — Fay-Gilbert  Sept.  24 

309  The  Unknown  Guest — Jory-Blake  Oct.  22 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Index  - 


-  Second  Half  of  1943,  Page  C 


351  Texas  Kid— J.  M.  Brown  (57  m.)  Nov.  26 

361  Death  Valley  Rangers — Trail  Blazers  (56  m.)  .Dec.  3 

310  Mr.  Muggs  Steps  Out — East  Side  Kids  Dec.  10 

304  Women  in  Bondage — Patrick-Kelly  (re.)  Jan.  10 

302  Where  Are  Your  Children — Storm-Cooper 

(re.)  Jan.  17 

362  Westward  Bound— Trail  Blazers  (54  m.)  Jan.  17 

888  The  Sultan's  Daughter — Cono-Butterworth 

(re.)   Jan.  24 

352  Raiders  of  the  Border — J.  M.  Brown  Jan.  31 

315  Sweethearts  of  the  U.  S.  A. — Merkel-Novis 

(re.)   Feb.  7 

317  Charlie  Chan  in  the  Secret  Service — Toler  (re). Feb.  14 

Voodoo  Man — Lugosi-Carradine  Feb.  21 

Million  Dollar  Kid— East  Side  Kids  Feb.  28 

301  Lady  Let's  Dance — Belita  Mar.  7 


Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  Hew  Tor\  18,  H  T.) 
(Block  3 — no  national  release  dates) 

4311  Henry  Aldrich  Boy  Scout — Lydon  

4312  Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek — Bracken-Hutton . 

4313  Timber  Queen — Arlen-Hughes   

4314  Standing  Room  Only — Goddard-MacMurray . 

4315  The  Uninvited — Milland-Hussey  

Special 

4338  For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls — Cooper-Bergman.  . 


Producers  Releasing  Corp.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  22,  H-  T.) 

461  The  Drifter— Buster  Crabbe  No.  3  (60  m.) .  .  .Dec.  20 
407  Jive  Junction — Moore-Thayer  Dec.  20 

453  Gunsmoke  Mesa — Texas  Rangers  No.  3 

(59  m.)  Jan.  3 

Career  Girl — Langford-Norris   Jan.  11 

Nabonga — Crabbe-D'Orsay   Jan.  25 

462  Buster  Crabbe  No.  4  Jan.  27 

454  Outlaw  Roundup — Texas  Rangers  No.  4  Feb.  10 

Men  On  Her  Mind — Hughes-North  Feb.  12 

Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 

303  Here  Comes  Elmer — Al  Pearce  Nov.  15 

376  Overland  Mail  Robbery— Elliott  (55  m.)  Nov.  20 

306  Deerslayer — Kellogg-Parker   Nov.  22 

304  Mystery  Broadcast — Albertson-Terry  Nov.  23 

305  Drums  of  Fu  Manchu — Brandon-Boyle  Nov.  27 

364  Canyon  City — Barry  (54  m.)  Nov.  29 

307  In  Old  Oklahoma — Scott-Dekker- Wayne  Dec.  6 

310  Pistol  Packin'  Mama — Terry-Livingston  Dec.  15 

352  Raiders  of  Sunset  Pass — Eddie  Dew  (56  m.) .  .Dec.  20 

365  California  Joe — Barry  (55  m.)  Dec.  29 

309  Whispering  Footsteps — Hubbard-Quigley  Dec.  30 

308  O,  My  Darling  Clementine — Albertson-Gray .  .Dec.  31 

353  Pride  of  the  Plains — Livingston  (56  m.)  Jan.  5 

341  Hands  Across  the  Border — Roy  Rogers  (73m.)  .Jan.  5 

Rootin'  Tootin'  Rhythm — Gene  Autry 

(reissue)   Jan.  15 

Women  in  War — Elsie  Janis  (reissue)  Jan.  25 


RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  20,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates  on  features) 
Block  3 

411  Around  the  World — Kyser-Davis  

412  The  Ghost  Ship — Richard  Dix  

413  Tarzan's  Desert  Mystery — Weissmuller-Kelly  

414  Rookies  in  Burma — Brown-Carnay  

41'5  Higher  and  Higher — Sinatra-Haley-Morgan  

Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 

(444  W.  56th  St.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 

415  Happy  Land — Ameche-Dee  Dec.  3 

416  The  Gang's  All  Here — Faye-Miranda  Dec.  24 

The  Lodger — Sanders-Oberon   Jan.  7 

Lifeboat — Bankhead-Lee  Jan.  21 

United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 

Bar  20 — Hopalong  (54  m.)  Oct.  1 

Jack  London — O' Shea-Hay  ward   Dec.  24 


Woman  of  the  Town — Dekker-Trevor  Dec.  31 

Three  Russian  Girls — Sten-Smith  Jan.  14 

Knickerbocker  Holiday — Eddy-Coburn   Jan.  28 

Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey — Bari-Calhern  Feb.  11 

It  Happened  Tomorrow — Powell-Darnell  Feb.  25 

Voice  in  the  Wind — Lederer-Gurie  Mar.  10 

Universal  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  20,  H-  T.) 

8041  She's  For  Me — Bruce-McDonald  (re.)  Dec.  10 

8026  Calling  Dr.  Death— Chaney-Morison  (re.).. Dec.  17 

8025  Moonlight  in  Vermont — Gloria  Jean  Dec.  24 

Gung  Ho! — Randolph  Scott  Dec.  31 

8034  Sing  a  Jingle — Allan  Jones  Jan.  7 

Ali  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves — Montez-Hall.Jan.  14 
8021  Spider  Woman — Rathbone-Sondergaard  .  .  .  .Jan.  21 
8083  Marshal  of  Gunsmoke — Tex  Ritter  (58  m.)  .  .Jan.  21 

Phantom  Lady — Tone-Raines  Jan.  28 

8020  Swingtime  Johnny — Andrews  Sisters  Feb.  4 

The  Imposter — Gabin-Whorf   Feb.  11 

Weekend  Pass — O'Driscoll-Beery,  Jr  Feb.  18 

Chip  Off  the  Old  Block— O'Connor-Ryan.  .  .Feb.  25 

Warner-First  National  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St.,  Hew  Tor\  18,  H-  T.) 

308  Old  Acquaintance — Davis-Hopkins   Nov.  27 

327  Crime  School — Bogart  (reissue)  (86  m.)  Dec.  4 

328  Girls  on  Probation — Reagan  (reissue)  (63m.). Dec.  4 

309  Destination  Tokyo — Grant-Garfield  Jan.  1 

310  The  Desert  Song — Morgan-Manning  Jan.  29 

SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 
Columbia — One  Reel 

5752  Way  Down  Yonder  in  the  Corn — Fox  £•?  Crow 

(7|/2  m.)   Nov.  25 

5655  Community  Sings  No.  5  (10  m.)  Nov.  25 

5804  Ten  Pin  Aces — Sports  (10  m.)  Nov.  26 

5703  The  Playful  Pest— Phantasies  (6]/2  m-)  Dec.  3 

5855  Screen  Snapshots  No.  5  (9  m.)  Dec.  17 

5656  Community  Sings  No.  6  Dec.  24 

5657  Community  Sings  No.  7  Dec.  24 

5805  Winged  Targets— Sports  Dec.  24 

5503  The  Herring  Murder  Mystery — Col.  Rhap..  .Dec.  30 

5704  Polly  Wants  a  Doctor — Phantasies  Jan.  6 

5954  Film  Vodvil  No.  4  Jan.  7 

5903  Camera  Revelations — Panoramics  Jan.  14 

5856  Screen  Snapshots  No.  6  Jan.  14 

5601  Amoozin'  But  Confoozin' — Li'l  Abner  Jan.  28 

5806  The  Swing's  the  Thing — Sports  Feb.  4 

5705  Magic  Strength — Phantasies  Feb.  4 

5753  The  Dream  Kids— Fox  &  Crow  Feb.  5 

Columbia — Two  Reels 
5410  Who's  Hugh? — Herbert  (15J/2  m.)  Dec.  17 

5161  The  Sign  of  the  Skull— The  Phantom  (30m)  .Dec.  17 

5162  The  Man  Who  Never  Dies — Phantom  (20m).Dec.  24 

5404  A  Gem  of  a  Jam — Stooges  (17  m.)  Dec.  30 

5163  A  Traitor's  Code — Phantom  (20  m.)  Dec.  31 

5164  The  Seat  of  Judgment — Phantom  (20  m.)  .  .  Jan.  7 

5165  The  Ghost  Who  Walks— Phantom  (20  m.) .  .Jan.  14 

5431  To  Heir  is  Human — Merkel  Jan.  14 

5432  Dr.  Feel  My  Pulse — Vera  Vague  Jan.  21 

5166  Jungle  Whispers — Phantom  (20  m.)  Jan.  21 

5167  The  Mystery  Well— Phantom  (20  m.)  Jan.  21 

5168  In  Quest  of  the  Keys — Phantom  (20  m.)  Jan.  28 

5405  Crash  Goes  the  Hash — Stooges  Feb.  5 

5169  The  Fire  Princess— Phantom  (20  m.)  Feb.  5 

5170  The  Emerald  Key— Phantom  (20  m.)  Feb.  12 

5171  The  Fangs  of  the  Beast— Phantom  (20  m.) .  .Feb.  19 

5172  The  Road  To  Zoloz— Phantom  (20  m.)  Feb.  26 

5173  A  Lost  City — Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  4 

5174  Peace  in  the  Jungle — Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  11 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

K-490  This  Is  Tomorrow — Passing  Parade  (11m.)  .Nov.  27 
W-454  What's  Buzzin'  Buzzard — Cartoon  (8  m.).Nov.  27 

S-474  Water  Wisdom— Pete  Smith  (9  m.)  Nov.  27 

W-455  Baby  Puss— Cartoon  (8  m.)  Dec.  25 

(More  to  come) 

1943-  44 

T-511  Through  the  Colorado  Rockies — Traveltalk 

(10  m.)  Oct.  23 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Index 


-  Second  Half  of  1943,  Page  D  fhjifif 


T-512  Grand  Canyon,  Pride  of  Creation — Traveltalk 

(9  m.)  Nov.  27 

T-513  Salt  Lake  Diversion— Traveltalk  (9  m.)  Dec.  25 

S-551  Practical  Joker — Pete  Smith  Ian.  8 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 

A-402  Heavenly  Music — Special  (22  m.)  May  1 

A-403  Shoe  Shine  Boy— Special  (20  m.)  Dec.  25 

Paramount — One  Reel 

L3-1  Unusual  Occupations  No.  1  (10  m.)  Nov.  12 

R3-2  Ozark  Sportsmen — Sportlight  (9  m.)  Nov.  19 

E3-1  Her  Honor  the  Mare — Popeye  (7  m.)  Nov.  26 

P3-1  No  Mutton  for  Nuttin' — Noveltoons  (7  m.)  .Nov.  26 

U3-2  Good  Night  Rusty— Mad.  Mod.  (7  m.)  Dec.  3 

J3-2  Popular  Science  No.  2  (10  m.)  Dec.  10 

Y3-1  Tails  of  the  Border— Speaking  of  Animals 

(8  m.)  Dec.  17 

R3-3  G.  1.  Fun— Sportlight  (9  m.)  Dec.  24 

D3-1  Eggs  Don't  Bounce— Little  Lulu  Dec.  24 

E3-2  Marry  Go  Round— Popeye  (8  m.)  Dec.  31 

Paramount — Two  Reels 
FF3-2  Carribean  Romance — Musical  Parade  (20m). Dec.  17 

RKO — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

34110  Home  Defense— Disney  (8  m.)  Oct.  29 

34111  Pelican  and  the  Snipe — Disney  Dec.  17 

(More  to  come) 

1943-  44 

44201  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  1  (9  m.)  Sept.  3 

44301  Field  Trial  Champions — Sportscope  (9  m.).Sept.  10 

44202  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  2  (9  m.)  Oct.  1 

44302  Joe  Kirkwood — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Oct.  8 

44203  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  3  (9m.)  Oct.  29 

44303  Stars  and  Strikes — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Nov.  f 

44204  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  4  (9  m.)  Nov.  26 

44304  Mountain  Anglers — Sportscope  (9  m.)....Dec.  3 

44205  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  5  (9  m.)  Dec.  24 

RKO — Two  Reels 
43402  Unlucky  Dog— Edgar  Kennedy  (15  m  ).  .  .Nov.  12 

43101  Sailors  All— This  is  America  (20  m.)  Nov.  19 

43204  Music  Will  Tell— Head.  Rev.  (18  m.)  Dec.  3 

43102  Letter  to  a  Hero — This  is  America  (18  m.).Dec.  17 
43703  Wcdtime  Stories— Leon  Errol  (17l/2  m.).  .  .Dec.  24 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 

4510  The  Helicopter — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  Jan.  21 

4155  Realm  of  Royalty — Magic  Carpet  (9  m.)  Feb.  4 

451 1  The  Wreck  of  the  Hespurus — Terry.  (7  m.)  .  .Feb.  1 1 
4202  Silver  Wings — Adventure  (9  m.)  Feb.  18 

4512  A  Day  in  June — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  

4153  Steamboat  on  the  River — Magic  Carpet  (9m). Mar.  10 

4513  The  Champion  of  Justice — Terrytoon  (7  m.).Mar.  17 
4201  Sails  Aloft — Adventure  (9  m.)  Mar.  31 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 
Vol.  10  No.  3  Youth  in  Crisis — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Nov.  5 

Universal — One  Reel 

8354  Wings  in  Record  Time — Var.  Views  (9  m.).Dec.  27 

8355  Amazing  Metropolis — Var.  Views  (9  m.)...Jan.  17 

8356  Magazine  Model — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Jan.  24 

8375  Mrs.  Lowell  Thomas,  Fur  Farmer — Per.  Odd.. Jan.  31 

Universal — Two  Reels 

8124  Radio  Melodies — Musical  (15  m.)  Dec.  29 

8125  New  Orleans  Blues— Musical  (15  m.)  Jan.  26 

Vitaphone — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

8725  Little  Red  Riding  Habit— Mer.  Mel.  (re.) 

(7  m.)   Jan.  1 

8726  What's  Cookin' Doc— Mer.  Mel.  (re.) (7m).  .Jan.  8 

(End  of  1942-43  Season) 

1943-  44 

9301  A  Feud  There  Was— Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)   Sept.  11 

9601  Hit  Parade  of  the  Gay  Nineties — Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)   Sept.  18 

9402  Bees  A"  Buzzin — Varieties  (10  m.)  Sept.  18 

9302  Early  Bird  Gets  the  Worm — Mer.  Mel. 

(reissue)  (7m.)   Oct.  2 

9501  Tropical  Sport  Land— Sports  (10  m.)  Oct.  9 


9602  Sweetheart  Serenade— Mel.  Mas.  ( 10  in.)  Oct.  23 

9303  My  Little  Buckaroo — Mer.  Mel.  (nriUMf) 

(7  m.)   Nov.  6 

9401  Alaskan  Frontier — Varieties  (10  in.)  Nov.  6 

9502  Desert  Playground — Sports  (10  m.)  Nov.  13 

9603  Cavalcade  of  the  Dance — Mel.  Mas.  (10m).  Nov.  20 

9304  Fighting  69j/2— Mer  Mel.  (reissue)  (7  m.).Dec.  4 

9604  Freddie  Fisher      His  Band— Mel  Mas. 

( 10  in.)  Dec.  18 

9403  Hunting  the  Devil  Cat — Varieties  (10  m.).  .  .Dec  18 

9503  Into  the  Clouds— Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  1 

9305  Cross  Country  Detourb — Mer  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)   Jan.  15 

9504  Baa  Baa  Blacksheep— Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  22 

9605  Ted  Wcems  ii  Merchant  Marine — Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)   Jan.  29 

9701  Meatless  Fly  Day— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m  )  Jan.  29 

9306  Hiawatha's  Rabbit  Hunt — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  rn.)   Feb.  12 

9702  Tom  Turk     Daffy— Mer.  Mel.  7  m.)  Feb.  12 

9505  Dogic  Round  up— Sports  (10  m.)  Feb.  26 

9721  The  Three  Bears— Bugs  Bunny  (7m.)  Feb.  26 

9703  I've  Got  Plenty  of  Mutton— Mer.  Mel. 

(7  m.)  Mar.  11 

9307  The  Bear's  Tale— Mer  Mel.  (reissue)  (7m).  Mar.  11 

9606  Songs  of  the  Range — Mel  Mas.  (10  m.) .  .  .  .Mar.  18 

9506  Chinatown  Champs — Sports  (10  m.)  Mar.  18 

9704  The  Weakly  Reporter— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m  ).  .  .Mar.  25 

9404  Struggle  for  Life— Varieties  (10  m.)  Mar.  25 

Vitaphone — Two  Reels 

9102  Over  the  Wall — Featurctte  (20  m.)  Dec.  25 

9109  Gun  to  Gun— Sante  Fe  Western  (20  m.)  Jan.  8 

9103  Grandfather's  Follies — Featurette  (20  m.).  .  .Feb.  5 
9004  The  Devil  Boats — Special  (20  m.)  Feb.  19 

9110  Roaring  Guns — Sante  Fe  Western  ( 20  m.) ..  Mar.  4 

NEWSWEEKLY 

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RELEASE  DATES 

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Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JANUARY  8,  1944  No.  2 


THE  VALUE  OF  ORGANIZATION 

Mr.  Maxwell  A.  Alderman,  executive  secretary  of 
Allied  Theatres  of  Connecticut,  said  the  following  in 
the  organization's  "Service  Bulletin"  of  December  24 : 

"If  I  were  an  independent  exhibitor  with  all  the 
years  of  experience  that  goes  with  the  business,  I 
would  sit  down  and  ponder  as  to  how  I  could  better 
my  lot  in  the  future.  In  making  my  New  Year  Resolu' 
tion,  I  would  wonder  whether  I  was  helping  myself  as 
well  as  other  independent  exhibitors.  Petty,  fancied, 
personal  grievances  or  jealousies  should  be  set  aside 
for  the  larger  overall  part  I  should  play  in  my  business 
in  the  future.  I  would,  after  thinking  for  awhile,  make 
up  my  mind  that  every  independent  exhibitor  owes  it 
to  himself  to  join  a  truly  independent  trade  associa' 
tion.  There  may  be  individuals  who  believe  that  they 
are  self-sufficient  and  can  go  it  alone,  but  they  are  only 
kidding  themselves.  The  time  is  coming  and  soon, 
when  they  will  find  out  for  themselves  that  they  are  a 
part,  however  small,  in  this  business.  The  outside 
forces  will  continue  to  pound,  so  that  the  shell  into 
which  you  have  withdrawn,  will  eventually  crack  and 
you  will  find  yourself  alone  to  battle  for  your  very 
existence.  I  would  ask  myself  how  far  I  could  get  if  I 
set  out  to  adjust  tax  or  other  legislative  matters  both 
in  Congress  and  in  our  own  state?  And  these  problems 
are  multiplied  many  times  over  during  the  course  of 
the  year  (just  remember  two  men  in  a  booth  and  other 
legislative  proposals  in  our  own  legislature  the  past 
several  years.)" 

I  wanted  to  write  something  to  support  Mr.  Alder- 
man's  appeal  as  to  the  value  of  organization  and  then 
I  remembered  that  I  had  written  something  on  the 
subject  in  the  first  issue  of  1932.  I  read  it  and  felt 
that  nothing  more  appropriate  could  be  written  on 
the  subject.  So  I  have  decided  to  reprint  as  much  of  it 
as  applies  to  the  present  conditions : 

"Business  to  thrive  needs  protection. 

"One  of  the  greatest  protecting  factors  is  organiza- 
tion. When  the  members  of  a  particular  business  are 
organized,  they  are  able  to  put  up  an  effective  defense 
against  all  hostile  forces. 

"And  yet,  in  the  exhibiting  branch  of  the  moving 
picture  business,  there  is  no  other  factor  in  greater 
disrepute  than  is  organization.  Though  it  is  an  insur- 
ance, most  exhibitors  consider  it  a  nuisance.  And  they 
commit  the  gravest  of  abuses  toward  it.  I  have  heard 
of  a  case  in  which  an  organization  spent  five  hundred 
dollars  to  protect  the  interests  of  an  exhibitor.  It  saved 
him  seventy-five  dollars  a  week,  the  total  amount  he 
saved  in  the  seven  years  he  kept  his  theatre  being  more 
than  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  And  yet  this  exhibi- 
tor refused,  not  only  to  reimburse  the  organization  for 


whatever  money  it  had  spent,  but  even  to  pay  his  dues. 

"This  is  only  one  case  of  ingratitude;  I  could  go  on 
filling  page  after  page,  in  some  of  them  the  exhibitor 
betraying  ingratitude  just  as  unbelievable. 

"What  makes  many  exhibitors  so  blind  to  the  need 
of  organization?  Let  us  study  nature  itself  for  a  lesson : 
Animals,  birds,  insects,  fish;  in  fact  all  living  organ- 
isms, travel  in  groups,  for  they  know  by  instinct  that 
protection  lies  in  grouping.  Cattle,  when  attacked  by 
wolves,  post  themselves  back  to  back  to  fight  off  the 
attackers.  The  outcome  would  be  obvious  were  they  to 
attempt  to  fight  them  singly.  It  was  several  centuries 
before  Christ  that  one  of  the  Greek  philosophers 
pointed  out  to  mankind  the  need  of  organization  most 
convincingly:  Aesop,  in  one  of  his  fables,  showed  to 
the  Greeks  how  easy  it  was  to  break  a  bundle  of  sticks 
a  stick  at  a  time,  and  how  difficult  to  break  them  as  a 
bundle." 

The  best  illustration  of  the  value  of  organization  is 
the  present  increase  in  the  theatre  ticket  tax:  The 
Allied  leaders  did  everything  there  was  in  their  power 
to  convince  Congress  that  the  motion  picture  is,  not 
a  luxury,  but  a  necessity.  Unfortunately  they  did  not 
have  the  full  support  of  every  exhibitor  in  the  coun- 
try, if  we  are  the  judge  by  their  inability  to  prevent 
the  increase  of  the  tax.  Had  they  been  backed  up  by 
the  exhibitors  one  hundred  per  cent,  the  story  might 
have  been  different. 

The  proof  that  these  leaders  have  not  had  the  sup- 
port of  the  majority  of  the  exhibitors,  Allied  members 
and  not,  may  be  gathered  by  an  incident  in  another 
issue  where  full  exhibitor  support  was  needed.  I  am 
referring  to  the  fact  that,  out  of  thousands  of  ques- 
tionnaires that  were  sent  by  Allied  States  Association 
to  exhibitors  at  large,  members  and  non-members,  on 
their  experiences  under  the  Consent  Decree,  only  a 
small  percentage  replied. 

Many  exhibitors,  members  of  an  exhibitor  unit,  pay 
their  dues  promptly,  but  there  is  a  large  number  of 
them  who  either  don't  pay  them,  or  do  so  reluctantly; 
they  feel  as  if  they  are  asked  to  contribute  to  charity. 
They  forget  that  the  exhibitors  who  head  the  organi- 
zation, with  the  exception  of  the  secretaries,  work  for 
nothing.  In  most  instances  all  they  get  is  abuse. 

If  you  are  not  a  member  of  a  regional  unit,  you 
should  become  one  at  once;  if  you  are  already  a  mem- 
ber and  you  are  behind  in  your  dues,  sit  down  at  once 
and  make  out  a  check.  It  is  the  best  encouragement 
you  can  give  to  those  who  are  trying  to  protect  the 
interests  of  all  exhibitors  unselfishly.  Harrison's 
Reports  prefers  that  you  join  an  Allied  unit,  but  if 
for  some  reason  you  are  unwilling  to  do  so,  join  any 
unit,  but  do  join! 


6 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


"The  Lodger"  with  Merle  Oberon, 
Laird  Cregar  and  George  Sanders 

(20th  Century-Fox,  ]an.  7;  time.  84  min.) 

An  interesting  murder  mystery  melodrama.  The  story, 
which  is  more  or  less  a  character  study  of  a  maniacal  mur- 
derer, takes  place  in  London  at  the  turn  of  the  century,  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  famous  "Jack  the  Ripper"  murders 
that  terrorized  the  populace.  Though  one  becomes  aware 
early  in  the  picture  of  the  murderer's  identity,  one  is  held 
in  suspense  because  of  the  constant  danger  to  the  heroine 
who,  unaware  of  his  maniacal  tendencies,  is  fascinated  by  his 
queer  mannerisms.  The  London  fog  and  the  darkened  streets 
give  the  proceedings  an  effective  eerie  atmosphere.  Laird 
Cregar,  as  the  murderer,  overacts  in  spots,  but  on  the  whole 
he  gives  a  creditable  performance.  Merle  Oberon  is  quite 
charming  as  a  Music  Hall  dancing  star  of  that  day: — 

A  series  of  murders,  committed  by  a  mysterious  person 
known  as  "Jack  the  Ripper,"  terrorizes  London  and  baffles 
Scotland  Yard.  Soon  after  the  latest  murder,  Sir  Cedric 
Hardwickc  and  Sara  Allgood,  a  middle-aged  couple,  rent  a 
room  to  Laird  Cregar,  a  peculiar  but  pleasant  man,  who 
identifies  himself  as  a  pathologist.  As  the  "Ripper"  con- 
tinues his  killings,  Miss  Allgood  becomes  suspicious  of 
Cregar  because  of  his  unorthodox  hours  and  weird  move- 
ments. Hardwickc,  however,  dispels  her  fears  by  assuring 
her  that  all  scientists  were  odd.  Miss  Allgood's  house  is 
brightened  by  the  arrival  of  her  niece,  Merle  Oberon,  a  saucy 
dancing  star.  Intrigued  by  Cregar's  peculiarities,  Merle  in- 
vites him  to  the  theatre.  Cregar  refuses,  frankly  telling  her 
that  he  disliked  actresses  because  they  had  ruined  the  life  of 
his  brother,  whom  he  loved  dearly.  Merle  is  visited  by  In- 
spector George  Sanders,  who  shows  concern  for  her  safety. 
He  explains  that  the  police  had  learned  that  the  murder 
victims  were  at  one  time  or  other  associated  with  the  stage. 
When  Sanders  comes  to  the  house  one  evening  to  escort 
Merle  to  the  theatre,  Miss  Allgood  informs  him  of  Cregar's 
strange  ways.  Sanders  investigates  Cregar's  quarters  and 
discovers  a  fingerprint  that  matches  that  of  the  "Ripper." 
He  is  dismayed  to  learn  that  Cregar  had  accepted  an  invita- 
tion to  attend  that  evening's  performance.  While  Sanders 
and  his  men  search  for  him,  Cregar  hides  in  Merle's  dressing 
room.  He  locks  the  door  when  she  enters  and  threatens  to 
kill  her,  because  of  the  evil  of  her  beauty.  As  Cregar  holds 
a  dagger  to  her  throat,  Sanders  bursts  into  the  room  and 
shoots  him.  Cregar,  wounded,  dashes  out  of  the  room  and 
tries  desperately  to  evade  the  police  by  hiding  in  the  wings 
backstage.  Cornered  on  a  balcony,  he  leaps  through  a  win- 
dow and  drowns  in  the  Thames. 

Barre  Lyndon  wrote  the  screen  play,  Robert  Bassler  pro- 
duced it,  and  John  Brahm  directed  it. 

Not  for  children. 


"Henry  Aldrich,  Boy  Scout"  with  Jimmy 
Lydon,  Charles  Smith  and  Darryl  Hickman 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  66  min.) 

Although  this  latest  of  the  "Henry  Aldrich"  program 
comedies  is  below  par  for  the  series,  it  should  be  received 
well  by  children,  for  most  of  the  action  revolves  around 
boy  scouts  and  their  activities.  Adults  will  probably  find 
it  of  little  interest,  for  the  story,  which  deals  with  the  now 
familiar  trials  and  tribulations  of  "Henry,"  is  trite  and 
obvious.  The  comedy  situations,  too,  will  appeal  more  to 
youngster  than  to  their  elders.  An  old-fashioned  cliff-hang- 
ing sequence,  in  which  "Henry"  saves  the  life  of  a  junior 
scout,  should  thrill  the  kids: — 

As  senior  patrol  leader  of  Centerville  Boy  Scout  Troop 
No.  1,  Jimmy  Lydon's  chief  ambition  is  to  win  a  scout  in- 
spection, principally  to  impress  Joan  Mortimer,  his  girl- 
friend, and  to  best  David  Holt,  leader  of  Centerville's 
Troop  No.  2  and  his  rival  for  Joan's  affections.  Jimmy's 
father  (John  Litel),  seeking  to  impress  Minor  Watson, 
wealthy  manufacturer,  that  Centerville  would  be  an  ideal 
site  for  his  new  factory,  induces  Jimmy  to  take  into  the 
troop  Darryl  Hickman,  Watson's  unruly  son.  Troops  one 


and  two  go  to  a  regional  6Cout  competition  to  compete  for 
a  pennant.  Jimmy  finds  his  troop  trailing  in  the  competi- 
tion, chiefly  because  of  Darryl's  sly  tricks.  Jimmy  tolerates 
the  boy's  pranks,  but  a  bespectacled  scout  challenges  Darryl 
to  a  fight  and  whips  him.  The  beating  changes  Darryl's 
opinion  of  Scout  life,  and  he  determines  to  help  the  troop 
win  the  final  event — a  cross-country  hike.  Meanwhile  Holt, 
determined  to  win,  tampers  with  the  compass  of  the  Sunny- 
grove  troop,  which  he  considered  his  most  dangerous  com- 
petitor. As  a  result,  the  Sunnygrove  troop  loses  its  way,  and 
Jimmy's  troop  wins  the  contest.  Later,  when  the  Sunny- 
grove  troop  reports  that  its  compass  had  been  tampered 
with,  Jimmy  accuses  Darryl.  The  boy,  heartbroken,  runs 
away.  Jimmy  and  Charles  Smith,  his  pal,  set  out  to  find  the 
boy.  They  locate  him  on  a  ledge  above  a  deep  ravine, 
where  he  had  fallen.  Risking  his  life,  Jimmy  saves  him.  Holt, 
repentant,  admits  his  guilt  and  clears  Darryl.  Jimmy  is  re- 
warded for  his  heroism  by  an  appointment  as  Junior  scout 
master. 

Muriel  Roy  Bolton  wrote  the  screen  play,  Michel  Kraike 
produced  it,  and  Hugh  Bennett  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Olive  Blakeny,  Richard  Haydel  and  others. 


"Standing  Room  Only"  with  Paulette 
Goddard,  Fred  MacMurray 
and  Edward  Arnold 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  83  min.) 

A  moderately  amusing  romantic  comedy-farce.  It  will 
probably  do  better-than-average  business  because  of  the 
players'  popularity.  Based  on  a  theme  that  has  been  done  a 
number  of  times  in  recent  pictures,  the  story,  which  is  some- 
what silly,  treats  farcically  of  present-day  life  in  war-time 
Washington.  The  servant  problem,  the  lodging  shortage,  and 
the  difficulties  encountered  in  attempting  to  obtain  an  inter- 
view with  a  busy  official,  are  among  the  conditions  ridiculed. 
It  holds  one's  attention  mainly  because  of  engaging  per- 
formances, fast-moving  action,  and  lavish  production.  Occa- 
sionally, slapstick  is  resorted  to  for  laughs.  There  is  not 
much  the  characters  do  to  awaken  sympathy,  but  they  are 
not  objectionable: — 

Fred  MacMurray,  manager  of  a  toy  factory  owned  by 
Edward  Arnold,  goes  to  Washington  with  Paulette  God- 
dard, his  secretary,  to  see  an  important  official  (Clarence 
Kolb)  about  a  war  contract.  On  arrival,  Paulette  cancels 
their  hotel  reservations  because  their  rooms  were  without 
baths  and,  as  a  result,  both  spend  the  night  sleeping  in  the 
park.  On  the  following  day,  while  MacMurray  waits  his  turn 
to  see  Kolb,  Paulette,  determined  to  find  rooms,  applies  to 
Roland  Young  in  answer  to  his  advertisement  for  servants, 
and  represents  both  MacMurray  and  herself  as  a  servant 
couple — he  a  butler,  and  she  a  cook.  MacMurray,  tired  and 
sleepy,  accepts  the  situation.  Finding  it  difficult  to  obtain  an 
interview  with  Kolb,  MacMurray  continues  the  masquerade 
in  order  that  he  have  a  place  to  sleep.  MacMurray's  oppor- 
tunity to  see  Kolb  comes  when  the  official,  a  guest  in  Young's 
home,  slyly  asks  MacMurray  and  Paulette  to  work  for  him. 
Kolb's  wife,  however,  fires  them  on  the  first  day,  and  they 
return  to  Young.  Complications  arise  when  Arnold,  furious 
at  the  delay  in  obtaining  the  contract,  arrives  in  Washington 
with  Hillary  Brooke,  his  daughter,  who  was  MacMurray's 
fiancee.  Hillary  misunderstands  his  relationship  with  Paulette 
and  breaks  the  engagement.  Learning  that  Porter  Hall,  a 
competitor,  had  inveigled  an  invitation  to  a  reception  in 
Kolb's  home,  MacMurray  and  Arnold  attend  as  butlers,  in 
order  to  prevent  Hall  from  securing  the  contract.  MacMurray 
deliberately  dumps  a  pot  of  soup  over  Kolb,  and  the  official 
rushes  to  his  room  to  change  clothes.  MacMurray  follows 
him  and  hides  his  trousers,  refusing  to  give  them  to  him 
until  he  is  heard.  When  both  come  downstairs,  MacMurray 
holds  the  signed  contract.  With  no  reason  to  carry  the  mas- 
querade further,  MacMurray  and  Paulette  rush  into  each 
other's  arms  to  the  amazement  of  the  assembled  guests. 

Darrell  Ware  and  Karl  Tunberg  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Paul  Jones  produced  it,  and  Sidney  Lanfield  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


January  8,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


7 


"The  Racket  Man"  with  Tom  Neal, 
Hugh  Beaumont  and  Jeanne  Bates 

(Columbia,  Jan.  21;  time,  65  mm.) 

Just  a  minor  program  gangster  melodrama,  with  a  topical 
angle.  The  formula  story  has  been  given  so  hackneyed  a 
treatment  that  one  knows  in  advance  just  what  is  going  to 
happen.  Moreover,  the  production  values  are  modest,  and 
the  players  do  not  mean  anything  at  the  box-office.  Even 
the  performances  are  stilted,  but  the  fault  lies  with  the  ma' 
terial  and  not  with  the  players:— 

On  the  eve  of  his  induction  into  the  army,  Tom  Neal,  a 
notorious  racketeer,  bids  farewell  to  a  group  of  intimate 
friends,  including  Hugh  Beaumont,  a  boyhood  pal  now  a 
policeman;  Larry  Parks,  a  cub  reporter;  and  Jeanne  Bates, 
with  whom  both  Neal  and  Beaumont  were  in  love — all  dis- 
liked  Neal's  "business,"  but  loved  Neal  as  a  friend.  As  a 
soldier,  Neal  is  insubordinate  and  surly,  incurring  the  dis- 
like  of  his  entire  platoon.  When  Tony  Caruso,  a  sergeant, 
forfeits  his  chevrons  by  refusing  to  report  Neal  for  an  in' 
fraction  of  discipline,  the  racketeer  changes  his  attitude  and 
seeks  to  redeem  himself.  His  request  for  overseas  duty  is 
denied  for  more  important  work— combating  the  "black 
market."  Neal's  superior  explains  that,  because  of  his  under- 
world "connections,"  his  services  would  be  invaluable.  Ac 
cepting  the  confidential  assignment,  Neal  is  nominally  dis- 
charged from  the  army,  much  to  the  dismay  of  his  friends. 
Their  unhappiness  is  increased  by  his  apparent  interest  in 
his  former  racket.  Working  secretly,  however,  Neal  is  in- 
strumental in  exposing  the  "black  market"  operations  of  his 
former  associates.  Because  of  a  series  of  "black  market" 
articles  written  by  Parks,  Doug  Fowley,  a  gangster  leader, 
murders  the  reporter.  Neal  resolves  to  avenge  his  friend's 
death  and  goes  to  an  abandoned  warehouse  in  search  of 
Fowley.  Meanwhile  Beaumont,  zealously  discharging  his 
duty,  mistakenly  believes  that  Neal  was  responsible  for 
Parks'  death.  He  follows  Neal.  While  Neal  and  Fowley 
stalk  each  other  with  drawn  guns,  Beaumont  walks  into  the 
line  of  fire.  Neal,  to  save  his  friend,  deliberately  stops  a 
bullet,  and  fires  point-blank  at  Fowley,  killing  him.  As  Neal 
lies  dying,  a  government  agent  arrives  and  reveals  to  Beau- 
mont and  Jeanne  that  the  racketeer  was  really  a  hero. 

Paul  Yawitz  and  Howard  J.  Green  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Wallace  MacDonald  produced  it,  and  D.  Ross  Lederman 
directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"None  Shall  Escape"  with  Alexander  Knox, 
Marsha  Hunt  and  Henry  Travers 

(Columbia,  February  3;  time,  87  min.) 

A  powerful  anti-Nazi  drama.  Although  a  few  of  the  situ- 
ations are  a  bit  too  stagy,  it  is  on  the  whole  a  well  made  pic 
ture,  with  outstanding  performances  and  a  good  directorial 
job.  The  time  of  the  story  is  the  future,  after  victory  is  won 
by  the  Allies,  and  it  concerns  itself  with  the  post-war  trial 
of  an  arrogant  Nazi  general,  who  had  abused,  murdered,  and 
robbed  the  people  of  a  tiny  Polish  village.  While  it  is  an 
emotionally  stirring  film,  and  one  feels  deep  sympathy  for 
those  against  whom  the  atrocities  are  committed,  the  action 
throughout  is  far  from  cheerful.  One  of  the  most  powerful 
sequences  is  where  a  Jewish  Rabbi  exhorts  his  people  to  turn 
on  their  tormenters  so  that  they,  too,  might  die  with  them. 
Alexander  Knox,  as  the  Nazi  general,  is  excellent.  Whether 
or  not  your  patrons  desire  this  type  of  entertainment  today 
is  a  matter  that  you  must  judge  for  yourself.  It  should  be 
said,  however,  that  "None  Shall  Escape"  ranks  with  the 
better  war  films. 

The  story  opens  with  the  trial  of  Alexander  Knox, 
charged  with  committing  atrocious  crimes  against  the  people 
of  Litzbark,  a  small  Polish  village.  His  accusers  include 
Marsha  Hunt,  a  schoolteacher;  Henry  Travers,  a  priest;  and 
Erik  Rolf,  his  brother.  Their  testimony  reveals  that  Knox 
had  returned  to  the  village  in  1919,  after  serving  in  World 
War  I  with  the  German  Army,  to  resume  his  career  as  a 
schoolteacher.  Embittered  because  of  the  German  defeat, 
and  because  of  Masha's  postponement  of  their  marriage, 
Knox,  in  a  moment  of  frenzy,  had  raped  one  of  his  pupils, 


causing  her  to  commit  suicide.  He  had  fled  the  infuriated 
villagers  and  had  returned  to  Germany,  where  he  had  found 
haven  in  the  happy  home  of  his  brother,  who  had  been  a 
newspaper  editorial  writer.  He  had  become  an  ardent  fol' 
lower  of  Hitler,  eventually  reaching  a  high  position  in  the 
Nazi  party.  Disturbed  lest  his  brother's  anti-Nazi  views 
would  become  known  to  the  party,  thus  embarrassing  him, 
Knox  had  used  his  authority  to  jail  Rolf.  Six  years  later, 
Knox  had  led  victorious  Nazi  troops  into  Litzbark,  where  he 
had  maltreated  the  villagers,  particularly  the  Jews,  and  had 
plundered  their  homes.  Knox  had  on  his  staff  Richard  Crane, 
Rolf's  son,  in  whom  he  had  taken  a  special  pride;  the  boy 
had  become  a  thoroughly  indoctrinated  Nazi  as  a  result  of 
his  teachings.  Crane's  interest  in  Dorothy  Morris,  Marsha's 
daughter,  had  angered  Knox,  for  the  girl  had  taught  the  boy 
to  become  more  humane.  He  had  committed  the  girl  to  a 
house  of  prostitution,  where  she  had  been  shot  in  an  at' 
tempted  escape.  Infuriated,  Crane  had  torn  off  his  Nazi 
decorations,  and  had  entered  Travers'  church  to  attend  Mass 
for  Dorothy.  As  Crane  prayed  over  Dorothy's  prostrate 
form,  Knox  had  shot  him  in  the  back.  The  trial  ends  with 
the  Judge  charging  the  jury,  telling  them  that  final  victory 
lies  in  a  people's  justice. 

Lester  Cole  wrote  the  screen  play,  Samuel  Bischoff  pro- 
duced  it,  and  Andre  de  Toth  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Richard  Hale  and  many  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Timber  Queen"  with  Richard  Arlen 
and  Mary  Beth  Hughes 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  66  min.) 

An  undistinguished  program  comedymelodrama,  ham- 
pered  by  a  story  that  creaks  with  age,  and  by  obvious  melo- 
dramatic  situations.  At  times,  the  action  is  slowed  down 
considerably  by  excessive  dialogue.  George  E.  Stone  and 
Sheldon  Leonard,  as  gangsters,  provide  the  comedy,  but 
much  of  it  is  too  ridiculous  to  be  effective.  There  is  some 
excitement  towards  the  finish,  where  Richard  Arlen,  in  a 
low-flying  plane,  dynamites  a  dam  and  breaks  up  a  log  jam. 
The  love  interest,  though  pleasant,  is  incidental: — 

Honorably  discharged  after  serving  in  the  South  Pacific, 
Captain  Richard  Arlen  seeks  out  Mary  Beth  Hughes,  a 
cabaret  singer,  widow  of  a  pal  killed  in  action.  Arlen  learns 
that  Tony  Hughes,  his  unscrupulous  business  associate, 
held  a  $30,000  mortgage  on  a  rich  lumber  tract  left  to  Mary 
by  her  husband,  and  that  he  planned  to  foreclose  unless 
payment  was  made  within  sixty  days.  Arlen  breaks  relations 
with  Hughes,  and  suggests  to  Mary  that  they  pay  off  the 
mortgage  by  cutting  and  selling  the  timber  on  the  land. 
June  Havoc,  Mary's  pianist,  induces  Sheldon  Leonard,  her 
boy-friend,  manager  of  a  gambling  club,  to  finance  the 
logging  operations  with  $10,000  of  the  club's  money,  which 
he  borrows  without  the  knowledge  of  the  club's  gangster- 
owners.  Hughes,  determined  to  foreclose  on  the  mortgage, 
arranges  for  two  of  his  henchmen  (Edmund  MacDonald 
and  Bill  Haade)  to  join  Arlen's  logging  crew  to  sabotage 
their  operations.  Meanwhile  Leonard  arrives  at  the  camp 
to  hide  from  the  gangsters,  who  were  after  him  for  taking 
the  money.  As  a  result  of  MacDonald's  sabotage,  one  of 
the  men  dies  in  an  accident.  Haade,  claiming  the  work  is 
too  dangerous,  incites  the  crew  to  quit,  leaving  Arlen  with- 
out help.  Leonard  contacts  the  gangsters  and  convinces 
them  that  the  only  way  for  them  to  save  their  money  was  to 
pitch  in  and  help  cut  the  timber.  Aided  by  the  gangsters, 
Arlen  finds  that  enough  lumber  will  be  cut  to  pay  the 
mortgage  within  the  alloted  time.  MacDonald,  as  a  last 
desperate  measure,  dynamites  the  sides  of  a  stream  used  for 
floating  the  logs,  damming  the  water  and  creating  a  log 
jam.  Attaching  explosives  to  the  bottom  of  his  hydroplane, 
Arlen  blasts  the  dam,  and  the  rush  of  water  breaks  the 
jam,  sending  the  logs  on  their  way  to  the  mill.  The  gangsters 
round  up  Hughes  and  his  henchmen. 

Maxwell  Shane  and  Edward  T.  Lowe  wrote  the  screen 
play,  William  Pine  and  William  Thomas  produced  it,  and 
Frank  McDonald  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Dick  Purcell, 
Horace  McMahon  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


8 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  8,  1944 


"The  Uninvited"  with  Ray  Milland, 
Ruth  Hussey  and  Gail  Russell 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  98  min.) 

An  excellent  ghost  picture,  with  touches  of  rich 
humor.  Since  the  story  deals  with  the  supernatural,  it 
is,  of  course,  fantastic,  but  it  has  been  handled  so  ex- 
pertly that  the  suspense  does  not  let  up  for  one  mo- 
ment. It  should  appeal  to  all  classes  of  audiences,  ex- 
cept perhaps  children,  who  may  find  the  proceedings 
a  bit  too  deep.  Credit  is  due  Lewis  Allen  for  his  direc- 
torial skill  in  building  up  situations  that  hold  one 
tense.  An  extremely  thrilling,  as  well  as  chilling,  situ- 
ation is  the  one  in  which  a  fake  seance  is  held  to  ease 
the  troubled  mind  of  a  young  girl,  only  to  have  the 
seance  turn  out  as  the  "real"  thing.  Eerie  effects  have 
been  used  to  good  advantage.  The  performances  of  the 
cast  arc  uniformly  excellent  Gail  Russell,  a  newcomer, 
has  a  charming  personality  and  shows  promise: — 

Impressed  with  the  beauty  of  a  deserted  mansion 
on  a  cliff  high  above  the  sea,  Ray  Milland  and  Ruth 
Hussey,  his  sister,  buy  it  from  Donald  Crisp,  the 
austere  owner,  despite  his  warning  that  the  house  was 
reputedly  haunted.  Gail  Russell,  Crisp's  grand- 
daughter, is  disturbed  by  the  sale.  From  a  village 
tobacconist,  Milland  learns  that  Gail's  mother  had 
been  mysteriously  killed  in  a  fall  from  the  cliff,  and 
that  she  was  remembered  as  a  saintly  woman,  while 
her  artist-husband  was  recalled  as  a  bad  sort,  who  had 
carried  on  an  affair  with  a  Spanish  model.  The  model, 
too,  had  died.  After  settling  in  the  house,  Milland  and 
Ruth  are  almost  frightened  out  of  their  wits  by  sor- 
rowful wailings  and  by  a  strange  cold,  accompanied 
by  an  overpowering  aroma  of  minosa,  which  perme- 
ated the  house  at  odd  times.  Milland  makes  Gail's 
acquaintance  and  learns  that  she  is  obsessed  with  the 
thought  that  her  mother's  ghost  lived  in  the  house. 
Although  forbidden  by  Crisp  to  set  foot  in  the  man- 
sion, Gail  defiantly  visits  Milland  and  Ruth.  As  she 
speaks  with  Milland  in  his  studio,  the  strange  cold  and 
odor  of  minosa  sweep  into  the  room.  Gail  rushes  out 
of  the  house  and  heads  for  the  cliff,  but  Milland 
catches  her  as  she  is  about  to  leap.  She  is  treated  for 
nervous  shock  by  Alan  Napier,  a  local  physician. 
Milland  conspires  with  the  doctor  to  hold  a  fake  seance 
to  receive  a  "message"  from  Gail's  mother,  in  order  to 
ease  the  girl's  mind.  Both  men  are  shocked  when  the 
seance  proves  to  be  the  real  thing  —  glasses  are 
smashed;  the  cold  and  minosa  scent  fill  the  room;  and 
Gail  goes  into  a  trance,  jabbering  in  rapid  gypsy  Span- 
ish. At  that  moment  Crisp  arrives  in  a  rage  and  takes 
Gail  home.  Later,  he  sends  her  to  an  insane  asylum 
operated  by  Cornelia  Otis  Skinner,  who  had  been  her 
mother's  nurse.  Meanwhile  Milland  and  the  doctor, 
disturbed  by  the  supernatural  doings,  decide  to  inves- 
tigate. They  learn  from  old  medical  records  that  Gail 
is  really  the  child  of  the  Spanish  model,  and  they  de- 
duce that  the  ghost  of  Gail's  supposed  mother,  seeking 
vengeance,  sought  to  impel  Gail  to  hurl  herself  from 
the  cliff;  the  ghost  of  the  Spanish  model,  Gail's  real 
mother,  sought  to  hold  her  back.  Milland  rushes  to  the 
asylum  to  rescue  Gail,  only  to  learn  that  Miss  Skinner, 
obviously  bent  on  taking  Gail's  life,  had  sent  the  girl 
back  to  the  mansion.  Speeding  back,  Milland  arrives 
in  time  to  rescue  Gail  as  she  again  rushes  towards  the 
cliff.  When  Gail  is  told  of  her  identity,  a  happy  laugh 
is  heard  from  the  ghost  of  the  Spanish  model,  for  the 
vengeful  ghost  had  lost  its  power. 

Dodie  Smith  and  Frank  Partos  wrote  the  screen 
play  from  the  novel  by  Dorothy  Macardle.  Charles 
Brackett  produced  it  and  Lewis  Allen  directed  it. 


"The  Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek"  with 
Betty  H  utton,  Eddie  Bracken  and 
William  Demarest 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set,  time,  100  min.) 

This  is  a  rowdy,  romantic  comedy,  the  kind  that 
should  go  over  well  in  crowded  houses  because  of  the 
gags  and  funny  situations.  It  has  a  bizarre  story,  some- 
what silly  most  of  the  time,  but  every  one  in  the  cast 
works  hard  to  put  it  over,  and  whatever  entertainment 
values  the  picture  has  are  owed  solely  to  their  efforts. 
The  action  revolves  around  a  fun-loving  girl,  who, 
sobering  up  after  a  "wild"  party,  recalls  that  she  had 
married  a  soldier  but  cannot  remember  who  he  was. 
Her  subsequent  pregnancy,  and  the  efforts  of  a  simple, 
stuttering  admirer  to  save  her  reputation  result  in  a 
series  of  humorous  complications,  some  of  which  will 
provoke  hearty  laughter.  A  good  deal  of  the  comedy 
is  slapstick.  In  highly  religious  communities,  patrons 
may  resent  the  light  treatment  of  marriage.  Brian 
Donlevy  and  Akim  Tamiroff  are  included  in  the  cast, 
but  they  take  a  very  minor  part  in  the  action: — 

When  William  Demarest,  Morgan  Creek's  only 
constable,  forbids  Betty  Hutton,  his  elder  daughter, 
to  go  to  a  soldiers'  farewell  party,  she  asks  Eddie 
Bracken,  a  stuttering  bank  clerk,  to  take  her  to  a 
movie.  Bracken,  madly  in  love  with  her,  is  thrilled. 
Betty,  however,  persuades  him  to  go  to  the  movie 
alone,  and  asks  him  to  wait  for  her  return  from  the 
party.  She  shows  up  on  the  following  morning  intoxi- 
cated, and  Demarest  blames  Bracken  for  her  condi- 
tion. Sobered,  Betty  recalls  that  she  had  married  a 
soldier,  whose  name  she  did  not  remember.  Moreover, 
she  did  not  have  a  marriage  certificate.  She  shares  her 
secret  with  Diana  Lynn,  her  sophisticated  young  sister, 
who  suggests  that  she  marry  Bracken.  Betty  rejects 
the  idea.  A  month  later,  Betty  learns  that  she  is  to 
have  a  baby.  Worried  lest  Bracken  be  blamed,  she 
confides  in  him.  The  young  man  conceives  the  idea  of 
dressing  as  a  soldier,  and  marrying  Betty  under  a  false 
name,  in  order  that  she  may  have  a  certificate  to  prove 
her  marriage.  They  travel  to  another  state  for  the 
ceremony,  and  all  goes  well  until  Bracken  bungles, 
causing  the  Justice  of  the  Peace  (Porter  Hall)  to  arrest 
him  for  abduction  and  impersonation  of  a  soldier. 
Hall  brings  the  young  couple  back  to  Morgan's  Creek, 
where  Demarest  jails  Bracken.  Later,  when  Demarest 
learns  the  truth  from  Betty,  he  permits  Bracken  to 
escape  in  the  hope  that  he  will  locate  Betty's  unknown 
husband.  Months  later,  Bracken  returns  after  a  futile 
search  and  is  arrested.  Meanwhile  Demarest,  having 
lost  his  job,  is  living  with  his  daughters  on  a  farm. 
Learning  of  Bracken's  capture,  Betty  insists  upon  go- 
ing to  town  to  clear  him.  Before  she  can  confess,  how- 
ever, she  is  rushed  to  a  hospital  where  she  gives  birth 
to  sextuplets.  Pleased  at  the  fame  brought  to  his  state, 
Brian  Donlevy,  the  governor,  takes  charge  of  matters 
and  declares  that  Betty  and  Bracken  were  married 
legally  by  Hall.  Bracken,  believed  to  be  the  father,  is 
acclaimed  as  a  hero. 

Preston  Sturges  wrote  the  screen  play  and  directed 

it. 

Although  it  treats  morality  lightly,  it  is  not  offen- 
sive. 


"Song  of  Russia"  with  Robert  Taylor 
and  Susan  Peters 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  107  mm.) 
In  the  review  of  this  picture,  printed  in  last  week's 
issue,  the  title  was  reported  as  "Son  of  Russia" 
through  a  typographical  error. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  iwwra  ioi«  Publisher 

Canada                               16.50  New  York,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


SATURDAY,  JANUARY  15,  1944  No.  3 


Vol.  XXVI 


WEST  COAST  EXHIBITORS 
OBJECT  TO  THEATRE  OWNING 
BY  EXCHANGEMEN 

At  a  recent  meeting  of  members  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  Conference  of  Independent  Theatre  Owners, 
a  resolution  was  adopted  condemning  the  ownership 
of  theatres  by  persons  connected  with  exchanges. 

Part  of  the  resolution  reads  as  follows: 

"WHEREAS,  in  recent  years  there  has  developed 
a  vicious,  unfair  and  inequitable  practice  by  means 
of  which  some  exhibitors  seek  to  engage  in  unfair 
competition  with  others  by  taking  into  their  theatrical 
exhibition  enterprises  persons  who  are  in  positions  of 
trust  and  responsibility  with  said  distributors  and/or 
producers;  and 

"WHEREAS,  a  continuance  of  such  practice  and 
technique  is  regarded  by  this  association  as  a  form  of 
commercial  bribery,  dishonesty,  unfair  trade  practice 
and  unfair  competition,  now  therefore  be  it — 

"RESOLVED,  that  any  practice  or  technique 
whereby  persons  employed  by  distributors  or  pro- 
ducers are  permitted  to  acquire,  directly  or  indirectly, 
an  interest  in  any  motion  picture  theatre  enterprise 
...  is  hereby  condemned  and  considered  dishonest, 
deceitful  and  fraudulent.  .  . 

In  following  paragraphs,  the  resolution  demands 
that  the  distributors  take  steps  to  put  an  end  to  such 
a  practice  by  requiring  of  their  employees  a  state- 
ment,  sworn  to  before  a  notary  public,  that  they  have 
no  interest  whatever  in  any  motion  picture  theatre 
served  by  the  company. 

Harrison's  Reports  has  condemned  this  practice 
for  years.  Several  years  ago  proof  was  submitted  in 
some  of  the  instances  that  exchangemen  were  in 
partnership  with  exhibitors,  and  the  facts  were  pub- 
lished in  these  columns. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  producer-distributors  object 
to  their  employees  in  the  field  owning  either  a  whole 
or  a  part  of  a  theatre,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  ad- 
vantage is  taken  of  them  in  the  matter  of  film  rentals. 
I  know  at  least  of  one  person  who,  when  he  read  in 
Harrison's  Reports  that  one  of  his  branch  managers 
was  a  partner  in  a  picture  theatre  with  other  ex- 
changemen, compelled  him  to  divest  himself  of  his 
theatre  interest.  That  person  was  none  other  than 
Bill  Rodgers,  of  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.  The  execu- 
tives of  other  companies,  too,  feel  likewise,  I  am  sure. 
So  it  is  up  to  the  exhibitors  to  present  proof  of  an 
exchangeman's  partnership  in  a  theatre. 


In  the  January  7  issue  of  Motion  Picture  Daily, 
Red  Kann  has  a  story  to  the  effect  that  the  producer- 
distributors  have  submitted  to  the  Department  of 
Justice  on  the  Consent  Decree  certain  proposals. 
Among  these  is  an  offer  to  freeze  the  number  of 
theatres  they  own.  I  don't  know  whether  this  theatre 
freezing  offer  will  have  any  effect  upon  theatre 
ownership  by  distributor  employees.  If  it  will  not  act 
as  a  preventive,  then  it  is  up  to  the  exhibitor  leaders 
to  call  the  attention  of  Mr.  Clark,  Assistant  Attorney 
General,  to  this  form  of  abuse  to  the  end  that  some 
clause  may  be  incorporated  in  the  Consent  Decree 
making  its  continuance  impossible. 


THE  SMOULDERING  EXHIBITOR 
RESENTMENT  ON  REISSUES 

In  the  December  29  issue  of  "The  Exhibitor" 
(New  York,  Philadelphia,  Washington),  Jay  Eman- 
uel, editor,  published  on  the  subject  of  reissues  an 
editorial  that  is  so  full  of  dynamite  that  Harrison's 
Reports  takes  the  liberty  of  reproducing  it  in  full. 
Mr.  Emanuel,  being  a  publisher  of  the  Jay  Emanuel 
Publications,  is  an  exhibitor  himself,  owner  of  sev- 
eral theatres:  therefore  he  knows  what  he  is  talking 
about : 

"There  seems  to  be  a  mistaken  impression  in  some 
circles  (not  this  department)  that  exhibitors  are  not 
only  able  to  ease  their  tight  booking  difficulties  by 
playing  reissues  and  repeats,  but  that  they  are  coining 
money  with  them  besides.  It  is  not  difficult  to  figure 
out  that  because  a  few  reissues  have  been  strong  gross- 
ers  the  belief  has  grown  that  all  of  them  are,  and  this 
view  is  shared  only  by  the  sales  departments. 

"There  used  to  be  a  time  when  exhibitors  would 
be  able  to  book  reissues  at  their  own  discretion  and 
practically  their  own  terms.  The  exchanges,  with 
plenty  of  product  on  hand,  didn't  pay  much  attention 
to  the  reissues,  and  concentrated  on  the  playoff  of  the 
annual  product,  looking  at  the  reissue  or  repeat  busi- 
ness as  extra  gravy.  Thus,  every  once  in  a  while,  ex- 
hibitors would  discover  that  in  a  reissue  rested  some 
additional  money.  The  exchange,  while  learning  of 
this  fact,  would  figure  the  exhibitor  would  be  entitled 
to  whatever  he  made,  and  let  it  go  on  that. 

"But  since  the  amount  of  new  product  has  lessened, 
the  distributors  have  begun  to  watch  every  avenue  of 
revenue  closely.  First,  they  removed  any  possibility  of 
'sleepers'  appearing.  By  testing  product,  watching 
every  release,  the  distributors  made  it  impossible  for 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


10 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  15,  1944 


"You're  a  Lucky  Fellow,  Mr.  Smith"  with 
Allan  Jones  and  Evelyn  Ankers 

(Universal,  October  22;  time,  64  min.) 

A  dull  program  comedy,  with  music,  in  which  someone 
bursts  into  song  at  the  slightest  provocation;  it  may  get  by 
as  a  supporting  feature  in  situations  where  audiences  are 
not  too  discriminating.  The  story,  which  is  unimaginative 
and  is  quite  familiar,  concerns  itself  with  the  plight  of  an 
heiress,  who  has  difficulties  with  her  soldier-husband  after 
he  learns  that  she  had  married  him  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
satisfying  a  condition  of  her  uncle's  will.  Few  of  the  situa- 
tions  provoke  more  than  a  grin.  The  music  is  sung  by  Allan 
Jones,  Patsy  O'Connor,  and  the  King's  Men.  Billie  Burke 
is  wasted  in  a  minor  part: — 

Accompanied  by  Patsy  O'Connor,  her  younger  sister, 
Evelyn  Ankers  entrains  for  Chicago,  where  she  plans  to 
marry  David  Bruce,  a  prudish  socialite,  merely  to  comply 
with  a  condition  of  her  uncle's  will,  which  required  that  she 
be  married  by  her  twenty-fourth  birthday  in  order  to  receive 
a  $95,000  inheritance.  On  the  train,  Evelyn  makes  the  ac« 
quaintance  of  Allan  Jones,  one  of  a  group  of  soldiers.  Patsy, 
opposed  to  the  idea  of  Evelyo'a  marry  iiig  Brace,  decides  to 
do  something  about  it.  She  feigns  an  attack  of  measles,  thus 
compelling  the  conductor  to  side-track  and  quarantine  the 
railroad  car  in  which  Evelyn,  the  soldiers  and  she  had  ac- 
comodations. Evelyn,  realizing  that  she  will  not  reach 
Chicago  in  time  to  save  her  inheritance,  tricks  Jones  into 
marrying  her  aboard  the  train.  Patsy,  pleased  at  this  turn 
of  events,  clears  up  the  measles  hoax,  and  the  journey  is 
resumed.  To  make  Jones  keep  his  distance,  Evelyn  frankly 
tells  him  of  her  motive  in  marrying  him,  and  announces  that 
she  will  seek  an  annulment.  Jones,  however,  finds  himself 
holding  the  upper  hand  when  the  terms  of  the  will  reveal 
that  Evelyn  cannot  spend  any  part  of  her  fortune  without 
her  husband's  consent.  He  refuses  to  countersign  checks  for 
her,  thereby  causing  her  no  end  of  grief  with  her  creditors. 
Jones  eventually  agrees  not  to  contest  the  annulment,  pro- 
viding Evelyn  places  her  money  in  a  trust  fund  for  her 
future  security.  When  the  judge  unexpectedly  denies  the 
annulment,  Evelyn  discovers  for  the  first  time  that  she  really 
loves  Jones. 

Lawrence  Riley,  Ben  Barzman,  and  Louis  Lantz  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Edward  Lilley  produced  it  and  Felix  Feist 
directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Beautiful  But  Broke"  with  Joan  Davis, 
Jane  Frazee  and  John  Hubbard 

(Columbia,  January  28;  time,  74  min.) 

Just-  a  moderately  entertaining  program  comedy  with 
music.  It  should  appeal  mainly  to  young  people  because  the 
music  and  dancing  are  of  the  popular  "jitterbug"  variety. 
Adults  will  find  little  to  attract  them,  for  the  story  is  inane 
and  much  of  the  comedy  is  slapstick.  Joan  Davis  manages  to 
provoke  hearty  laughter  occasionally,  but  for  the  most  part 
she  is  hampered  by  the  weakness  of  the  material.  By  far  the 
best  part  of  the  picture  is  the  slapstick  comedy  act  of  Willie, 
West,  and  McGinty;  their  antics,  while  building  a  house, 
should  cause  riotous  laughter.  The  production  could  stand 
some  judicious  cutting: — 

Discouraged  because  a  talent  shortage  interfered  with  his 
operations,  John  Eldredge,  an  agent,  gives  his  business  to 
Joan  Davis,  his  secretary,  then  joins  the  army.  Joan  con- 
tacts Jane  Frazee  and  Judy  Clark,  her  pals,  and  makes  them 
her  partners.  When  a  Cleveland  theatre  owner  comes  to  the 
office,  in  search  of  an  orchestra,  the  girls,  through  trickery, 
secure  an  engagement  for  a  non-existant  band.  Joan  manages 
to  form  a  band  made  up  of  girls,  and  all  head  for  Cleveland. 
En  route,  they  are  put  off  the  train  to  make  room  for  army 
pilots.  They  go  to  a  hotel  as  guests  of  the  railroad,  only  to 
be  evicted  by  the  management  when  Joan,  who  had  lost  her 
purse,  is  unable  to  produce  the  railroad  tickets.  They  find  an 
empty  house  a  few  miles  from  town  and  decide  to  spend  the 


night  there,  unaware  that  it  was  located  on  a  proving  ground 
for  high  explosives.  After  narrowly  escaping  with  their 
lives  as  a  result  of  shelling,  the  girls  are  taken  in  hand  by 
John  Hubbard,  an  engineer,  who  takes  them  to  town  and 
gives  them  the  use  of  his  apartment.  To  raise  funds  for  Hub- 
bard's pet  project — a  baby  station  to  care  for  infants,  while 
their  mothers  work  in  defense  plants — the  girls  put  on  a 
show.  The  townspeople  take  them  to  their  hearts,  and  the 
girls  decide  to  stay  until  Joan  raises  the  necessary  funds  to 
take  them  to  Cleveland.  By  the  time  Joan's  pocketbook  is 
found,  Jane  and  Hubbard  fall  in  love,  and  the  other  girls 
decide  to  remain  as  defense  workers  to  help  win  the  war. 
With  no  band  to  accompany  her,  Joan,  too,  decides  to 
remain. 

Monte  Brice  wrote  the  screen  play,  Irving  Briskin  pro- 
duced it,  and  Charles  Barton  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Bob  Haymes,  Byron  Foulger  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Ali  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves"  with 
Jon  Hall  and  Maria  Montez 

(Universal,  January  14;  time,  87  min.) 

Lavishly  produced  and  photographed  in  Technicolor,  this 
mixture  of  adventure,  romance,  and  comedy  should  delight 
the  youngsters,  as  well  as  the  adult  action  fans.  Like 
"Arabian  Nights,"  its  predecessor,  this,  too,  has  a  mythical 
story,  based  on  a  famous  fable.  Ancient  Bagdad  is  the  setting, 
and  the  brilliant-hued  costumes,  enhanced  by  the  color 
photography,  give  the  film  a  pageantry-like  quality.  The 
thrilling  situations  are  many.  But  it  is  in  the  closing  scenes, 
where  All  Baba  and  his  band  of  thieves  come  to  the  rescue 
of  the  heroine  and  rout  the  Mongols,  that  the  excitement 
reaches  its  highest  pitch.  Jon  Hall  is  quite  dashing  as  Ali 
Baba,  and  Maria  Montez  very  "fetching"  as  the  girl  in  dis- 
tress. Andy  Devine,  as  one  of  the  thieves,  handles  the  comedy 
fairly  well.  Wherever  "Arabian  Nights"  proved  successful, 
this,  too,  should  go  over: — 

Aided  by  Prince  Cassim  (Frank  Puglia),  a  traitor,  Hulagu 
Khan  (Kurt  Katch),  leader  of  the  Mongols,  murders  the 
Caliph  of  Bagdad  and  seizes  the  city.  Ali  (Scotty  Beckett), 
the  Caliph's  son,  escapes  into  the  hills  with  the  seal  of 
Bagdad.  There  he  comes  upon  a  horde  of  thieves,  led  by 
Baba  (Fortunio  Bonanova).  Ali  makes  his  identity  known 
and  offers  to  lead  the  thieves  against  Khan.  Admiring  the 
boy's  spunk,  Baba  names  him  Ali  Baba  and  takes  him  into  the 
band.  Ten  years  later,  with  Bagdad  despoiled  by  the  Mon- 
gols, only  the  thieves  led  by  Ali  (Jon  Hall)  still  resist  Khan. 
When  a  scout  reports  a  rich  caravan  bearing  Amara  (Maria 
Montez),  Cassim's  daughter  and  future  bride  of  Khan's,  Ali 
and  Abdullah  (Andy  Devide)  ride  to  investigate.  Ali  is 
captured  by  the  Mongols,  but  Abdullah  escapes  to  warn  the 
thieves.  Caged  and  hauled  to  Bagdad,  Ali  is  placed  in  the 
public  square  to  await  death.  The  thieves,  however,  swoop 
into  the  square  and  rescue  Ali,  who  in  turn  kidnaps  Amara 
and  takes  her  to  his  secret  cave.  When  Amara  learns  of  Ali's 
identity,  and  Ali  realizes  that  Amara  is  Cassim's  daughter, 
both  recall  that  as  children  they  had  pledged  themselves  to 
each  other.  Ali's  love  for  Amara  overcomes  his  desire  for 
revenge  against  Cassim  and  Khan.  He  sends  her  back  to 
Bagdad.  When  Jamiel  (Turhan  Bey),  Amara's  faithful 
servant,  comes  to  Ali  and  informs  him  that  Amara  is  marry- 
ing Khan  against  her  will,  Ali  determines  to  rescue  her.  He 
disguises  himself  as  a  wealthy  merchant  and,  on  the  day  of 
the  wedding  feast,  hides  his  men  in  forty  large  jars  sup- 
posedly containing  fine  oils,  and  joins  a  procession  of 
wealthy  merchants  and  princes  bearing  gifts  to  Khan.  Within 
the  palace  gates  the  thieves,  at  a  given  signal,  pounce  upon 
Khan's  guards,  while  Bagdad's  citizens  rise  in  revolt.  The 
Mongols  are  destroyed  by  the  surprise  attack,  and  Ali  is 
restored  to  his  rightful  place  as  Caliph. 

Edmund  L.  Martman  wrote  the  screen  play,  Paul  Mal- 
vern produced  it,  and  Arthur  Lubin  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Yvette  Dugay,  Moroni  Olsen,  Ramsay  Ames  and 
others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


January  15,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


11 


"Lifeboat"  with  Tallulah  Bankhead, 
William  Bendix  and  Henry  Hull 

(Twentieth  Century-Fox;  January  21;  time,  96  min.) 
Very  good!  Although  somewhat  depressing  because  of  its 
depiction  of  human  suffering,  this  drama  tells  an  absorbing 
tale  of  six  men  and  three  women,  each  with  varied  back- 
grounds, who  survive  the  torpedoing  of  a  ship  and  are  cast 
adrift  in  a  lifeboat  for  many  torturous  days.  The  story  com- 
bines heart  interest,  romance,  murder,  and  mystery,  and 
deals  with  the  survivors'  gradual  disintegration  under  the 
strain  of  extreme  hardships  and  personal  conflicts.  The  film 
is  unusual  in  that,  throughout  its  ninety-six  minutes  running 
time,  all  the  action  takes  place  within  the  confines  of  the 
lifeboat;  and  yet  it  holds  one's  interest  tightly,  for  the 
construction  of  the  plot  is  skillful,  the  acting  of  the  highest 
order,  and  Alfred  Hitchcock's  direction  so  expert  that  he 
keeps  one  in  a  high  pitch  of  excitement  from  beginning  to 
end: — 

Only  one  lifeboat  remains  afloat  after  the  sinking  of  a 
freighter  by  a  Nasi  sub,  which  in  turn  had  been  sunk  by 
the  freighter's  gun  crew.  The  survivors  include  Tallulah 
Bankhead,  a  sharp-witted,  chic  journalist;  John  Hodiak,  a 
hardy,  outspoken  engine  crew  member;  Hume  Cronyn,  a 
radio  operator;  William  Bendix,  a  sailor  with  a  wounded  leg; 
Henry  Hull,  a  wealthy  industrialist;  Canada  Lee,  a  colored 
steward;  Heather  Angel,  a  half-crazed  woman  with  a  dead 
baby;  and  Walter  Slezak,  Nazi  captain  of  the  sunken  sub- 
marine. Despite  Hodiak's  demands  that  Slezak  be  thrown 
overboard,  the  others  permit  him  to  stay.  Miss  Angel,  grief- 
stricken  over  the  baby's  death,  jumps  overboard  while  the 
others  sleep.  In  the  course  of  events,  all  come  to  depend  on 
Slezak,  a  cold,  calculating  person,  despite  their  hatred  for 
him.  When  Bendix's  life  is  threatened  by  gangrene,  Slezak 
amputates  his  leg,  and  when  a  powerful  wind  blows  the 
boat  out  of  control  the  Nazi  saves  all  their  lives  by  his  quick 
thinking.  After  many  days  without  food  and  water,  all 
except  Slezak  feel  the  effects  of  hunger  and  thirst.  They 
accept  his  leadership,  fully  aware  that  he  will  lead  them  to 
a  Nazi  supply  ship.  One  night,  as  the  others  sleep,  Slezak 
pushes  Bendix  overboard  when  the  crippled  sailor  catches 
him  drinking  from  a  hidden  flask.  Bendix's  cries  awaken  the 
others,  who  suspect  Slezak  and  discover  the  water  flask. 
Mute  with  anguish  at  his  cold-bloodedness,  they  hurl  them- 
selves at  the  Nazi,  beat  him  severely,  and  throw  him  over- 
board. All  are  grateful  when  a  ship  hoves  in  sight,  even 
though  it  is  Nazi.  A  sudden  flash  over  the  horizon,  followed 
by  an  explosion  near  the  ship,  reveals  to  them  the  presence 
of  an  Allied  cruiser.  They  narrowly  miss  death  when  the 
Nazi  ship  tries  to  run  them  down  before  it  disintegrates  in 
a  terrific  explosion.  All  wait  patiently  to  be  rescued  by  the 
cruiser. 

Jo  Swerling  wrote  the  screen  play  from  an  original  story 
by  John  Steinbeck,  and  Kenneth  Macgowan  produced  it. 
Adult  entertainment. 


"Million  Dollar  Kid"  with 
the  East  Side  Kids 

(Monogram,  February  28;  time,  64  min.) 

This  program  comedy  should  have  no  trouble  pleasing  the 
followers  of  the  "East  Side  Kids."  Like  the  previous  pictures 
in  the  series,  this,  too,  depends  for  its  laughs  on  the  rowdy 
antics  of  the  "Kids,"  led  by  Leo  Gorcey.  The  story,  though 
thin,  is  somewhat  more  appealing  than  that  of  any  of  the 
other  pictures,  for  this  time  the  "Kids"  set  out  to  clear  their 
neighborhood  of  ruffians.  In  the  process,  they  help  to  regen- 
erate a  thrill-seeking  youth,  son  of  a  millionaire,  who  had 
taken  up  with  shady  companions: — 

Attacked  by  hoodlums,  Herbert  Heyes,  a  millionaire,  is 
rescued  by  the  East  Side  Kids.  Heyes  shows  his  appreciation 
by  inviting  the  boys  to  his  mansion  and  giving  them  the  use 
of  a  fully  equipped  gymnasium,  which,  he  explains,  was 
never  used  by  Johnny  Duncan,  his  'teen-aged  son.  While 
searching  for  Heyes'  attackers,  the  boys  discover  that  one 


of  the  hoodlums  was  Johnny,  who  had  taken  up  with  bad 
companions  for  the  thrill.  The  boys  keep  their  discovery 
from  Heyes  and  try  to  reform  Johnny,  but  the  young  man 
refuses  their  counsel.  The  Kids  are  at  Heyes'  mansion  one 
afternoon  when  word  comes  that  the  millionaire's  elder  son 
had  been  killed  in  action.  Heyes,  upset  by  the  news,  suffers  a 
heart  attack,  and  the  Kids  go  in  search  of  Johnny.  They 
find  him  in  a  poolroom  and  take  him  back  to  the  gymnasium, 
where  Gorcey  whips  him  in  a  boxing  match  to  cool  him 
down.  News  of  his  brother's  death  and  of  his  father's  heart 
attack,  make  Johnny  see  the  error  of  his  ways.  He  joins  the 
boys  in  capturing  the  ruffians  who  had  attacked  his  father, 
and  admits  to  the  police  his  part  in  the  crime.  The  Kids, 
however,  manage  to  get  him  absolved. 

Frank  Young  wrote  the  story  and  screen  play,  Sam  Katz- 
man  and  Jack  Dietz  produced  it,  and  Wallace  Fox  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Huntz  Hall,  Gabriel  Dell,  Billy  Bene- 
dict, Louise  Currie,  Noah  Beery,  Sr.,  Mary  Gordon,  Iris 
Adrian  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"There's  Something  About  a  Soldier"  with 
Tom  Neal,  Evelyn  Keyes  and  Bruce  Bennett 

(Columbia,  November  30;  time,  81  min.) 

This  comedy-drama,  which  deals  with  the  training  of 
soldiers  at  Officers'  Candidate  School,  is  entertaining  pro- 
gram fare.  The  story  itself  is  the  familiar  one  about  the 
"cocky"  soldier,  disliked  by  his  fellows,  who  eventually  is 
made  to  see  the  error  of  his  ways.  The  good  treatment  given 
the  production,  however,  more  than  compensates  for  the 
lightweight  plot.  The  gruelling  training  undergone  by  the 
soldiers  is  presented  in  an  interesting  way,  with  rich  touches 
of  humor.  Credit  is  due  the  producer  for  giving  the  story  a 
logical  ending:  The  hero  is  expelled  from  school  for  an  act 
unbecoming  an  officer  and  gentleman,  even  though  it  was 
done  in  self-sacrifice.  He  does,  however,  win  the  girl.  The 
performances  and  direction  are  good : — 

Soon  after  his  arrival  at  Officers'  Candidate  School,  Tom 
Neal,  a  glib  ex-newspaperman,  incurs  the  dislike  of  his 
fellow  squad  members,  because  of  his  "cockiness"  and  of  his 
refusal  to  join  them  in  helping  each  other  with  their  studies. 
A  rivalry  springs  up  between  Neal  and  Bruce  Bennett,  a 
serious-minded  soldier,  when  both  vie  for  the  attentions  of 
Evelyn  Keyes,  civilian  secretary  at  the  school.  Unknown 
to  Neal,  but  known  to  Evelyn,  Bennett  had  seen  service  in 
North  Africa,  and  had  won  his  appointment  through  dis- 
tinguished service.  When  Evelyn  berates  Neal  for  his  atti- 
tude towards  Bennett  and  the  others,  he  becomes  more  co- 
operative. He  offers  to  tutor  Bennett  in  mathematics,  a 
subject  in  which  he  was  weak,  but  Bennett  suspects  his 
motive  and  refuses.  As  a  result,  Bennett  finds  the  mathema- 
tic  examinations  difficult,  and  openly  worries  that  it  will 
interfere  with  his  chances  of  graduation.  Neal,  to  assure 
Bennett's  graduation,  steals  his  examination  paper  and  cor* 
rects  the  errors.  He  is  caught  returning  the  paper  to  the 
files,  and  the  commandant,  believing  that  Neal  was  cof 
recting  his  own  paper,  expells  him  from  school.  Neal  ac- 
cepts the  order  without  revealing  the  truth.  Following  the 
graduation  exercises,  Bennett  is  congratulated  by  one  of 
the  instructors  for  his  high  "math"  marks.  He  states  frankly 
that  there  must  be  some  error,  and  requests  permission  to 
examines  his  paper.  The  re-check  discloses  the  true  story,  and 
Bennett  brings  the  facts  to  the  attention  of  the  commandant. 
Bennett  is  assured  that,  even  if  he  had  failed  in  mathematics, 
his  general  average  assured  his  graduation.  Both  Bennett 
and  Evelyn  rush  to  the  railroad  station,  arriving  in  time  to 
bid  Neal  goodbye.  Accepting  Bennett's  proffer  of  friendship, 
Neal  promises  fr>  work  {pi  another  appointment,  so  that  Ke 
Can  return  to  Evelyn. 

Horace  McCoy  and  Barry  Trivers  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Sam  Bischoff  produced  it,  and  Alfred  E.  Green  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  John  Hubbard,  Jeff  Donncll,  Frank  Sully, 
Jonathan  Hale  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


12 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  15,  1944 


a  low  allocation  picture  to  spurt  into  the  higher  gross- 
ing class.  If  a  show  which  might  ordinarily  be  an  un- 
important  'B'  showed  box  office  prowess,  the  distribu- 
tor  knew  about  it,  and  allocated  it  where  he  would 
get  a  higher  share. 

"Having  checked  this  avenue,  the  distributor  then 
turned  to  the  reissue.  First  a  system  of  home  office  ap- 
proval  was  instituted  whereby  the  local  authority  of 
the  exchange  was  taken  away,  and  a  home  office  check 
put  on  all  such  bookings.  Then,  to  make  certain  even 
more  that  not  a  nickel  should  be  lost,  'official'  re' 
issues  were  instituted  wherein  the  salesmen  were  in- 
structed  to  take  new  deals  all  the  way  down  the  line, 
following  key  runs.  The  old  method  of  'date  it  in,  we 
only  have  the  print  for  a  short  time'  was  forgotten, 
and  the  'official'  reissues  were  handled  according  to 
the  territory's  release  schedule. 

"Furthermore,  instead  of  spot  bookings  at  flat 
prices,  percentage  was  asked. 

"One  distributor  even  refuses  reissue  or  repeat 
business  because  he  feels  it  slows  down  his  sales  on 
the  new  pictures  he  is  trying  to  sell  at  peak  prices. 

"Costs  of  practically  all  of  these  pictures  had  been 
written  off  years  ago,  but,  regardless,  the  distributor 
insists  on  percentage  or  a  higher  flat  price. 

"Thus  another  avenue  of  revenue  has  been  blocked 
for  the  exhibitor. 

"The  consent  decree  has  been  a  bonanza  for  the 
distributors. 

"Recently  one  prominent  distributor  told  an  ex' 
hibitor  who  had  complained  on  the  low  gross  of  one 
of  his  big  'specials' :  'Look  at  the  money  you  made  on 
that  reissue.' 

"Can  anyone  wonder  why  exhibitors  are  wary  of 
distributors'  promises  of  good  faith?" 


BENEFITS  YOU  DERIVE 
BY  JOINING  AN  ORGANIZATION 

Many  exhibitors  seem  to  feel  as  if  a  membership 
in  an  exhibitor  organization  is  a  liability  rather  than 
an  asset. 

Here  are  some  of  the  benefits  that  a  member  derives : 
The  secretary  and  business  manager  of  the  organi- 
sation keeps  his  ear  on  the  ground  for  any  proposed 
or  even  contemplated  adverse  legislation,  and  enlists 
the  support  of  the  members  for  fighting  such  legisla- 
tion. There  are  states  where  there  has  been  no  anti- 
industry  laws  for  many  years,  owing  to  the  vigilance 
of  the  organization's  executives. 

The  secretary,  who  as  a  rule  lives  in  the  center  of 
distribution,  undertakes  to  adjust  differences  that  may 
arise  between  a  member  and  a  distributor  regarding 
his  rights  under  the  contract,  usually  with  good 
results. 

,  The  organization  mails  periodically  an  information 
bulletin  relative  to  matters  that  are  of  importance  to 
every  member. 

When  a  number,  away  from  the  exchange  city, 
wishes  to  make  a  purchase  of  anything,  he  communi- 
cates with  the  secretary  and  obtains  the  information 
at  no  cost. 


There  are  held  at  stated  intervals  meetings  at 
which  the  members  discuss  problems  that  are  of  great 
importance  in  the  operation  of  a  theatre.  The  experi- 
ence and  wise  counsel  of  one  member  help  guide  the 
other  members.  Pooling  of  experiences  and  offering 
suggestions  cannot  help  bringing  benefit.  Even  when 
a  member  cannot  attend,  he  receives  the  benefit  just 
the  same,  for  the  information  is  imparted  to  him  by 
means  of  the  service  bulletin. 

The  secretary  or  business  manager  is  usually  able 
to  lower  a  member's  liability  insurance  rates. 

In  general,  the  organization's  executive  secretary 
or  business  manager  acts  as  the  personal  representative 
of  each  member,  ready  to  serve  him  at  all  times. 

For  all  these  benefits  an  exhibitor  receives  when  a 
member  of  a  regional  unit,  a  membership  in  an  or- 
ganization is  a  privilege  that  should  be  valued  by 
every  exhibitor. 

If  you  are  not  a  member  of  an  organization,  you 
should  become  one  at  once.  This  paper  believes  that 
Allied  States  Association  of  Motion  Picture  Exhibi- 
tors represents  the  sentiment  of  the  independent  ex- 
hibitors, and  for  this  reason  it  suggests  that  you  join 
an  exhibitor  unit  that  is  affiliated  with  it;  but  if  for 
any  reason  you  do  not  desire  to  join  such  a  unit,  join 
an  exhibitor  organization  anyway,  no  matter  what 
its  affiliations,  as  long  as  you  do  not  join  one  that  is 
controlled  by  producers  and  distributors. 


A  NOTABLE  EVENT 

Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  New  Jersey  will  cele- 
brate its  Silver  Jubilee  sometime  in  June. 

The  writer  takes  personal  pride  in  the  fact  that  the 
New  Jersey  organization  has  reached  the  age  of 
twenty-five,  for  even  though  it  is  not  known  gener- 
ally he  is  the  father  of  this  organization.  When  I 
called  the  first  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  exhibitors 
in  my  office,  four  appeared.  We  postponed  the  meet- 
ing for  one  week  with  the  hope  that  more  exhibitors 
would  attend,  but  the  following  week  the  same  four 
exhibitors  appeared,  and  we  decided  to  proceed  with 
the  election  of  the  officers. 

Among  those  four  exhibitors  present,  one  was 
Sidney  Samuelson,  at  that  time  operating  the  Park 
Theatre,  at  Newton,  New  Jersey.  Mr.  Samuelson 
was  elected  secretary  and  in  the  years  that  followed 
he  built  a  strong  organization  through  his  tirelessness. 
It  was  and  still  is  so  strong,  in  fact,  that  there  has 
been  not  a  piece  of  adverse  legislation  enacted  in  the 
State  of  New  Jersey  in  the  last  twenty  years. 

The  writer  hopes  that  he  will  be  present  at  the 
celebration  of  that  organization's  Golden  Jubilee.  It 
is  a  daring  wish,  but  why  can't  I  wish?  Strange  things 
do  happen  sometimes. 


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HARRISON'S  REPORTS 

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ask  for  a  duplicate  copy;  it  will  be  supplied  to  you 
free  of  charge. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JANUARY  22,  1944  No.  4 


TOM  CLARK  REJECTS  THE 
DISTRIBUTORS'  CONSENT  DECREE 
PROPOSALS  AGAIN 

In  rejecting  the  proposals  for  revision  of  the  Con- 
sent Decree,  submitted  to  him  early  last  November  by 
the  major  distributors,  U.  S.  Assistant  Attorney  Gen- 
eral Tom  C.  Clark  said:  "We're  so  far  apart  now  that 
unless  they  come  across  with  a  good  deal  more  we 
might  as  well  go  ahead  with  the  case  in  New  York,  or 
bring  another  one  elsewhere."  In  commenting  upon 
the  distributors1  statement  that  they  went  as  far  as 
they  could,  Clark  stated:  "...  I  can't  help  thinking 
that  they're  just  horsing  along."  Clark  pointed  out 
that  the  distributors  had  made  a  minimum  offer  as  a 
basis  for  trading.  He  made  it  clear,  however,  that  there 
would  be  no  trading,  and  that  his  department  would 
lose  no  time  in  reopening  the  anti-trust  suit  unless  their 
proposals  were  bettered. 

That  Clark  meant  business  then  and  means  business 
now  can  be  gathered  from  his  rejection  last  Monday 
of  the  distributors'  latest  proposals  after  a  lengthy  con- 
ference in  Washington  with  high  officials  of  the  con- 
senting companies. 

According  to  the  reports  in  the  trade  press,  Clark 
found,  in  addition  to  some  minor  points,  three  princi- 
pal provisions  of  the  proposed  revised  decree  totally 
inacceptable,  namely,  cancellation  privileges,  theatre 
acquisition,  and  arbitration. 

Clark,  because  he  felt  that  the  proposals  submitted 
to  him  were  not  yet  final,  was  reluctant  to  discuss  in 
detail  his  reasons  for  their  rejection.  Film  Daily,  how- 
ever, reports  that  the  Department  of  Justice  is  seeking 
a  twenty  per  cent  cancellation  clause,  to  be  operated 
on  a  cumulative  basis.  The  distributors,  however,  are 
balking  on  these  terms.  Nor  are  Clark's  demands  re- 
garding theatre  acquisition  acceptable  to  them.  In  the 
matter  of  arbitration,  there  are  differences  of  opinion 
on  a  number  of  minor  issues,  the  main  difference  being 
Clark's  insistence  that  appeal  boards  be  set  up  locally 
in  each  of  the  arbitration  districts,  while  the  distribu- 
tors are  holding  out  for  all  appeals  to  be  handled 
through  the  arbitration  board's  main  office  in  New 
York,  as  at  present. 

As  matters  stand  at  this  writing,  the  distributors 
are  to  submit  an  amended  draft  by  Friday,  January  21. 
This  draft,  said  Clark,  will  then  be  used  as  a  basis  for 
discussion  at  conferences  with  exhibitor  organisation 
leaders,  so  that  each  organization  will  be  given  a 
chance  to  express  its  views.  Clark  made  it  clear,  how- 
ever, that  even  if  the  distributors  were  to  meet  his 
terms,  it  would  in  no  way  mean  that  their  proposals 
are  acceptable,  for  he  will  still  feel  free  to  ask  for  fur- 


ther concessions  should  the  exhibitors  prove  to  him  the 
inacceptability  of  any  particular  provision. 

It  is  apparent  that  Clark  is  determined  to  make  the 
distributors  toe  the  line.  He  is  to  be  commended  for 
taking  into  account  the  views  of  the  independent  ex- 
hibitor so  that  the  revised  decree,  if  any,  will  be  an 
equitable  one. 

Thus  far,  Clark  has  done  much  to  restore  the  ex- 
hibitors' faith  in  government  agencies. 


DON'T  ALLOW  YOUR  SCREEN  TO 
BECOME  A  BILLBOARD 

It  seems  as  if  concealed  advertising  is  sneaking  back 
into  pictures  once  again. 

In  Universal's  "You're  a  Lucky  Fellow,  Mr.  Smith," 
there  is  one  sequence  in  which  a  young  lady,  upon 
being  offered  a  stick  of  chewing  gum,  asks  if  it  is 
"Spearmint."  The  donor  replies,  "No,  it  is  'Double- 
mint.'  "  In  Republic's  "Wispering  Footsteps,"  one 
scene  shows  a  display  of  Adams  Hats  in  a  shop 
window. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  not  in  a  position  to  know  if 
either  Universal  or  Republic  inserted  these  advertise- 
ments for  commercial  gain.  It  does  know,  however, 
that  the  inclusion  of  these  advertisements  was  im- 
proper, not  only  because  it  had  no  bearing  on  the 
stories,  but  also  because  it  was  an  imposition  on  both 
the  public  and  the  exhibitor. 

The  person  who  pays  his  money  at  the  box-office 
does  so  for  the  privilege  of  seeing  pure  entertainment. 
He  is  entitled  to  get  what  he  pays  for.  When  an  ad- 
vertisement is  "slipped"  over  on  him,  he  feels  that  he 
has  become  the  victim  of  an  advertising  stunt,  and 
rightfully  resents  it. 

The  exhibitor,  too,  is  taken  advantage  of,  for  when 
he  buys  a  picture  solely  for  entertainment  purposes 
and  finds  that  advertising  has  been  injected,  it  means 
that  the  producer  has  appropriated  his  screen  without 
paying  for  the  privilege.  Even  more  important,  how- 
ever, is  the  fact  that  the  concealed  advertisement  in- 
curs the  ill  will  of  the  exhibitor's  patrons. 

In  1931,  when  concealed  advertising  in  motion  pic- 
tures was  rampant,  Harrison's  Reports  carried  on  a 
vigorous  campaign  against  the  practice  and  was  in- 
strumental in  compelling  the  producers  to  abandon  it. 
No  need  exists  today  for  carrying  on  such  a  campaign, 
for  it  is  seldom  that  concealed  advertisements  show  up. 
Nevertheless,  this  paper  will  bring  every  violation  to 
the  attention  of  its  readers  in  an  effort  to  prevent  a 
recurrence  of  the  practice. 

Let  us  leave  advertisements  to  the  proper  medium. 
The  motion  picture's  medium  is  entertainment. 


14 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  22,  1944 


"Uncensored"  with  Eric  Portman,  Phyllis 
Calvert  and  Griffith  Jones 

(20th  Century-Fox,  Jan.  21 ;  time,  83  min.) 
Produced  in  Britain  about  two  years  ago,  this  war 
melodrama  has  an  interesting  story  and  exciting  ac- 
tion- but  its  box-office  possibilities  in  this  country  are 
questionable,  for  the  all-British  cast  is  unknown  to 
American  audiences.  The  action  revolves  around  a 
group  of  Belgian  patriots,  who  revive  "La  Libre 
Belgique,"  the  famed  underground  newspaper  of  the 
last  war,  and  use  it  to  combat  the  propaganda  of  the 
Nazi  invaders.  The  secret  methods  by  which  the  paper 
is  published  and  distributed,  and  the  futile  efforts  of 
the  Nazis  to  locate  and  suppress  it,  provide  many 
tense  moments.  The  romantic  interest  is  mild  but 

pleasant: —  ,  . 

When  the  Nazis  occupy  Belgium  and  set  up  their 
own  newspaper,  Eric  Portman,  a  cabaret  entertainer, 
and  Griffith  Jones,  a  priest,  resurrect  "La  Libre 
Belgique."  Portman  enrolls  Frederick  Culley,  a  for- 
mer pro-Nazi  editor,  to  write  the  leading  articles^ 
Ignorant  of  Culley 's  association  with  the  underground 
paper  the  Nazis  arrange  with  him  to  write  for  their 
paper  believing  that  he  is  still  one  of  their  supporters. 
Direct  contact  with  the  Nazis  enables  Culley  to  secure 
confidential  information,  and  he  is  able  to  attack  his 
own  writings  in  ensuing  issues  of  the  patriotic  paper. 
Portman,  using  his  profession  to  cover  up  his  under- 
ground activities,  ingratiates  himself  with  the  Nazis 
and  succeeds  in  thwarting  their  efforts  to  locate  the 
hidden  printing  press.  Peter  Glenvillc,  Portman  s 
cabaret  partner,  jealous  with  rage  because  of  Port- 
man's  influence  with  the  Nazis,  turns  informer.  As  a 
result,  the  priest  and  the  printers  are  seized  by  the 
Nazis,  and  the  German  commandant  (Raymond 
Lovcll)  orders  Culley  to  write  a  story  for  the  Nazi 
newspaper  announcing  that  "La  Libre  Belgique"  had 
been  suppressed  and  that  its  leaders  had  been  cap- 
tured. Portman,  who  had  evaded  capture,  determines 
to  put  out  another  issue  of  the  paper  so  that  the  com- 
mandant would  become  the  laughing  stock  of  the  city. 
Together  with  Phyllis  Calvert,  Culley 's  daughter, 
Portman  goes  to  a  museum  and  prints  the  paper  on  an 
ancient  hand  press.  He  distributes  the  copies  among 
the  people,  ridiculing  the  commandant  and  giving 
them  hope  for  the  future. 

Rodney  Ackland  and  Terrencc  Rattigan  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Edward  Black  produced  it,  and  Anthony 
Asquith  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Broadway  Rhythm"  with  George  Murphy, 
Ginny  Simms  and  Charles  Winninger 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  1 1 5  min.) 
This  will  undoubtedly  prove  a  good  box-office  at- 
traction because  of  the  popularity  of  the  players,  the 
lavish  production,  and  the  Technicolor  photography. 
But  judged  solely  on  the  merits  of  the  story,  which  is 
of  the  typical  backstage  variety,  it  is  no  more  than  a 
fair  entertainment,  with  an  appeal  mostly  to  those 
who  enjoy  musicals  that  are  along  the  order  of  a  revue. 
There  are  a  number  of  musical  and  dance  routines, 
fashioned  in  the  usual  MGM  lavish  style,  with 
Tommy  Dorsey  and  his  orchestra  providing  the  tune- 
ful musical  backgrounds.  Outstanding  specialty  num- 
bers are  contributed  by  the  Ross  Sisters,  an  acrobatic 
dance  trio,  and  by  Dean  Murphy,  whose  impersona- 
tions of  famous  people  are  uncanny.  There  are  also 
songs  by  Ginny  Simms  and  Lena  Home,  and  a  piano 


solo  by  Hazel  Scott.  Charles  Winninger,  Ben  Blue, 
Nancy  Walker,  and  Eddie  "Rochester"  Anderson 
provide  some  effective  comedy.  The  extensive  running 
time  could  be  cut  down,  for  the  action  drags  consid- 
erably in  spots: — 

In  search  of  a  star  for  his  new  musical  comedy, 
George  Murphy,  a   Broadway   producer,  informs 
Ginny  Simms,  a  Hollywood  star,  that  he  would  like 
her  for  his  play,  but  could  not  use  her  because  she 
wasn't  the  "Spanish  type."  On  the  following  day 
Ginny,  posing  as  a  Brazilian  actress,  auditions  for  the 
part  and  wins  Murphy's  approval.  She  refuses  the 
part,  however,  informing  Murphy  that  she  did  not 
like  the  play.  Charles  Winninger,  Murphy's  father, 
an  old  vaudcvillian,  agrees  with  Ginny  that  the  play 
is  no  good,  and  suggests  to  Murphy  that  he  produce 
an  old  play  of  his  (Murphy's) ,  which  he  had  neglected 
for  years.  When  Murphy  refuses,  Winninger  and 
Ginny  decide  to  produce  the  play  themselves,  with 
Ginny  in  the  starring  role.  Murphy,  knowing  that  a 
t  ailure  would  break  his  father's  heart,  threatens  to 
stop  the  show,  but  Winninger  overcomes  the  threat 
by  proving  that  the  play  had  been  copyrighted  in  his 
name.  Murphy  then  appeals  to  Ginny  not  to  appear  in 
the  play,  but  she  decides  to  stay  with  Winninger.  The 
old  vaudevillian  rents  a  summer  theatre  and  makes 
preparations  for  the  show.  During  rehearsals,  Ginny, 
upset  by  the  rift  between  Murphy  and  his  father,  de- 
cides to  take  matters  in  hand.  She  goes  to  New  York 
and  informs  Murphy  that  Winninger's  show  is  off 
because  the  leading  man  had  broken  his  ankle,  and 
asks  that  she  be  given  a  part  in  his  show.  Furious  be- 
cause Ginny  had  walked  out  on  his  father,  Murphy 
leaves  for  the  summer  theatre  so  that  the  show  can  be 
staged  on  schedule.  Meanwhile  Winninger,  aware  of 
Ginny 's  motive,  keeps  up  the  ruse.  When  Murphy 
opens  the  show  with  himself  as  leading  man,  he  is 
surprised  no  end  to  find  Ginny  prepared  to  play  the 
leading  lady. 

Dorothy  Kingley  and  Harry  Clark  wrote  the  screen 
play,  based  on  the  musical  play  "Very  Warm  for 
May."  Jack  Cummings  produced  it,  and  Roy  Del 
Ruth  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Sweethearts  of  the  U.  S.  A."  with  Una 
Merkel,  Parkyakarkus  and  Donald  Novis 

(Monogram,  Feb.  7;  time,  64  mm.) 

A  poor  program  comedy,  with  music  and  dancing. 
The  only  possible  attraction  it  can  have  for  any  one 
are  the  musical  interludes,  which  are  of  the  popular 
variety,  but  even  this  phase  of  the  production  is  un- 
distinguished. On  the  whole  it  is  a  hopeless  muddle, 
with  forced  comedy  situations,  and  an  extremely  ridic- 
ulous story.  Parkyakarkus,  of  radio  fame,  can  usually 
be  depended  upon  to  say  something  that  will  provoke 
laughs,  but  the  dialogue  assigned  to  him  is  so  lacking 
in  comedy  that  no  matter  how  hard  he  tries  it  is  a 
hopeless  task.  Most  spectators  will  not  know  what  the 
story  is  all  about.  Something  always  happens  for  no 
apparent  reason,  and,  in  general,  confusion  has  been 
substituted  for  comedy,  with  poor  results.  Donald 
Novis  and  Lillian  Cornell  sing  a  number  of  songs, 
while  the  orchestras  of  Jan  Garber,  Henry  King,  and 
Phil  Ohman  furnish  the  music.  The  acting  and  direc- 
tion are  amateurish. 

The  story,  such  as  it  is,  revolves  around  Una  Merkel, 
a  defense  worker,  whose  ineptness  and  general  ineffi- 
ciency was  a  constant  source  of  annoyance  to  Ralph 


January  22,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


15 


Sanford,  manager  of  the  plant.  Knocked  unconscious 
when  she  accidentally  hits  herself  with  a  hammer, 
Una  dreams  that  she  meets  Parkyakarkus,  a  bungling 
detective,  who  had  lost  his  job  after  unwittingly  help- 
ing three  crooks  to  rob  a  local  bank.  Una  joins  him  in 
his  search  for  the  crooks,  and  in  the  course  of  events 
meets  Henry  King  and  Donald  Novis,  a  pair  of  draft- 
deferred  musicians,  who  decide  to  organize  a  4-F 
band,  with  Parkyakarkus  as  manager.  Cobina  Wright, 
Sr.,  wealthy  owner  of  a  huge  mansion,  permits  the 
band  to  use  her  home  as  a  night-club  to  entertain  de- 
fense workers.  In  addition  to  their  duties  at  the  night- 
club, Una  and  Parkyakarkus  continue  their  search  for 
the  crooks  and,  after  a  series  of  inane  situations,  cap- 
ture them  in  Parkyakarkus1  boarding  house,  a  weird 
old  house  inhabited  by  a  collection  of  assorted  ghosts. 
These  ghosts,  incidentally,  appear  in  the  proceedings 
from  time  to  time,  but  no  reason  is  given  for  their 
presence.  It  may  be  that  the  producers  had  a  gag  in 
mind.  If  so,  it  falls  flat. 

Arthur  St.  Claife,  Sherman  Lowe,  and  Mary  Shel- 
don wrote  the  screen  play,  Lester  Cutler  produced  it, 
and  Lew  Collins  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Fighting  Seabees"  with  John  Wayne 
and  Susan  Hay  ward 

(Republic,  no  release  date  set;  time,  100  mm.) 

The  first  film  to  pay  tribute  to  the  U.  S.  Navy's 
Construction  Battalions,  better  known  as  the  "Sea- 
bees,"  this  war  melodrama  shapes  up  as  a  virile  enter- 
tainment, the  sort  that  should  undoubtedly  please  the 
action  fans.  Although  the  story  is  a  bit  incredulous  at 
times,  it  is  aided  by  smooth  direction  and  good  per- 
formances, moves  along  at  a  fast  pace,  and  holds  one's 
attention  throughout.  A  romantic  triangle,  made  up 
of  sympathetic  characters,  should  appeal  to  women. 
The  battle  sequences  are  exceptionally  good,  ranking 
with  the  best  yet  seen  in  recent  war  pictures.  Particu- 
larly thrilling,  and  quite  grim,  is  the  battle  that  takes 
place  towards  the  finish,  where  the  Seabees,  though 
outnumbered,  wipe  out  the  Jap  attackers.  The  produc- 
tion values  are  very  good : — 

Disturbed  because  a  few  of  his  workmen  had  been 
killed  while  building  a  Pacific  island  base,  John 
Wayne,  a  contractor,  blames  Lt.  Comdr.  Dennis 
O'Keefe.  The  young  officer  explains  that  the  rules  for- 
bid the  arming  of  civilians,  and  tries  to  interest  Wayne 
in  a  plan  to  make  fighting  battalions  out  of  civilian 
workmen.  Wayne,  however,  refuses  to  cooperate.  He 
accompanies  his  men  to  another  Pacific  island  job,  de- 
termined that  they  will  be  given  a  chance  to  defend 
themselves.  En  route,  he  meets  and  falls  in  love  with 
Susan  Hayward,  O'Keefe's  fiancee,  who  was  a  war 
correspondent.  Arriving  at  the  island,  Wayne  finds 
O'Keefe  in  charge.  When  the  Japs  attack  and  force  a 
landing,  Wayne,  without  O'Keefe's  knowledge,  arms 
his  men  and  leads  them  into  battle.  This  move  inter- 
feres with  O'Keefe's  battle  plans  and,  though  the  Japs 
are  driven  off,  many  of  Wayne's  men  are  killed. 
Susan,  seriously  wounded,  confesses  her  love  to 
Wayne,  and  is  overheard  by  O'Keefe.  Sobered  by  his 
mistake,  Wayne  returns  to  Washington  with  O'Keefe 
and  offers  to  help  train  a  battalion  of  civilian  work- 
men. The  battalion  is  named  the  Seabees,  and  Wayne 
is  made  a  commander.  Meanwhile  Susan  recovers  from 
her  wounds  and  seeks  out  Wayne.  In  deference  to 
O'Keefe,  now  his  friend,  Wayne  indicates  that  he 
does  not  love  her.  Wayne  and  O'Keefe  lead  the  Sea- 


bees to  a  Pacific  island  partially  occupied  by  the  Japs. 
During  construction,  Jap  snipers  take  their  toll  of 
Wayne's  men,  but  O'Keefe  warns  him  not  to  leave 
the  work.  Wayne  ignores  the  warning  and  orders  his 
men  into  the  interior  to  wipe  out  the  snipers.  As  a 
result,  O'Keefe's  men  are  outnumbered  when  the 
Japs  make'  a  surprise  attack.  Wayne  returns  to  his 
post  and  finds  O'Keefe's  men  threatened  with  anni- 
hilation. To  save  them,  Wayne,  sacrificing  his  life, 
sets  fire  to  an  oil  tank,  and  the  flaming  oil  wipes  out 
the  enemy.  O'Keefe  and  Susan  are  reunited,  and  both 
witness  a  ceremony  honoring  Wayne  posthumously. 

Borden  Chase  and  Aeneas  MacKenzie  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Albert  J.  Cohen  produced  it,  and  Edward 
Ludwig  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Leonid  Kinskey, 
William  Frawley,  Addison  Richards  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Nabonga"  with  Buster  Crabbe,  Fifi 
D'Orsay  and  Barton  MacLane 

(PRC,  Jan.  25;  time,  71  min.) 

A  pretty  dull  jungle  melodrama  of  program  grade. 
It  may  get  by  with  the  action  fans,  because  of  the  sev- 
eral fist  fights,  and  of  the  murderous  antics  indulged 
in  by  a  huge  gorilla.  The  story  is  up  to  the  intelligence 
of  ten-year-old  children;  adults  will  consider  it  too 
ridiculous  to  take  it  seriously.  The  idea  of  a  girl,  about 
seven  years  of  age,  existing  in  a  jungle  and  growing  to 
womanhood  with  a  gorilla  as  her  only  companion  is 
just  one  example  of  the  film's  exaggerations.  A  good 
part  of  the  footage  is  comprised  of  stock  shots  showing 
scenes  of  animal  life : — 

Flying  to  South  Africa  with  his  small  daughter 
(Jackie  Newfield)  and  a  fortune  in  stolen  jewels, 
Herbert  Rawlinson,  an  embezzler,  crashes  in  the  Bel- 
gian Congo,  where  he  dies.  His  daughter,  finding  a 
wounded  gorilla,  nurses  the  creature  back  to  health 
and  is  adopted  by  it.  Years  later,  Buster  Crabbe, 
whose  father,  a  bank  president,  had  been  unjustly 
accused  of  stealing  the  jewels,  comes  to  the  Congo  to 
clear  his  father's  name.  Crabbe  saves  the  life  of  a 
native,  who,  grateful,  informs  him  of  a  plane  that  had 
fallen  into  the  jungle  years  previously,  and  offers  to 
lead  him  to  it.  He  tells  him  also  of  a  "white  witch," 
who  ruled  the  jungle  aided  by  a  giant  gorilla  named 
"Nabonga."  Barton  MacLane,  a  sinister  trader,  and 
Fifi  D'Orsay,  his  half-caste  woman  associate,  learn  of 
Crabbe's  plan  to  recover  the  jewels,  and  follow  him. 
Meanwhile,  deep  in  the  jungle,  Rawlinson 's  daughter 
(Julie  London),  now  a  young  woman,  lives  happily 
under  the  protection  of  Nabonga.  Crabbe  and  the 
native  find  the  wreckage  of  the  plane,  but  the  gorilla, 
who  had  been  trailing  the  two  men,  kills  the  native. 
Crabbe  is  saved  from  a  similar  fate  by  the  arrival  of 
Julie,  who  orders  Nabonga  away.  Crabbe  tells  the  girl 
of  his  mission,  but  failing  to  understand  the  com- 
plexities of  civilization,  Julie  refuses  to  part  with  the 
jewels.  With  the  arrival  of  MacLane  and  Fifi,  Crabbe 
is  forced  to  fight  for  possession  of  the  treasure.  The 
gorilla,  recognizing  MacLane  and  Fifi  as  enemies,  kills 
them  both.  Nabonga  dies,  however,  from  gun  shots 
inflicted  by  MacLane.  Realizing  that  her  possession  of 
the  jewels  had  brought  her  only  tragedy,  Julie  gives 
them  to  Crabbe  and  agrees  to  accompany  him  back  to 
civilization. 

Fred  Myton  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sigmund  Neu- 
feld  produced  it,  and  Sam  Newfield  directed  it. 
Morally  suitable  for  all. 


16 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  22,  1944 


THE  ADMISSION  TAX  SITUATION 

The  latest  developments  in  the  admission  tax  situa- 
tion  indicate  that  the  many  letters  and  telegrams  of 
protest,  sent  to  Congressmen  by  exhibitors  throughout 
the  country,  have  borne  fruit. 

A  group  of  non-partisan  Senators  including  James 
Mead  (Dem.),  N.  Y.;  George  A.  Wilson  (Rep.),  Ia.; 
Harlcy  M.  Kilgore  (Dem.),  W.  Va.;  Wallace  R. 
White,  Jr.  (Rep.),  Me.;  Sheridan  Downey  (Dem  ), 
Calif.;  Kenneth  Wherry  (Rep  ),  Neb.;  and  Chap- 
man Revercomb  (Rep  ),  W.  Va.,  have  taken  up  the 
fight  in  behalf  of  the  industry. 

On  Tuesday,  January  18,  Senator  Mead  introduced 
an  amendment  providing  for  the  elimination  from  the 
proposed  tax  bill  of  any  increase  in  the  present  admis- 
sion tax  rate,  but  it  was  defeated  in  the  Senate  by  a 
voice  vote.  In  doing  so,  however,  the  Senate  adopted 
an  amendment  offered  by  Senator  Walter  F.  George, 
Chairman  of  the  Senate  Finance  Committee,  in  be- 
half of  Senator  Wilson,  providing  for  the  tax  to  be 
imposed  at  the  rate  of  one  cent  on  each  five  cents  "or 
major  fraction  thereof,"  instead  of  one  cent  on  each 
five  cents  or  "any  fraction  thereof."  In  other  words,  a 
twelve  cents  admission  price  would  call  for  a  two 
cents  tax,  while  a  twelve  and  one-half  cents  price 
would  call  for  a  three  cents  tax. 

At  this  writing  there  are  two  more  amendments 
awaiting  action  by  the  Senate.  One,  introduced  by 
Senator  Revercomb,  provides  that  the  one-cent-on- 
each-five-cents  tax  stand  for  all  amusements  except 
motion  pictures,  which  would  retain  the  present  one- 
cent-on-each-ten-ccnts  tax.  In  view  of  the  defeat  of 
Senator  Mead's  proposal,  it  is  felt  that  Senator  Rever- 
comb's  proposal  will  suffer  a  similar  fate.  The  other 
proposal,  introduced  by  Senators  Wilson  and  Wherry, 
provides  that  the  present  tax  rate  be  retained  for 
towns  with  a  population  of  5,000  or  fewer.  This  last 
proposal  has  a  number  of  supporters. 

The  feeling  persists  that  President  Roosevelt  will 
veto  the  tax  bill,  because  the  amount  of  revenue  to  be 
derived  falls  far  below  the  amount  requested  by  the 
Treasury  Department.  A  veto  of  the  bill  would,  of 
course,  delay  an  increase  in  the  present  admission  tax 
rate  until  a  new  bill  is  agreed  upon.  In  such  a  case,  the 
concessions  won  thus  far  by  the  industry  would  have 
no  bearing  on  a  new  bill.  Those  concessions,  however, 
as  well  as  the  industry's  fight  to  win  them,  will  have  a 
strong  effect  on  the  attitude  of  the  legislators  when 
they  consider  the  tax  rates  for  the  new  bill. 

Until  the  issue  is  settled  finally,  it  is  important  that 
no  exhibitor  relax  his  efforts  to  hold  the  tax  down. 
Keep  your  Congressmen  informed  of  your  feelings. 

ABOUT  THE  PLIGHT  OF  THE 
INDEPENDENT  EXHIBITORS 

Mr.  A.  P.  Archer,  president  of  Civic  Theatres,  of 
Denver,  Colorado,  has  sent  a  long  but  interesting  letter 
concerning  the  plight  of  the  independent  exhibitors. 
Although  the  views  expressed  in  this  letter  are  not 
entirely  in  accord  with  the  views  of  Harrison's  Re- 
ports, it  contains  enough  provocative  ideas,  which 
may  invite  discussion  and  arouse  action,  to  warrant 
reproducing  the  following  portion: 

"The  defunct  'Tumpi,'  or  Industry  Unity  Group, 
which  failed  in  its  effort  to  unite  all  exhibitors  for  the 
good  of  the  motion  picture  business,  was  unable  to 
consider  our  collective  views  on  problems  affecting  the 
business.  It  was  a  notable  effort  by  capable,  sincere 
leaders,  but  it  failed  in  applying  its  high  ideals  and 


purposes  to  the  general  welfare  of  the  independent  on 
a  national  basis. 

"The  important  issue  now  is  a  fair  successor  sales 
plan  to  the  consent  decree  blocks  of  five  trade  screened 
groups.  The  proposed  'Tumpi'  plan  of  blocks  of  12, 
five  trade  screened  with  no  cancellation,  and  seven 
unscreened  with  a  restricted  cancellation  option,  had 
serious  defects.  This  scheme  merely  added  seven  pic- 
tures to  the  present  plan  of  five.  It  offered  no  relief. 
The  option  to  cancel  was  inadequate.  It  should  be 
20%  of  all  pictures  licensed  in  blocks  of  5  or  12  more. 

"With  this  cancellation  privilege  in  the  hands  of  a 
buyer  as  a  curb  on  the  producer-distributor  to  stay  in 
line  on  quality  deliveries  commensurate  with  prices 
paid,  it  is  firmly  believed  that  the  standard  of  motion 
pictures  will  be  raised  immeasurably,  and  the  violent 
and  destructive  controversies  between  producer-dis- 
tributors and  independent  exhibitors  will  be  removed. 

"The  privileged  classes  of  the  motion  picture  indus- 
try, the  producer-distributor  and  the  affiliated  circuits, 
are  mainly  responsible  for  the  so-called  ills  of  our  busi- 
ness. There  are  no  ills  which  a  20%  unrestricted- 
unconditional  cancellation  privilege  won't  cure. 

"The  government  has  tried  the  consent  decree  plan 
of  five  which  has  failed  to  help  the  independent — it  is 
willing  to  try  other  proposals.  Why  not  the  20% 
idea?  Let's  fight  for  it!  The  producer-distributor  will 
oppose  its  adoption  with  barrels  of  money  and  political 
mlluence.  The  restricted-protected  and  mandatory 
type  of  selling  under  which  they  are  flourishing  has 
proven  to  be  manna  from  Heaven  for  them  and  misery 
for  the  independent  throughout  the  land. 

"For  the  past  several  years  they  have  asked  for 
what  they  claimed  to  be  reasonable  increases  to  make 
up  for  the  enormous  losses  of  the  European  market  due 
to  the  war.  The  records  show  that  what  they  chose  to 
call  a  restricted  market  has  actually  doubled  and 
trebled  the  profits  of  the  producer-distributors  and 
their  affiliate,  the  circuit  theatre. 

"Only  aroused  and  active  enough  independent  ex- 
hibitors throughout  the  Nation  are  going  to  correct 
these  injustices." 


"HONORED  HUNDRED"  CONTEST 
TIME  EXTENDED 

In  fairness  to  countless  showmen  who  have  been 
concentrating  on  bond  sales  since  January  1,  Charles 
P.  Skouras,  national  chairman  of  the  industry's  Fourth 
War  Loan  drive,  has  made  arrangements  with  the 
Treasury  Department  for  a  liberal  extension  of  time 
limits  governing  the  "Honored  Hundred"  contest  in 
the  Fourth  War  Loan.  Rules  and  regulations  of  this 
contest  were  printed  in  last  week's  special  bond  issue. 

The  new  ruling  will  assure  fairness,  not  only  for 
theatres  that  have  been  concentrating  on  general 
bond  sales  since  January  1,  but  also  for  those  whose 
bond  premieres  and  other  activities  were  scheduled 
before  January  1 8,  official  opening  date  of  the  drive, 
and  those  whose  activities  will  continue  after  Febru- 
ary 15,  the  official  closing  date. 

All  sales  made  in  February  and  January  will  be  con- 
sidered eligible  in  the  contest.  In  other  words,  the 
period  of  credit  for  the  "Honored  Contest"  will  be 
exactly  the  same  as  campaign  credit,  which  means  that 
all  "E"  bonds  sold  in  January  and  February  will  count 
in  the  final  tally. 

The  contest  officials  feel  that  this  gives  theatremen 
more  freedom  of  action  and  puts  the  contest  on  a  basis 
every  exhibitor  wants. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH   AVENUE  Published     Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  Rnnm  1R12  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  ivuom  1014  Publisher 

Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

^exifco-  Cfuba>  Spain "^2  A  Motion  Picture  Reviewing  Service   

Oreat  Britain  ............  10.10  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

Australia,  New  Zealand,     

India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      Ug  Edjtorial  Policy.  No  problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

35c  a  Copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JANUARY  29,  1944  No.  5 


MORE  ABOUT  CONCEALED 
ADVERTISEMENTS  IN  FILMS 

In  last  week's  issue  the  disclosure  was  made  that  the 
practice  of  putting  concealed  advertising  into  pictures  has 
again  come  into  vogue. 

Since  that  article  appeared,  this  paper  has  had  further 
evidence  of  the  practice. 

In  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's  "Rationing,"  one  sequence 
showing  a  small-town  general  store  includes  a  fairly  large 
display  sign  advertising  the  sale  of  "Kodak"  films.  In  Uni- 
versale "Phantom  Lady,"  there  is  a  sequence  in  which  one 
of  the  characters  orders  a  drink  at  a  bar  and  asks  the  bar- 
tender for  "Pinch  Bottle  and  water."  The  bartender  lifts 
the  familiar  Haig  and  Haig  bottle  and  pours  the  drink. 

Like  the  concealed  advertisements  disclosed  in  last  week's 
issue,  these,  too,  had  no  bearing  on  the  stories  and  added 
nothing  to  the  films'  entertainment  values.  Nor  were  these 
advertisements  necessary  for  the  sake  of  realism. 

Harrison's  Reports,  in  accordance  with  its  announced 
policy,  intends  to  bring  to  the  attention  of  its  subscribers 
every  violation,  in  an  effort  to  stamp  out  this  predatory  prac- 
tice. It  must  be  stopped  before  it  reaches  the  proportions  it 
did  in  1931,  when  the  newspapers  of  the  country  cracked 
down  on  the  motion  picture  industry,  not  only  because  ad- 
vantage had  been  taken  of  an  unsuspecting  public,  but  also 
because  they  resented  the  industry's  intrusion  into  the  adver- 
tising field. 

Even  if  the  producers  do  not  receive  any  compensation 
for  inserting  these  advertisements,  the  public  has  no  way  of 
knowing  what  has  and  what  has  not  been  paid  for.  The 
mere  presence  of  advertising  in  films  is  a  violation  of  public 
confidence.  The  public  looks  to  motion  pictures  for  enter- 
tainment, and  pays  an  admission  price  to  get  just  that.  It 
does  not  want  to  pay  for  the  privilege  of  seeing  and  hearing 
advertisements.  A  person  who  buys  a  newspaper  knows  be- 
forehand that  it  contains  advertisements,  and  he  can  decide 
for  himself  whether  he  wants  to  read  them  or  not.  When  a 
person  listens  to  the  radio  he  has  no  right  to  object  to  the 
advertising  blurbs,  because  the  entertainment  he  receives  is 
free.  Besides,  he  can  eliminate  the  advertising  by  a  quick 
twist  of  the  radio  dial.  He  cannot,  however,  shut  off  a  motion 
picture  screen. 

In  1931,  the  late  Carl  Laemmle,  one  of  the  industry's 
great  men,  came  out  strongly  against  concealed  advertising 
in  films.  He  realized  that  deceiving  theatre  patrons,  or  tak- 
ing advantage  of  them,  could  do  great  harm  to  the  industry. 
In  an  appeal  to  both  producers  and  exhibitors,  he  said: 

"Believe  me,  if  you  jam  advertising  down  their  throats 
and  pack  their  eyes  and  ears  with  it,  you  will  build  up  a 
resentment  that  will  in  time  damn  your  business. 

"Your  screen  is  a  sacred  trust.  It  is  not  actually  yours.  It 
belongs  to  the  people  who  pay  to  see  what  is  on  it.  In 
heaven's  name,  don't  prostitute  it." 

Harrison's  Reports  calls  upon  the  producers  to  refrain 
from  "shooting"  anything  that  might  be  taken  by  the  public 
as  "sponsored"  advertising.  The  practice  is  unethical  and, 
unless  it  is  checked  immediately,  may  result  in  irreparable 
harm  to  the  industry  as  a  whole. 


WHERE  DO  YOU  FIT  INTO  THIS 
TAX  PICTURE? 

In  a  recent  bulletin  intended  for  all  exhibitors,  regardless 
of  their  organization  affiliations,  Mr.  Abram  F.  Myers,  Gen- 
eral Counsel  of  Allied  States  Association,  makes  a  compre- 
hensive analysis  of  the  tax  fight,  and  offers  a  constructive 
plan  whereby  all  exhibitor  groups,  affiliated  or  unaffiliated, 


can  coordinate  their  efforts  in  the  handling  of  future  tax 
fights.  Because  Mr.  Myers'  words  apply  with  equal  force  to 
all  branches  of  the  industry,  the  bulletin  is  herewith  repro- 
duced in  its  entirety: — 

"OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  TAX  FIGHT 

"A  review  of  the  recent  admission  tax  fight  will  afford 
valuable  lessons  for  the  future. 

"Although  an  effort  to  increase  the  tax  was  inevitable,  the 
industry  was  unprepared  for  it  when  it  came. 

"UMPI  was  the  only  industry-wide  attempt  ever  made  to 
cope  with  such  emergencies.  But  the  UMPI  Committee  on 
Taxation  never  functioned  and  died  along  with  the  other 
branches  of  that  ill-fated  organization. 

"It  is  a  reflection  on  the  industry  that  there  were  available 
no  authentic  current  statistics  as  to  the  number  of  theatres 
in  the  several  admission  price  categories  or  figures  showing 
the  simple,  much  less  the  weighted,  average  admission  price 
of  all  theatres. 

"When  the  emergency  arose,  the  producers  and  distribu- 
tors bowed  out,  taking  the  position  that  since  they  were  not 
directly  affected  by  the  tax  it  would  be  inappropriate  for 
them  to  oppose  the  increase.  In  view  of  the  political  handi- 
caps under  which  they  now  suffer,  that  may  have  been  a 
wise  decision. 

"Thus  the  burden  fell  upon  the  several  exhibitor  organi- 
zations, with  very  little  time  in  which  to  co-ordinate  their 
efforts.  At  the  outset  leaders  of  groups  not  affiliated  with 
either  Allied  or  M.P.T.O.A.  were  co-operative.  Most  of 
them  authorized  the  General  Counsel  of  Allied  to  represent 
them  at  the  hearings.  As  a  result,  he  spoke  for  a  total  of  23 
associations  with  members  in  28  States  and  the  Territory  of 
Alaska. 

"At  the  hearing  before  the  House  Committee  on  Ways  & 
Means  the  speakers  were  mercifully  limited  to  three — Kuy- 
kendall,  Myers  and  W.  F.  Crockett  of  the  M.P.T.O.  of 
Virginia.  On  this  occasion,  all  elements  were  united  in  oppo- 
sition to  any  increase  in  the  existing  rate  of  lc  on  each  10c 
or  fraction. 

"AN  ENTHUSIASTIC  RESPONSE 

"Exhibitors  in  some  territories  were  slow  in  getting  into 
action.  But  the  action  of  the  Committee  in  tentatively  ap- 
proving the  Treasury's  recommendation  of  a  tax  of  3c  on 
each  10c  or  fraction  jarred  them  out  of  their  lethargy.  There- 
after the  work  done  in  the  territories  was  energetic,  well 
directed  and  effective.  As  a  result,  the  Committee  rescinded 
its  first  action  and  reduced  the  rate  to  2c  on  each  10c  or 
fraction. 

"The  exhibitors  followed  closely  the  suggestions  of  their 
leaders.  They  did  not  waste  time  on  hollow  protests.  They 
wrote  interesting,  intelligent  letters  to  their  Congressmen 
explaining  just  how  the  increased  tax  would  affect  their  busi- 
ness. Those  who  were  on  friendly  terms  with  their  Congress- 
men made  long  distance  calls.  The  exhibitors  did  not  func- 
tion as  a  pressure  group;  they  merely  exercised  their  right 
under  the  First  Amendment  to  petition  Congress. 

"THE  LET  DOWN 

"By  the  time  the  bill  reached  the  Senate,  there  was  a 
noticeable  let  down  of  enthusiasm  among  the  rank  and  file 
and  a  well-meant  but  not  altogether  helpful  resurgence  of 
activity  among  the  unaffiliated  leaders. 

"Rugged  individualists  awakened  to  the  publicity  value  of 
an  appearance  before  a  Congressional  committee.  While  the 
associations  for  which  the  General  Counsel  had  spoken  be- 
fore the  House  Committee  renewed  their  authorizations,  it 
was  disturbing  to  find  that  a  score  of  exhibitors  and  leaders 
had  applied  to  the  Senate  Committee  on  Finance  for  leave 
to  be  heard.        (Continued  on  last  page) 


18  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  January  29,  1944 


"Phantom  Lady"  with  Franchot  Tone, 
Ella  Raines  and  Alan  Curtis 

(Universal,  January  28;  time,  87  min.) 

An  exceptionally  good  murder  mystery  melodrama.  It  is 
a  tensely  exciting  film,  lillcd  with  intrigue  and  suspense,  and 
it  grips  one's  attention  from  beginning  to  end.  Joan  Harri- 
son, the  producer  whose  initial  effort  this  is,  reveals  that  she 
learned  much  in  the  handling  of  this  type  of  entertainment 
through  her  association  with  Allred  Hitchcock,  whom  she 
served  as  assistant  for  a  number  of  years.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  appears  as  if  the  pupil  could  teach  the  master  a  trick 
or  two.  The  story  is  of  the  psychological  sort,  revolving 
around  a  paranoic  who  commits  a  murder  and,  to  divert  sus- 
picion from  himself,  builds  up  a  strong  case  of  circumstan- 
tial evidence  against  his  best  friend,  who  is  convicted  for  the 
crime.  Although  the  spectator  is  aware  of  the  murderer's 
identity,  he  is  held  in  suspense  throughout  owing  to  the 
constant  danger  to  the  heroine,  whom  the  murderer  pre- 
tends to  aid  in  solving  the  crime.  The  direction  and  per- 
formances are  competent.  Word-of-mouth  advertising 
should  be  of  considerable  aid  at  the  box-office: — 

Accused  of  strangling  his  wife,  Alan  Curtis,  an  architect, 
claims  that,  at  the  time  of  the  murder,  he  had  been  with  a 
young  woman  (Fay  Helm)  he  had  met  in  a  bar,  and  that 
she  had  accompanied  him  to  the  theatre  on  the  condition 
that  he  would  not  seek  to  learn  her  identity.  All  he  could 
remember  about  her  was  that  she  wore  an  odd  hat.  Inspector 
Thomas  Gomes,  to  substantiate  his  story,  questions  Andrew 
Tombes,  a  bartender;  Matt  McHugh,  a  cab  driver;  Elisha 
Cook,  Jr.,  a  musician;  and  Aurora  Miranda,  a  dancer,  whom 
Curtis  claimed  had  seen  him  with  the  woman.  All,  how- 
ever, maintain  that  he  had  been  alone.  As  a  result,  Curtis  is 
convicted  on  circumstantial  evidence  and  sentenced  to  die. 
Unconvinced  of  Curtis'  guilt,  Ella  Raines,  his  secretary, 
who  loved  him  secretly,  determines  to  find  the  mysterious 
woman.  She  is  aided  in  her  search  by  Gomez,  who,  too,  be- 
lieved Curtis  innocent,  and  by  Franchot  Tone,  a  brilliant 
sculptor  and  Curtis'  friend.  Unknown  to  Ella  and  Gomez, 
Tone,  a  paranoic,  had  murdered  Curtis'  wife  in  an  insane 
moment,  and  had  bribed  the  witnesses  to  refute  Curtis'  alibi. 
Ella's  efforts  to  track  down  the  mysterious  woman  are  frus- 
trated by  Tone,  who  continues  to  pose  as  her  friend.  After 
a  series  of  adventures,  in  which  Cook  and  Tombes  are  mur- 
dered, Ella  succeeds  in  locating  the  missing  woman,  only  to 
find  that  she  is  mentally  deranged.  Ella  humors  her  into 
giving  her  the  odd  hat.  hoping  that  it  will  serve  as  new 
evidence  to  re-open  Curtis'  case.  While  Ella  waits  for 
Gomez  in  Tone's  studio,  Tone,  in  an  insane  fit,  reveals  him- 
self as  the  murderer  and  threatens  to  kill  her.  She  is  saved  by 
the  timely  arrival  of  Gomez,  whose  appearance  causes  Tone 
to  commit  suicide.  Curtis  is  cleared  and  reunited  with  Ella. 

Bernard  C.  Schoenfeld  wrote  the  screen  play  and  Robert 
Siodmak  directed  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"Passport  to  Adventure"  with 
Elsa  Lanchester,  Gordon  Oliver 
and  Lenore  Aubert 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  64  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  program  comedy-drama.  Lack- 
ing box-office  names,  it  should  serve  its  purpose  as  the  lower 
half  of  a  double  bill  in  theatres  that  cater  to  patrons  who  are 
not  too  discriminating  in  their  demands  for  story  plausi- 
bility. The  film  tells  a  far-fetched  tale  about  a  London  scrub- 
woman, who,  in  these  times,  manages  to  make  her  way  to 
Berlin  for  the  purpose  of  killing  Hitler.  Her  experiences  in 
the  Chancellery  give  the  film  some  humorous  moments,  and 
at  times  the  action  is  mildly  exciting.  If  one  can  put  himself 
in  the  mood  to  accept  the  story,  he  might  get  an  hour's 
pleasure  out  of  it: — 

While  cleaning  out  an  old  trunk,  Elsa  Lanchester,  a  scrub- 
woman, finds  a  glass  eye,  to  which  her  late  husband,  a  teller 
of  tall  stories,  attributed  his  many  escapes  from  death.  Her 
husband  had  told  her  that  a  Hindu  princess  gave  him  the 
"magic  eye."  Later  after  narrowly  missing  death  in  an  air 
raid,  Elsa  becomes  convinced  that  the  "eye"  will  always  pro- 
tect her.  Firm  in  this  belief,  she  determines  to  go  to  Berlin 
to  shoot  Hitler.  She  stows  away  on  a  ship,  which  is  tor- 
pedoed off  the  French  coast,  and  reaches  shore  in  a  lifeboat. 
Pretending  to  be  a  deaf  mute,  she  resolutely  works  her  way 
to  Berlin  and,  posing  as  a  refugee  from  devastated  Hamburg, 
manages  to  obtain  a  cleaning  job  in  the  Chancellery  itself. 
There,  while  waiting  for  a  chance  at  Hitler,  she  overhears 


a  quarrel  getween  Lionel  Royce,  a  Gestapo  official,  and 
Loid  Haw-Haw  (Gavin  Muir),  who  had  fallen  in  disfavor 
with  the  Nazis,  and  from  them  learns  that  Lenore  Aubert, 
English-born  fiancee  of  Capt.  Gordon  Oliver,  a  German  ace, 
had  been  imprisoned.  She  helps  Oliver  free  the  girl  by 
loaning  him  the  "eye."  In  aiding  Oliver,  however,  Elsa 
arouses  Royce's  suspicions.  The  Gestapo  official  investigates 
and  uncovers  Elsa's  masquerade.  He  arrests  her,  as  well  as 
Oliver  and  Lenore.  While  Royce  questions  the  trio,  an 
R.A.F.  squadron  bombs  Berlin  and,  in  the  ensuing  excite- 
ment, the  three  escape,  steal  a  Nazi  plane,  and  fly  to  Eng- 
land. Elsa,  though  she  had  failed  in  her  self-appointed 
mission,  is  acclaimed  a  heroine.  In  going  through  her  hus- 
band's effects  again,  she  discovers  a  box  full  of  glass  eyes, 
souvenirs  of  a  glass  blowers'  convention,  and  realizes  that 
her  husband  had  been  a  liar. 

Val  Burton  and  Muriel  Roy  Bolton  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Herman  Schlom  produced  it,  and  Ray  McCarey  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Fritz  Feld,  Lloyd  Corrigan  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Casanova  in  Burlesque"  with  Joe  E.  Brown 
and  June  Havoc 

(Republic,  February  19;  time,  74  min.) 

Amusing  program  fare.  It  is  better  than  most  of  the  recent 
comedies  in  which  Joe  E.  Brown  has  appeared,  and  should 
please  his  followers.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  story  is  thin 
and  somewhat  illogical,  it  serves  well  enough  as  a  means  of 
putting  the  comedy  and  music  across.  Brown,  cast  in  a  dual- 
personality  role,  provokes  considerable  laughter  by  the  pre- 
dicaments he  gets  himself  into  while  trying  to  keep  his 
double  life  a  secret.  The  most  amusing  part  of  the  picture 
takes  place  towards  the  finish,  where  Brown  and  a  burlesque 
troupe  stage  a  "swing"  version  of  Shakespeare's  "The  Tam- 
ing of  the  Shrew."  The  musical  interludes  are  tuneful: — 

Cleverly  concealing  the  fact  that  he  leads  a  double  life, 
Joe  E.  Brown  is  a  dignified  Shakespearean  professor  in  the 
winter,  and  a  burlesque  comedian  in  the  summer.  On  the 
eve  of  Brown's  return  to  college,  June  Havoc,  a  strip-tease 
queen,  learns  of  his  secret  and  decides  to  use  it  to  further  her 
career.  Brown  returns  to  school  and  learns  that  Marjorie 
Gateson,  middle-aged  wealthy  patroness  of  the  college,  had 
chosen  him  to  stage  a  Shakespearean  drama  festival  with 
herself  as  the  star.  Brown's  troubles  begin  when  June  ar- 
rives shortly  thereafter  and  demands  that  she  be  made  the 
star  lest  she  expose  his  double  life.  Brown  agrees,  making 
her  understudy  to  Miss  Gateson,  whom  he  promises  to  get 
out  of  the  way  on  opening  night.  During  rehearsals,  the  sup- 
porting case  of  Shakespearean  actors  leave  the  show  because 
of  June's  "hammy"  acting.  June,  however,  demands  that 
Brown  find  another  cast.  That  night,  Brown,  in  a  drunken 
state,  telephones  the  burlesque  troupe  to  come  to  the  school. 
When  they  arrive  the  next  day,  Brown  wonders  what  to  do 
with  them  until  Dale  Evans,  Miss  Gateson's  "jitterbug"' 
niece,  suggests  that  they  stage  a  swing  version  of  Shake- 
speare. Brown  agrees  and  secretly  rehearses  the  troupe  in  a 
burlesque  version  of  "The  Taming  of  the  Shrew."  On  the 
night  of  the  big  performance,  Brown  tricks  Miss  Gateson 
into  staying  away  from  the  theatre,  but  she  manages  to  get 
there  in  time  for  the  final  act.  Her  anger  is  dissipated,  how- 
ever, when  her  friends,  wildly  enthusiastic,  congratulate  her 
for  having  sponsored  such  an  original  idea.  She  gives  Brown 
a  free  hand  to  stage  the  other  Shakespearean  plays  in  the 
same  manner. 

Frank  Gill,  Jr.,  wrote  the  screen  play,  Albert  J.  Cohen 
produced  it,  and  Leslie  Goodwins  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Ian  Keith,  Lucien  Littlefield,  Roger  Imhoff  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Rationing"  with  Wallace  Beery 
and  Marjorie  Main 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  93  min.) 
A  moderately  entertaining  comedy,  of  program  grade.  It 
might  interest  the  family  trade  in  small-town  and  neighbor- 
hood theatres.  The  action  moves  slowly  offering  its  only  bit 
of  excitement  in  the  closing  scenes,  where  Wallace  Beery, 
single-handedly,  captures  a  gang  of  black  market  operators. 
The  story  revolves  around  a  feud  between  Beery  and  Mar- 
jorie Main,  who,  as  supervisor  of  a  small-town  ration  board, 
makes  life  miserable  for  him.  A  good  part  of  the  comedy  is 
slapstick,  and  for  the  most  part  it  is  ineffective.  Beery  and 
Miss  Main  do  the  best  they  can,  but  they  are  handicapped 
by  the  weak  story  material.  A  youthful  romance  has  been 
worked  into  the  plot: — 


January  29,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


19 


Wallace  Beery,  owner  of  a  small-town  general  store,  and 
Marjorie  Main,  post-mistress  and  ration  board  supervisor, 
carry  on  an  old  feud  that  started  with  their  broken  romance 
years  previously.  The  only  tie  between  them  was  the  romance 
between  Tommy  Batten,  Beery's  adopted  son,  and  Dorothy 
Morris,  Marjorie's  daughter.  To  finance  their  marriage, 
Beery  sells  a  half  interest  in  his  store  to  Howard  Freeman, 
an  unscrupulous  person.  Peeved  and  befuddled  by  the  rules 
of  rationing,  particularly  as  administered  by  Marjorie, 
Beery  goes  to  Washington  to  see  Senator  Henry  O'Neill,  an 
old  friend.  O'Neill  to  appease  Beery,  appoints  him  co- 
supervisor  of  the  ration  board.  Meanwhile,  during  Beery's 
absence,  customers  crowd  his  store  demanding  meat.  Free- 
man decides  to  take  advantage  of  the  situation.  Without 
Beery's  knowledge,  he  buys  a  cargo  of  condemned  meat 
from  black  market  operators.  Butchers  from  towns  nearby 
complain  to  Beery  that  he  is  monopolizing  the  meat  busi- 
ness, and  accuse  him  of  abusing  his  authority.  Beery,  aroused, 
investigates  and  learns  of  Freeman's  black  market  dealings. 
Despite  the  feeling  against  him,  Beery  does  not  defend 
himself  lest  it  hurt  his  chances  of  smashing  the  black  market. 
He  compels  Freeman  to  reveal  the  racketeers'  hideout,  and 
goes  there  all  alone  to  capture  them.  Arriving  there,  Beery 
is  slugged  and  bound.  Meanwhile  a  wedding  ceremony  had 
been  arranged  for  Dorothy  and  Tommy,  and  Beery's  ab- 
sence arouses  suspicion.  The  wedding  guests  form  a  posse 
and  go  to  the  hideout,  where  they  find  Beery,  who  had 
freed  himself,  battling  the  gangsters.  They  help  him  to  round 
up  the  gang.  Beery  and  Marjorie  forget  their  feud  and  agree 
to  try  marriage. 

William  R.  Lipman,  Grant  Garrett  and  Harry  Ruskin 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Orville  O.  Dull  produced  it,  and 
Willis  Goldbeck  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Donald  Meek, 
Douglas  Fowley,  Gloria  Dickson  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"The  Voodoo  Man"  with  Bela  Lugosi, 
John  Carradine  and  George  Zucco 

(Monogram,  February  21;  time,  62  min.) 

Fair.  As  is  the  case  with  most  horror  melodramas,  this, 
too,  has  an  extremely  far-fetched  story,  but  the  combination 
of  a  mad  doctor,  a  weird  voodoo  priest,  two  half-wits,  and  a 
bevy  of  beautiful  "undead"  zombie  women,  makes  it  creepy 
enough  to  satisfy  the  followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment. 
Intelligent  audiences,  however,  will  probably  find  the  fan- 
tastic happenings  more  amusing  than  horrifying,  particularly 
when  George  Zucco  chants  in  a  guttural  tone  while  per- 
forming a  weird  voodoo  ceremony.  On  the  whole  it  is  made 
up  of  familiar  ingredients.  A  mild  romance  has  been  added 
to  the  story : — 

Bella  Lugosi,  a  retired  physician,  seeks  to  bring  back  to 
normalcy  his  wife  (Ellen  Hall),  who  was  an  "undead" 
zombie.  Lugosi  hoped  to  accomplish  this  feat  by  means  of 
voodooism,  but  in  order  to  succeed  he  requires  the  aid  of  a 
woman  whose  mental  plane  had  to  be  the  exact  mental  plane 
that  his  wife  formerly  had.  Aided  by  George  Zucco,  a  voo- 
doo priest,  and  John  Carradine,  a  half-wit,  Lugosi  kidnaps 
numerous  girls  and  subjects  them  to  voodooism.  The  experi- 
ments fail,  however,  and  the  girls  become  zombies.  The  girls' 
disappearances  mystifies  the  police.  Michael  Ames,  a  re- 
porter, becomes  involved  in  the  case  when  Louise  Currie,  a 
cousin  of  Wanda  McKay,  his  fiancee,  disappears  near  Lu- 
gosi's  home.  Both  Wanda  and  Ames  report  her  disappear- 
ance to  the  police.  Meanwhile  Louise,  who  had  turned  into 
a  zombie  after  an  unsuccessful  experiment,  is  inadvertently 
let  out  of  the  house  by  Carradine.  The  police  find  her  walk- 
ing on  a  lonely  road  and  take  her  to  Wanda's  home.  Lugosi, 
learning  of  Louise's  whereabouts,  visits  Wanda's  home  and 
offers  to  treat  Louise.  He  explains  her  illness  as  shock  and 
orders  that  she  be  left  alone  in  her  room.  Returing  to  his 
home,  Lugosi  orders  Zucco  to  bring  Louise  back  through 
voodooism.  Zucco  succeeds.  He  then  orders  Zucco  to  employ 
voodooism  to  place  Wanda  in  a  trance  and  to  bring  her  to 
the  house.  Wanda  responds  to  Zucco's  chants  and  goes  to 
Lugosi's  home.  Ames,  hunting  for  Wanda,  discovers  evi- 
dence  indicating  that  Lugosi  had  kidnapped  her.  Together 
with  the  police  he  rushes  to  the  house,  arriving  in  time  to 
kill  Lugosi  and  to  save  Wanda.  Lugosi's  death  causes  his 
wife  to  die,  and  her  death  releases  the  kidnapped  girls  from 
their  zombie  state. 

Robert  Charles  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sam  Katz  and 
Jack  Dietz  produced  it,  and  William  Beaudine  directed  it. 
Barney  A.  Sarecky  was  the  associate  producer. 

Children  may  find  it  a  bit  too  frightful. 


"The  Song  of  Bernadette"  with 
Jennifer  Jones  and  Charles  Bickford 

(20th  Century-Fox,  no  release  date  set;  time,  157  min.) 

Excellent!  Adopted  from  the  widely  read  novel  by  Franz 
Werfel,  this  production  is  a  profound  achievement,  one  that 
Twentieth  Century-Fox,  as  well  as  the  entire  industry,  can 
well  be  proud  of.  It  assuredly  takes  its  place  as  one  of 
Hollywood's  greatest  pictures.  The  production,  direction, 
and  acting  are  of  the  highest  order.  The  story  deals  with  the 
life  of  Bernadette  Soubirous,  the  simple  peasant  girl  of 
Lourdes,  France,  who  became  Sister  Marie  Benarde  and  was 
canonized  by  Pope  Pius  in  1933.  It  is  interesting  and  stir- 
ring, not  only  because  of  its  spiritual  values,  but  also  be- 
cause of  its  deep  human  interest.  Considering  that  it  deals 
with  a  delicate  theme — religion — it  has  been  handled  with 
such  good  taste  and  understanding  that  no  one  can  raise 
objections  to  it. 

A  foreword  to  the  picture  reads:  "For  those  who  believe 
in  God,  no  explanation  is  necessary.  For  those  who  do  not 
believe  in  God,  no  explanation  is  possible."  It  is  doubtful 
that  even  a  firm  unbeliever  will  fail  to  be  moved  deeply 
by  the  honesty,  sincerity,  and  sweetness  of  the  simple  little 
peasant  girl,  who  despite  the  disbelief  accredited  to  her  state- 
ments and  the  persecutions  brought  against  her  by  both 
public  and  church  officials,  irrevocably  maintained  to  her 
dying  day  that  she  had  been  visited  by  an  apparition  she 
called  "The  Lady." 

The  story,  which  takes  place  in  1858,  traces  Bernadette's 
career  from  the  time  she  was  a  fourteen-year-old  girl  to  the 
time  she  died  in  a  nunnery  while  still  a  young  woman.  The 
eldest  of  four  children  living  in  a  poverty-stricken  home, 
Bernadette,  a  frail,  backward  child,  goes  to  the  dump  at 
Massabielle  to  collect  firewood,  and  there,  in  a  cave  in  a 
hill,  sees  a  Vision — a  beautiful  woman,  garbed  in  flowing 
white  raiment,  and  bathed  in  golden  radiance.  Bernadette's 
terror  turns  to  adoration  when  the  Vision  smiles  at  her.  The 
townspeople  are  amazed  upon  hearing  her  story  and  con- 
sider it  incredulous.  Bernadette's  family  accompanies  her  to 
the  grotto  on  the  following  day,  and  once  again  Bernadette 
sees  the  Vision,  although  the  others  cannot.  Bernadette  tells 
her  family  that  the  "Lady"  asked  her  to  come  to  the  grotto 
each  day  for  fifteen  days.  Each  time  she  goes  the  Vision 
gives  her  a  different  message.  The  news  of  Bernadette's  ex- 
periences spreads  all  over  France,  much  to  the  dismay  of  the 
town's  authorities,  who  feared  that  Lourdes  would  become  a 
laughing  stock.  Church  officials,  believing  Bernadette's  story 
was  an  ingenious  scheme  to  bring  wealth  and  glory  to  her 
poor  family,  ignore  the  incident.  The  authorities  have  her 
examined  for  traces  of  insanity,  and  she  is  persecuted  by 
unbelievers  in  many  devious  ways,  but  all  fail  to  shake  her 
firm  belief  in  "The  Lady."  When  a  spring  with  curative 
water  forms  near  the  grotto,  peasants  and  noblemen  alike 
flock  to  Lourdes  to  partake  of  its  healing  powers.  The  Dean 
of  Lourdes,  impressed  by  this  miracle  and  baffled  by  Berna- 
dette's unshakable  story,  induces  the  Bishop  of  Tarbes  to 
convene  a  Commission  to  investigate  the  happenings  at 
Lourdes.  After  four  years  of  exhaustive  investigation,  a 
lingering  doubt  still  remains.  When  Bernadette  reaches  the 
age  of  twenty,  the  Dean  of  Lourdes,  convinced  that  she  is  a 
Saint,  persuades  her  to  become  a  Sister  at  Nevers.  There  she 
contracts  tuberculosis  and,  after  a  brief  illness,  dies  protest- 
ing that  she  did  see  "The  Lady." 

Jennifer  Jones,  in  her  first  major  role,  gives  an  unforget- 
table performance  as  Bernadette.  Charles  Bickford,  as  the 
doubting  Dean  of  Lourdes,  who  eventually  becomes  her 
staunchest  defender;  Vincent  Price,  as  the  cynical  prosecu- 
tor, who  fails  to  shake  her  story;  Charles  Dingle,  as  the 
blustering  police  commissioner,  who,  too,  persecutes  her  un- 
successfully; Ann  Revere  and  Roman  Bohnen,  as  her  hard- 
working, devoted  parents;  Lee  J.  Cobb,  as  the  sympathetic 
local  doctor;  and  Gladys  Cooper,  as  the  doubting  nun,  who 
envies  her,  are  among  those  in  the  large  supporting  cast  who 
portray  their  characterizations  with  great  skill. 

Although  the  film's  running  time  is  quite  long,  it  holds 
one's  attention  throughout. 

George  Seaton  wrote  the  screen  play,  William  Pcrlberg 
produced  it,  and  Henry  King  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Patricia  Morison,  Sig  Ruman,  Blanche  Yurka,  Marcel  Dalio, 
William  Eythe,  Jerome  Cowan,  Tala  Birell,  Edith  Barrett 
and  many  others. 


20 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


January  29,  1944 


"The  record  shows  that  four  witnesses,  without  previous 
consultation  with  other  exhihitor  representatives  (at  least, 
not  with  the  General  Counsel  of  Allied),  volunteered  com- 
promise plans  which  involved  an  increase  over  the  existing 
rate.  That  is  to  say,  these  men  advocated  formulas  which, 
while  preferable  to  the  provision  approved  by  the  House, 
nevertheless  involved  increases  over  the  existing  rate  which 
others  were  seeking  to  maintain. 

"It  has  since  been  learned  that  at  least  one  circuit  operator, 
who  did  not  appear  at  the  hearing,  made  known  to  members 
of  the  Committee  his  preference  for  a  tax  of  lc  on  each  5c 
or  fraction,  which  was  finally  adopted. 

"These  men  had  just  as  much  right  to  petition  their  Sen- 
ators and  to  air  their  views  as  had  the  spokesmen  for  the 
national  associations.  Nevertheless  their  insistence  on  this 
right  had  the  effect  to  weaken  those  who  were  holding  out 
against  any  increase.  Compromise  proposals  should  have 
been  withheld  until  it  appeared  that  there  was  no  chance  to 
maintain  the  existing  rate;  even  then  an  effort  should  have 
been  made  to  secure  the  concurrence  of  those  acting  as 
spokesmen. 

"HANDICAPS  TO  EFFECTIVE  ACTION 
"Those  who  led  the  fight  were  burdened  by  numerous 
handicaps,  some  resulting    from   imperfect  organization, 
others  from  the  dwindling  good  will  of  the  industry  as  a 
whole. 

"1.  The  exhibitor  groups  that  have  taken  an  interest  in 
legislative  matters  and  have  trained  their  members  to  re 
spond  to  calls  for  action  did  an  outstanding  job.  But  there 
are  still  a  few  organizations  that  seem  to  be  impotent  in 
legislative  crises  because  they  have  not  evolved  a  technique 
for  handling  such  matters. 

"2.  Generally  speaking,  Congressmen  and  Senators  are 
interested  only  in  the  views  of  their  constituents.  While 
there  are  many  exhibitors,  they  are  scattered  throughout  the 
country  and  the  number  in  any  one  State  or  Congressional 
district  is  not  large.  This  makes  it  necessary  for  the  exhibi- 
tors in  each  district  to  organize  for  intensive  effort  and  to 
cultivate  the  acquaintance  and  friendship  of  their  Congress- 
men and  Senators. 

"3.  While  the  teamwork  on  the  House  side  was  excellent, 
there  was  no  adequate  co-ordination  of  effort  after  the  bill 
reached  the  Senate. 

"4.  There  was  a  serious  lack  of  pertinent  statistical  in- 
formation. 

"5.  Off  the  record  conversations  with  individual  Con- 
gressmen and  Senators  indicated  that  the  prestige  and  good 
will  of  the  industry  as  a  whole  have  fallen  dangerously  low 
in  some  quarters.  Among  the  contributing  causes,  as  gleaned 
from  such  conversations,  are: 

"(a)  Excess  wartime  earnings. 
"(b)  Immoderate  salaries.  (A  new  list  was  re- 
leased on  the  day  of  the  hearing  before 
the  House  Committee.) 
"(c)  Maladorous  exhalations  from  the  extortion 

trial  in  New  York. 
"(d)  Alleged  political  propaganda  in  the  films 
favorable  to  the  Administration.  (Cited 
by  Republicans.) 

"THERE  SHOULD  BE  NO  RECRIMINATION 

"Allied  has  urged  exhibitors  to  pass  on  the  increase  in 
the  tax  and  to  inform  the  public  the  reason  for  the  increase 
in  the  cost  of  theatre  attendance. 

"Allied  did  not  mean  to  suggest  public  criticism  of  the 
Treasury  officials  or  the  Congress  and  we  are  disturbed  by 
proposals  in  some  quarters  to  run  trailers  which  would  re- 
flect on  Government  officials.  It  is  not  smart  to  offend  them. 

"Those  officials  have  a  tremendous  burden  in  financing 
the  cost  of  the  war,  running  into  hundreds  of  billions,  and 
they  have  treated  representatives  of  the  exhibitors  with 
courtesy  and  consideration.  The  original  proposal  of  a  tax 
of  3c  on  each  10c  or  fraction  was  by  the  House  Committee 
scaled  down  to  2c  on  each  10c  or  fraction.  The  Senate  Com- 
mittee further  modified  this  to  lc  on  each  5c  or  fraction.  It 
now  appears  that  it  may  emerge  from  the  Conference  Com- 
mittee as  a  tax  of  lc  on  each  5c  or  major  fraction  thereof. 

"It  has  been  apparent  for  several  days  that  this  is  the  best 
we  could  hope  for.  We  are  obliged  to  Senators  Mead  and 
Revercomb  for  their  efforts  to  eliminate  any  increase  over 
the  present  rate.  We  are  indebted  to  Senator  Wilson  for  his 
several  proposals  and  especially  for  the  one  that  commended 
itself  to  Chairman  George,  namely,  the  proposal  to  insert 
the  word  'major.'  Exhibitors  in  their  respective  States  should 
send  a  note  of  appreciation  to  their  Senators  and  to  Senator 
George. 


"IT  COULD  HAVE  BEEN  WORSE 

"There  has  been  some  criticism  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  fight  was  conducted,  mostly  from  exhibitors  who  did  not 
lift  a  finger  to  help  and  who  are  not  identified — at  least  not 
prominently — with  any  exhibitor  association. 

"Offsetting  this  are  the  heartening  expressions  received 
from  those  who  followed  the  struggle  closely  and  have  a  real 
understanding  of  what  was  accomplished  in  the  face  of  many 
burdens  and  obstacles. 

"These  thoughtful  observers  realize  that  while  the  Treas- 
ury two  years  ago  recommended  a  tax  on  film  rentals  such  as 
was  imposed  during  World  War  I,  we  have  thus  far  been 
spared  such  a  tax. 

"Also  that  while  the  increase  in  the  admission  tax  is  bur- 
densome, it  is  not  out  of  line  with  the  tax  imposed  on  many 
other  lines  in  which  increased  business  has  not  been  60 
marked.  Here  are  a  few  of  the  increases  provided  in  the  bill: 
Cabarets,  roof  gardens,  etc.  5%  to  20%;  furs  10%  to  20%; 
toilet  preparations  10%  to  20%;  electric  light  bulbs  5%  to 
15%.  The  tax  on  distilled  spirits  already  was  in  the  clouds, 
hence  the  rate  of  increase  was  not  so  high — $6.00  per  gallon 
to  $9.00  per  gallon;  but  this,  nevertheless,  means  that  on  a 
quart  of  whiskey  the  purchaser  will  have  to  pay  Uncle  Sam 
$2.25  for  the  smell  before  he  takes  the  first  gulp. 

"THERE'S  WORK  TO  BE  DONE 

"The  war  goes  on,  expenditures  increase  and  the  public 
debt  mounts.  There  have  been  17  tax  bills  in  the  last  11 
years.  The  future  holds  the  prospect  of  tax  bills  and  still 
more  tax  bills. 

"If  the  exhibitors  are  not  to  become  the  whipping  boys 
of  the  revenue  raisers  they  will  have  to  strengthen  as  many 
of  the  above  sources  of  weakness  as  lie  within  their  power. 
At  the  very  minimum,  the  following  must  be  done: 
"By  Individual  Exhibitors 
"(a)  Join  and  support  the  exhibitor  association  in 
your  territory. 

"(b)  Volunteer  for  service  on  the  legislative  com- 
mittees to  be  established  by  the  associations. 

"(c)  Resolve  to  submerge  your  own  views  and,  if  need 
be,  your  identity  in  an  all  out  effort  to  protect  the  inter- 
ests of  the  exhibitors  as  a  whole. 

"By  Regional  Associations 
"(d)  Establish  a  committee  of  alert,  intelligent  exhibi- 
tors in  each  Congressional  district  to  cultivate  friendly 
relations  with  the  Congressman  of  that  district  and  ac- 
quaint him  with  the  important  public  service  rendered  by 
and  the  needs  and  aspirations  of  the  motion  picture 
theatres. 

"(e)  Establish  similar  committees  to  cultivate  friendly 
relations  with  the  Senators  of  each  State. 

"(f)  Train  all  members  in  times  of  crises,  and  on 
signal  from  their  association,  to  write  intelligent,  infor- 
mative letters  to  their  Congressmen  and  Senators  explain- 
ing just  how  proposed  taxes  will  affect  their  business. 

"(g)  Affiliate  with  a  national  association,  clear  all 
national  legislative  action  through  it,  and  be  ever  ready  to 
respond  to  its  appeals  for  speedy,  effective  action. 
"By  Rational  Associations 
"(h)  Keep  the  regional  associations  advised  of  all  de- 
velopments on  the  legislative  front. 

"(i)  Prepare  and  submit  necessary  information,  sta- 
tistics and  arguments  to  legislative  committees. 

"(j)  Cooperate  with  all  elements  in  the  business, 
through  a  national  conference  committee  or  otherwise,  in 
an  effort  to  avoid  the  taking  of  inconsistent  and  conflict- 
ing positions  in  matters  of  taxation. 

"LET  ALL  TAKE  HEED 
"This  bulletin  is  addressed  to  all  exhibitors  regardless  of 
their  membership  or  non-membership  in  any  association.  It 
is  not  a  false  cry  of  'wolf,  wolf;  it  is  a  solemn  warning  based 
on  much  observation  and  experience.  It  is  devoid  of  industry 
politics. 

"Each  exhibitor  to  whose  attention  this  bulletin  may 
come  should  talk  it  over  with  the  other  exhibitors  in  his 
vicinity.  If  they  are  members  of  a  regional  association,  they 
should  encourage  the  officers  of  that  association  to  put  this 
plan  into  execution.  If  they  are  not  members  of  a  regional 
association,  they  should  join  one  and  work  within  its  ranks 
for  the  adoption  of  the  plan. 

"So  far  as  Allied  is  concerned,  the  subject  will  be  given 
extended  consideration  at  its  annual  board  meeting  which 
will  be  held  in  Chicago  during  the  week  beginning  January 
31.  A  plan  already  has  been  discussed  with  other  elements 
in  the  industry  looking  to  the  co-ordination  of  effort  as  sug- 
gested in  sub-paragraph  (j)  above,  which  plan  will  be  pre 
sented  to  the  board." 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  FEBRUARY  5,  1944  No.  6 


HERE  AND  THERE 

WITHOUT  INDICATING  his  appraisal  of  the  latest 
draft  of  the  proposed  consent  decree  submitted  to  him 
recently  by  the  five  major  distributors,  Assistant  Attorney 
General  Tom  C.  Clark  revealed  its  principle  provisions  to 
trade  press  representatives  in  Washington  early  this  week. 
According  to  the  reports,  the  gist  of  the  main  proposals  is  as 
follows : 

The  arbitration  provision  calls  for  a  continuance  of  the 
present  system,  with  the  board  of  appeals  located  in  New 
York.  This  is  at  variance  with  Clark's  wishes  that  appeal 
boards  be  set  up  in  each  of  the  arbitration  regions.  The 
distributors  have  agreed,  however,  to  arbitrate  clearance  with 
regard  to  their  own  theatres,  and  to  arbitrate  runs  as  they 
affect  exhibitors  in  competition  with  their  own  theatres. 

In  the  matter  of  cancellations,  a  20%  cancellation  clause 
is  offered  to  theatres  paying  an  average  film  rental  of  $100 
or  less;  10%  to  those  paying  $101  to  $200;  and  5%  to  those 
paying  over  $200.  Exhibitors  with  20%  cancellation  privi' 
leges  may  cancel  one  of  the  first  three  pictures  and,  there 
after,  one  out  of  each  five  pictures. 

In  the  matter  of  theatre  acquisition,  the  distributors  agree 
to  secure  the  court's  approval  before  adding  to  their  hold' 
ings,  except  that  no  approval  will  be  required  for  the  replace- 
ment  of  a  theatre  damaged  by  fire  or  otherwise;  the  purchase 
of  a  "show  case";  or  the  acquiring  of  a  theatre  in  an  area  in 
which  they  had  been  "locked  out"  for  one  year  or  more. 

The  distributors  have  agreed  to  discontinue  pooling  ar- 
rangements in  theatres  or  circuits  owned  or  operated  by 
them  jointly,  or  in  which  they  have  a  joint  buying  arrange- 
ment. They  agree  also  to  divest  themselves  of  stock  interests 
in  these  enterprises,  leaving  no  more  than  one  member  of  the 
pool  to  take  over  the  entire  ownership. 

In  the  matter  of  franchises,  the  defendant  distributors 
agree  to  cancel  immediately  existing  exclusive  franchises  be- 
tween them,  and  to  make  an  effort  to  cancel  the  exclusive 
franchises  now  existing  between  them  and  the  non-defend- 
ants. Failing  that,  they  agree  not  to  renew  such  franchises 
when  they  expire. 

The  withholding  of  prints  to  give  a  competitor  prior  play- 
ing time  would  be  prohibited. 

A  distributor  found  guilty  of  forcing  shorts  or  newsreels 
would  be  subject  to  a  fine  of  $250  for  the  first  offense,  and 
a  fine  of  $?00  for  subsequent  offenses,  the  money  to  be  paid 
to  the  exhibitor  aggrieved. 

The  tradeshowing  of  features  would  continue  as  at  present. 

An  exhibitor  would  have  the  right  to  cancel  a  film  on 
moral,  religious,  or  racial  grounds,  within  five  days  after 
notice  of  availability. 

Offhand,  Harrison's  Reports  is  inclined  to  feel  that 
these  "final"  proposals  are  no  more  than  half-measures,  and 
that  they  are  inadequate  to  afford  proper  relief  to  the  inde- 
pendent exhibitors.  It  will,  however,  withhold  comment, 
pending  receipt  of  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  contents 
of  these  proposals. 

*        *  * 

ABRAM  F.  MYERS'  comprehensive  analysis  of  the  re- 
cent admission  tax  fight,  which  was  reproduced  in  last  week's 
issue,  leaves  no  doubt  that  there  is  a  definite  need  for  a  uni- 


fied exhibitor  front  in  matters  dealing  with  adverse  tax 
legislation. 

As  Myers  pointed  out,  there  was  no  lack  of  cooperation 
from  the  individual  exhibitors.  The  many  letters  and  tele- 
grams of  protest  they  sent  to  their  Congressmen  were  most 
effective  in  inducing  Congress  to  lower  the  Treasury  De- 
partment's recommended  admissions  tax  of  3  cents  on  each 
10  cents  or  fraction,  to  1  cent  on  each  5  cents  or  major  frac- 
tion. There  was,  however,  a  decided  lack  of  cooperation  on 
the  part  of  several  exhibitor  leaders  and  others,  who,  as 
spokesmen  for  their  particular  groups,  appeared  before  the 
Senate  Finance  Committee  and  advocated  certain  tax  formu- 
las, without  making  an  effort  either  to  coordinate  with  the 
representatives  of  the  other  groups,  or  merely  to  consult 
with  them.  In  such  a  state  of  affairs,  there  could  not  possibly 
be  a  united  exhibitor  front.  The  conflicting  ideas  presented 
by  the  different  groups  tended  to  weaken  the  exhibitors'  case, 
rather  than  to  strengthen  it. 

There  is  a  definite  need  for  closer  cooperation  among  ex- 
hibitor organizations,  particularly  when  all  exhibitors  are 
faced  with  a  common  problem,  such  as  burdensome  taxation 
or  hurtful  legislation.  Harrison's  Reports  earnestly  urges 
upon  the  different  exhibitor  groups  throughout  the  country 
that  they  adopt  Mr.  Myers'  proposal  for  the  formulation  of 
a  national  conference  committee,  made  up  of  representatives 
from  each  of  the  organizations.  All  matters  pertaining  to 
proposed  legislatoin  could  be  cleared  through  this  committee, 
which  would  be  in  a  position  to  formulate  unified  plans  for 
all  groups,  eliminate  inconsistent  theories,  and  obviate  the 
possibility  that  groups  having  a  common  interest  may  take 
conflicting  positions. 

One  need  not  have  psychic  powers  to  foresee  what  the 
future  holds  in  the  way  of  increased  taxes.  To  meet  the  con- 
stantly mounting  public  debt,  our  Government  will  have  to 
resort  to  higher  taxation,  and  the  motion  picture  industry 
will  undoubtedly  have  to  stand  its  share  of  the  burden.  Hav- 
ing long  been  a  favorite  target  of  the  tax  legislators,  our 
industry  may  find  itself  saddled  with  a  greater  tax  load  than 
it  can  bear,  unless  we  take  steps  to  set  up  machinery  that 
will  ward  off  discriminatory  taxation.  And  now  is  the  time 
to  do  it. 

*       *  * 

ONE  OF  THE  FIRST  STEPS  that  should  be  taken  by  a 
national  committee  representing  all  exhibitor  associations 
is  to  pass  a  resolution  calling  on  the  trade  papers  to  discon- 
tinue publishing  figures  of  theatre  receipts  and  of  the  high 
salaries  paid  to  stars  and  directors.  The  publicity  given  to 
these  figures  leads  tax  legislators  to  believe  that  every  one 
connected  with  the  motion  picture  industry  is  a  wealthy 
person,  and  that  an  industry  composed  only  of  wealthy 
people  should  be  taxed  heavily  to  make  up  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment's financial  needs.  The  same  holds  true  for  the  State 
governments  and,  occasionally,  the  city  governments. 

In  addition  to  the  harm  done  in  the  matter  of  taxation, 
the  publishing  of  weekly  gross  receipts  is  of  no  particular 
value  to  the  independent  exhibitor,  because  they  are,  for  the 
most  part,  estimated  receipts.  Accordingly,  one  is  not  sure 
of  their  accuracy.  An  inaccurate  report  might  lure  an  ex- 
hibitor into  paying  a  high  film  rental  for  a  mediocre  film. 


22 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  5,  1944 


"Jane  Eyre"  with  Joan  Fontaine 
and  Orson  Welles 

(20th  CenturyFox,  no  release  date  set;  time,  97  min.) 

No  one  can  deny  the  excellence  of  the  production  values 
given  to  this  somber  romantic  drama,  and  also  the  fact  that 
it  is  an  artistic  achievement.  As  entertainment,  however,  it  is 
only  fair,  and  its  appeal  will  be  limited  to  class  audiences.  It 
is  doubtful  if  the  masses  will  find  it  to  their  taste,  for  it  is  not 
a  cheerful  entertainment.  Moreover,  what  may  have  been 
considered  a  great  emotional  drama  years  ago  strikes  one 
today  as  being  archaic.  One  or  two  situations  touch  one's 
emotions,  but  this  is  due  mainly  to  the  appealing  way  in 
which  they  are  played.  Joan  Fontaine,  as  "Jane  Eyre,"  gives 
her  usual  good  performance,  but  Orson  Welles,  as  "Edward 
Rochester,"  leaves  much  to  be  desired;  he  overacts  the  part 
completely,  and  his  lines  are  frequently  inaudible.  Margaret 
O'Brien  is  appealing  as  "Rochester's"  French  ward.  The  best 
performance  of  the  lot,  however,  is  the  one  given  by  Peggy 
Ann  Garner,  who  enacts  the  role  of  "Jane  Eyre"  as  a  child. 
This  is  the  third  time  the  story  has  been  brought  to  the 
screen.  W.  W.  Hodkinson  produced  it  in  1921,  and  Mono- 
gram in  1934.  The  action  takes  place  in  England,  early  in 
the  nineteenth  century: — 

Jane  Eyre,  a  discontented  orphan  residing  in  the  home  of 
a  wealthy  aunt  (Agnes  Moorehead),  is  sent  to  a  charitable 
institution  that  is  little  more  than  a  reformatory.  Grown  to 
womanhood,  she  leaves  the  institution  to  become  a  governess 
to  the  ward  of  Edward  Rochester,  an  eccentric  millionaire, 
with  whom  she  eventually  falls  in  love.  The  huge  mansion 
in  which  they  lived  was  fraught  with  mystery,  because  of  the 
inexplicable  happenings  therein.  Rochester  gradually  be- 
comes attracted  to  Jane,  and  proposes  marriage  to  her.  Their 
wedding  ceremony  is  interrupted  by  a  man  who  accuses 
Rochester  of  already  being  married.  His  secret  out,  Rochester 
reveals  to  Joan  that  the  mysterious  happenings  at  the  man- 
sion were  caused  by  his  insane  wife,  whom  he  had  secretly 
taken  care  of  in  a  hidden  part  of  the  mansion  ever  since  she 
had  lost  her  mind  years  previously.  Jane  leaves  him.  Months 
later,  a  premonition  that  something  had  happened  to  Ro- 
chester brings  her  back.  She  discovers  that  the  insane  wife 
had  set  fire  to  the  mansion,  and  that  she  had  been  burned  to 
death.  Rochester,  in  an  heroic  attempt  to  save  her,  had  lost 
his  eyesight.  A  happy  reconciliation  takes  place. 

Aldous  Huxley,  Robert  Stevenson,  and  John  Houseman 
wrote  the  screen  play  from  the  novel  by  Charlotte  Bronte. 
William  Goetz  was  in  charge  of  production,  and  Mr.  Stev- 
enson directed  it.  The  cast  includes  John  Sutton,  Sara  All- 
good,  Henry  Daniell  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey"  with 
Lynn  Bari,  Akim  Tamiroff 
and  Francis  Lederer 

(United  Artists,  February  11;  time,  107  min.) 
From  the  standpoint  of  production,  direction,  and  acting, 
this  drama  is  good,  but  on  the  whole  it  is  no  more  than  a  fair 
entertainment,  of  which  the  box-office  appeal  is  doubtful. 
The  story,  which  is  based  on  Thornton  Wilder's  Pulitzer 
Prize  novel  of  the  same  title,  was  produced  once  before,  in 
1929,  by  MGM,  and  at  that  time  it  did  not  make  a  good 
entertainment  because  it  was  an  incoherent  aggregation  of 
incidents,  revolving  around  a  priest  who  delved  into  the 
lives  of  five  persons  in  an  endeavor  to  learn  why  the  Al- 
mighty chose  them  to  die  in  a  fall  from  an  ancient  bridge. 
The  story  has  been  altered  somewhat  for  this  version,  and 
the  different  incidents  in  the  life  of  each  person  have  been 
tied  together  to  form  one  coherent  plot,  but  there  is  nothing 
really  shown  in  it  that  would  cause  the  spectator  to  take  a 
deep  interest  in  the  fate  of  the  characters.  Moreover,  talk  has 
been  substituted  for  action,  giving  the  film  a  number  of 
slow-moving,  dull  stretches.  The  story  takes  place  during  the 
period  when  Spain  ruled  Peru : — 


When  an  ancient  bridge  spanning  a  deep  gorge  near  Lima, 
Peru,  breaks,  hurtling  five  persons  to  their  doom,  Donald 
Woods,  a  priest,  decides  to  make  a  searching  study  of  the 
lives  of  the  victims,  and  of  others  who  were  spared  death  at 
the  bridge,  to  determine  whether  he  can  find  some  clue  to 
God's  intention  in  thus  casting  them  into  eternity  at  a  precise 
moment.  His  search  brings  him  to  Lima,  where  he  investi- 
gates the  lives  of  Lynn  Bari,  a  street  dancer,  who  became 
Lima's  most  famous  actress  and  a  favorite  of  Louis  Calhern, 
the  Spanish  Viceroy,  only  to  find  much  unhappiness  because 
of  her  aristocratic  ambitions;  Akim  Tamiroff,  a  dramatic 
tutor,  who  guided  the  actress'  career,  and  influenced  the 
Viceroy  in  his  dealings  with  the  people;  Francis  Lederer,  a 
dashing  sailor,  who  won  the  actress  despite  the  Viceroy's 
opposition;  Lcderer's  twin  brother  (also  played  by  Lederer), 
a  public  letter  writer,  who  attempts  suicide  to  show  his  dis- 
satisfaction with  his  brother's  infatuation  for  the  actress; 
and  Nazimova,  a  scheming  aristocrat,  who  jealously  resented 
the  actress'  influence  with  the  Viceroy,  and  plotted  against 
her.  The  priest,  after  weighing  carefully  the  lives  of  all  those 
involved  in  the  collapse  of  the  bridge,  which  killed  both  the 
good  and  the  bad,  admits  failure  in  solving  the  riddle  of 
God's  purpose. 

Howard  Estabrook  wrote  the  screen  play,  Benedict  Bo- 
gcaus  produced  it,  and  Rowland  V.  Lee  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Abner  Biberman,  Blanche  Yurka  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Escape  to  Danger"  with  Ann  Dvorak 
and  Eric  Portman 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  84  min.) 

Produced  in  Britain,  this  is  a  fairly  good  program  es- 
pionage melodrama;  however,  it  has  a  far-fetched  story.  But 
since  the  performances  are  good,  and  the  story,  though  fan- 
ciful, is  fairly  engrossing,  one's  interest  is  held  throughout. 
The  action  moves  at  a  fast  pace,  and  there  is  considerable 
excitement  in  several  of  the  situations.  Stock  shots  of  the 
British  fleet  and  of  coastal  defense  batteries  have  been  in- 
serted to  good  effect.  Ann  Dvorak,  the  heroine,  is  the  only 
member  of  the  cast  known  to  American  audiences: — 

When  the  Nazis  invade  Denmark,  Ann  Dvorak,  a  teacher, 
pretends  friendship  for  them  in  order  to  obtain  vital  infor- 
mation for  the  Alllies.  This  simulated  collaboration  induces 
the  Nazis  to  select  her  as  a  secret  agent,  and  they  send  her 
to  England  to  obtain  details  about  the  movements  of  British 
invasion  barges.  On  board  a  neutral  vessel,  she  meets  Ronald 
Adam,  a  German  spy,  and  Eric  Portman,  a  drunken  English- 
man, who  was  actually  a  secret  British  agent.  As  part  of  his 
plan  to  get  into  England  with  Ann,  Adam  signals  a  U-boat 
to  torpedo  their  ship  as  they  pass  an  escorted  British  convoy. 
Both  Ann  and  Adam  jump  from  the  boat  before  the  torpedo 
strikes,  and  Portman,  too,  manages  to  save  himself.  All  three 
are  rescued  by  a  British  destroyer.  In  the  ship's  sick-bay, 
Adam,  delirious,  reveals  his  activities  to  Portman.  Ann, 
fearing  that  Adam  would  betray  them  both,  decides  to  kill 
Portman,  whom  she  did  not  trust.  The  Englishman,  how- 
ever, cleverly  tricks  her  into  killing  Adam  by  changing  beds 
with  the  Nazi.  Upon  his  arrival  in  England,  Portman,  learn- 
ing of  Ann's  true  sympathies,  puts  her  through  an  acid  test 
to  establish  her  loyalty.  He  then  reveals  his  identity  and  ar- 
ranges with  her  to  continue  working  with  the  Nazis,  in  order 
to  lure  the  German  navy  into  a  trap.  Working  with  Ivor 
Barnard,  a  German  agent,  Ann  installs  an  automatic  trans- 
mitter in  a  barge,  so  that  the  radio  beam  would  betray  its 
position  to  the  enemy.  The  installation  complete,  Portman 
intervenes.  Barnard,  recognizing  the  hoax,  kills  Ann  before 
he  is  arrested.  Laying  its  plans  carefully,  the  British  Ad- 
miralty sends  the  barge  out  to  sea  as  a  decoy.  German  naval 
and  air  forces  follow  the  beam,  only  to  be  led  into  a  trap 
where  British  forces  meet  and  destroy  them. 

Patrick  Kirwan  wrote  the  story,  Victor  Hanbury  produced 
it  and  Lance  Comfort  and  Mutz  Greenbaum  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


February  5, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


23 


"Weekend  Pass"  with  Martha  O'DriscolI 
and  Noah  Beery,  Jr. 

(Universal,  February  18;  time.  63  min.) 

Routine  program  fare.  It  is  no  better  and  no  worse  than 
the  majority  of  Universale  "assembly-line"  comedies  with 
music,  which  are  more  to  the  taste  of  adolescents  than  of 
adults.  Like  most  of  the  other  pictures,  this,  too,  has  a  mere 
thread  of  a  story,  which  serves  mainly  as  an  excuse  for  some 
one  to  burst  into  song.  Most  of  the  comedy  situations  are 
inane,  depending  on  slapstick  for  laughs.  Ballroom  dancing 
by  Mayris  Chaney;  harmonica  music  by  Leo  Diamond  and 
his  Harmonaires;  and  singing  by  The  Sportsmen,  the  Delta 
Rhythm  Boys,  and  Martha  O'DriscolI,  make  up  the  musical 
portion  of  the  film: — 

Granted  a  weekend  vacation,  his  first  in  eighteen  months, 
Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  decides  to  go  to  a  quiet  hotel  for  a  rest.  En 
route,  he  unwillingly  makes  the  acquaintance  of  Martha 
O'DriscolI,  who  leads  him  on  a  merry  chase  when  she  inad- 
vertently drives  off  with  his  coat.  After  a  day  full  of  hectic 
experiences,  in  which  he  tries  to  protect  her  from  a  drunken 
admirer,  Beery  reaches  his  hotel  in  the  early  hours  of  the 
morning,  just  as  a  newsboy  delivers  papers  announcing  that 
Martha  had  been  reported  missing  by  her  grandfather 
(George  Barbier),  head  of  a  naval  academy.  Martha  per- 
suades Beery  to  trail  the  newsboy  and  destroy  every  paper 
in  town.  Later,  he  learns  that  she  ran  away  from  home  be- 
cause she  wanted  to  join  the  WACS,  while  her  grandfather 
wanted  her  to  join  the  WAVES.  Beery,  sympathizing  with 
her,  helps  her  to  hide.  A  search  is  instituted  for  Martha,  and 
Beery  soon  finds  that  he  is  being  sought  as  her  "kidnapper." 
Tired  and  angry,  Beery  locks  Martha  into  a  dog-catcher's 
truck,  and  drives  her  to  the  naval  academy.  There,  after  a 
series  of  misunderstandings,  Martha  vindicates  Beery  and 
promises  her  grandfather  that  she  will  join  the  WAVES. 
Tired  but  happy,  Beery  returns  to  the  shipyard. 

Clyde  Bruckman  wrote  the  screen  play,  Warren  Wilson 
produced  it,  and  Jean  Yarbrough  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"In  Our  Time"  with  Ida  Lupino 
and  Paul  Henreid 

(Warner  Bros.,  February  19;  time,  110  min.) 

An  interesting  topical  drama,  with  an  appealing  romance. 
The  action  takes  place  in  Poland,  prior  to  and  including  the 
Nazi  invasion,  and,  in  terms  of  a  romance  between  an  Eng- 
lish girl  and  a  young  Polish  Count,  it  depicts  forcefully  the 
class  distinction  that  existed  in  that  country  at  that  time,  and 
portends  that  it  was  one  of  the  main  reasons  for  Poland's 
quick  capitulation  to  the  Nazis.  Many  of  the  situations  are 
filled  with  deep  human  interest.  Miss  Lupino  gives  an  excel- 
lent performance.  Throughout  the  spectator  feels  intense 
sympathy  for  her,  because  of  her  efforts  to  help  her  husband 
become  self-sufficient,  despite  the  opposition  of  his  aristo- 
cratic family.  The  others  in  the  cast  perform  well.  There  are 
no  actual  war  scenes : — 

Shortly  before  the  war's  outbreak  in  1939,  Ida  Lupino,  an 
English  girl,  accompanies  her  employer  (Mary  Boland),  an 
antique  dealer,  on  a  buying  expedition  to  Warsaw,  where 
she  meets  and  falls  in  love  with  Paul  Henreid,  a  nobleman. 
They  marry,  despite  the  opposition  of  his  family.  In  Poland, 
Ida  finds  many  vestiges  of  the  middle-ages — baronial  estates; 
titled  aristocrats;  and  peasants  who  were  near-serfs.  Alia 
Nazimova,  Henreid's  mother,  lived  in  memories  of  the  past; 
Nancy  Coleman,  his  sister,  was  disdainfully  aloof;  Victor 
Francen,  his  wealthy  uncle,  controlled  the  family  purse- 
strings,  and  was  a  political  leader  and  advocate  of  appease- 
ment with  the  Nazis.  Only  Michael  Chekhov,  another  uncle, 
had  progressive  ideas,  but  he  was  ineffectual  because  the  fam- 
ily ignored  him.  Despite  his  family's  insistence  that  he  main- 
tain rigid  formality  and  detachment  from  the  peasants,  Hen- 
reid, inspired  by  Ida,  teaches  the  peasants  modern  farming 
methods  and  gives  them  a  share  of  the  estate's  profits.  His 
efforts  are  successful,  enabling  him  to  manage  without  Fran- 


cen's  financial  aid.  When  the  Nazis  attack  Poland,  Henreid 
joins  his  regiment,  while  Ida  helps  the  peasants  to  gather  the 
harvest.  Henreid,  wounded,  soon  returns,  and  reports  that 
the  Polish  armies  are  in  collapse.  Francen,  and  Henreid's 
mother  and  sister,  flee  to  Monte  Carlo,  but  Ida,  Henreid,  and 
Chekhov  refuse  to  go.  Rallying  the  peasants,  Ida  and  Hen- 
reid help  them  to  set  fire  to  the  estate  and  to  the  crops.  They 
join  thousands  of  other  Poles  in  falling  back,  sad  but  con- 
fident that  the  democratic  ideals  for  which  they  fight  will  sur- 
vive. 

Ellis  St.  Joseph  and  Howard  Koch  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Jerry  Wald  produced  it,  and  Vincent  Sherman  directed  it. 
Morally  suitable  for  all. 


BOX-OFFICE  PERFORMANCES 

(Continued  from  bac\  page) 

Universal 

"Follow  the  Band" :  Fair. 
"Cowboy  in  Manhattan":  Fair. 
"We've  Never  Been  Licked" :  Fair. 
"Captive  Wild  Woman":  Fair. 
"All  by  Myself":  Fair-Poor. 
"Mr.  Big" :  Good. 
"Two  Tickets  to  London" :  Fair. 
"Get  Going":  Fair-Poor. 
"Hit  the  Ice" :  Very  Good. 
"Gals,  Inc." :  Fair. 
"Hers  to  Hold":  Very  Good. 
"Honeymoon  Lodge":  Fair. 
"Phantom  of  the  Opera":  Good. 
"Fired  Wife" :  Fair. 

"The  Strange  Death  of  Adolph  Hitler":  Poor. 

"Larceny  with  Music" :  Fair-Poor. 

"Top  Man":  Good. 

"Sherlock  Holmes  Faces  Death" :  Fair. 

"Always  a  Bridesmaid" :  Fair. 

"Corvette  K-225":  Good-Fair. 

"Crazy  House":  Good-Fair. 

"Hi'  Ya'  Sailor" :  Fair. 

"You're  a  Lucky  Fellow,  Mr.  Smith" :  Fair-Poor. 

"Flesh  and  Fantasy":  Good-Fair. 

"Son  of  Dracula"  :  Fair. 

"The  Mad  Ghoul":  Fair. 

"His  Butler's  Sister":  Very  Good. 

"So's  Your  Uncle"  :  Fair. 

"She's  for  Me":  Fair. 

"Calling  Dr.  Death" :  Fair. 

"Moonlight  in  Vermont":  Fair. 

Thirty-two  pictures,  excluding  five  westerns,  have  been 
checked  with  the  following  results: 

Very  Good,  3;  Good,  3;  Good-Fair,  3;  Fair,  18;  Fair- 
Poor,  4;  Poor,  1. 

Warner  Brothers 

"Mission  to  Moscow" :  Fair. 

"Action  in  the  North  Atlantic":  Very  Good-Good. 

"Background  to  Danger":  Good-Fair. 

"The  Constant  Nymph":  Good-Fair. 

"This  Is  the  Army" :  Excellent. 

"Watch  on  the  Rhine":  Very  Good. 

"Thank  Your  Lucky  Stars":  Very  Good-Good. 

"Murder  on  the  Waterfront":  Fair-Poor. 

"Adventure  in  Iraq" :  Poor. 

"Princess  O'Rourke":  Very  Good-Good. 

"Find  the  Blackmailer":  Fair-Poor. 

"Northern  Pursuit":  Good. 

"Old  Acquaintance":  Very  Good-Good. 

Thirteen  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results: 

Excellent,  1;  Very  Good,  1;  Very  Good-Good,  4;  Good,  1; 
Good-Fair,  2;  Fair,  1;  Fair-Poor,  2;  Poor,  1. 


24 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  5,  1944 


BOX-OFFICE  PERFORMANCES 

(The  previous  box-office  performances  were  printed  in 
the  June  19,  1943,  issue.) 

Columbia 

"Redhead  from  Manhattan":  Fair-Poor. 

"The  More  the  Merrier" :  Excellent- Very  Good. 

"The  Boy  from  Stalingrad" :  Poor. 

"It's  a  Great  Life":  Good-Fair. 

"Two  Senoritas  from  Chicago":  Fair. 

"Crime  Doctor" :  Good-Fair. 

"Good  Luck,  Mr.  Yates":  Fair-Poor. 

"What's  Buzzin'  Cousin":  Fair. 

"Appointment  in  Berlin":  Fair. 

"Passport  to  Sues" :  Fair. 

"First  Comes  Courage":  Fair. 

"My  Kingdom  for  a  Cook" :  Fair. 

"Destroyer":  Good. 

"Dangerous  Blondes":  Good-Fair. 

"Footlight  Glamour":  Good-Fair. 

"Doughboys  in  Ireland":  Fair-Poor. 

"Sahara":  Very  Good. 

"The  Chance  of  a  Lifetime":  Fair. 

"Return  of  the  Vampire":  Poor. 

"There's  Something  About  a  Soldier":  Fair. 

"The  Heat's  On":  Fair-Poor. 

"Crime  Doctor's  Strangest  Case" :  Fair. 

"Klondike  Kate":  Fair. 

"What  a  Woman!":  Very  Good-Good. 

Twenty-four  pictures,  excluding  three  westerns,  have 
been  checked  with  the  following  results: 

Excellent- Very  Good,  I;  Very  Good,  1;  Very  Good- 
Good,  1;  Good,  1;  Good-Fair,  4;  Fair,  10;  Fair-Poor,  4; 
Poor,  2. 

Metro-Gold  wyn-Mayer 

"Bataan":  Very  Good-Good. 

"Harrigan's  Kid":  Fair. 

"Presenting  Lily  Mars":  Good. 

"The  Youngest  Profession":  Good-Fair. 

"Pilot  No.  5":  Good-Fair. 

"Dubarry  Was  a  Lady" :  Fair. 

"Hitler's  Madman":  Poor. 

"Random  Harvest":  Excellent-Very  Good. 

"The  Human  Comedy":  Very  Good. 

"Salute  to  the  Marines":  Very  Good-Good. 

"Above  Suspicion":  Good-Fair. 

"I  Dood  It":  Fair. 

"Swing  Shift  Maisie" :  Good-Fair. 

"Best  Foot  Forward":  Good. 

"Adventures  of  Tartu":  Fair-Poor. 

"Dr.  Gillespie's  Criminal  Case" :  Fair. 

"Young  Ideas":  Fair. 

"Girl  Crazy":  Good. 

"Lassie  Come  Home":  Good. 

"The  Man  from  Down  Under":  Fair-Poor. 

"Whistling  in  Brooklyn":  Fair. 

"Thousands  Cheer":  Excellent-Very  Good. 

"Cross  of  Lorraine":  Good-Fair. 

Twenty-three  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  fol- 
lowing results: 

Excellent-Very  Good,  2;  Very  Good,  1;  Very  Good-Good, 
2;  Good,  4;  Good-Fair,  5;  Fair,  6;  Fair-Poor,  2;  Poor,  1. 

Paramount 

"High  Explosive" :  Fair-Poor. 

"China":  Very  Good-Good. 

"Aerial  Gunner":  Good-Fair. 

"Five  Graves  to  Cairo":  Good. 

"Salute  for  Three":  Fair-Poor. 

"Dixie":  Very  Good-Good. 

"Henry  Aldrich  Swings  It" :  Good-Fair. 

"Alaska":  Fair-Poor. 

"So  Proudly  We  Hail":  Very  Good. 

"Submarine  Alert":  Fair. 


"Let's  Face  It":  Very  Good-Good. 
"The  Good  Fellows" :  Fair-Poor. 
"True  to  Life" :  Fair. 
"Tornado":  Fair-Poor. 
"Hostages":  Fair. 

"The  City  That  Stopped  Hitler":  Poor. 
Sixteen  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results: 

Very  Good,  1;  Very  Good-Good,  3;  Good,  1;  Good-Fair, 
2;  Fair,  3;  Fair-Poor,  5;  Poor,  1. 

RKO 

"Squadron  Leader  X":  Poor. 

"Mr.  Lucky":  Very  Good. 

"Gildersleevc's  Bad  Boy":  Fair-Poor. 

"The  Leopard  Man" :  Fair-Poor. 

"Petticoat  Larceny":  Fair. 

"The  Sky's  the  Limit":  Good. 

"The  Falcon  in  Danger":  Fair. 

"Behind  the  Rising  Sun":  Good. 

"Mexican  Spitfire's  Blessed  Event":  Fair-Poor. 

"Bombardier":  Good. 

"Coastal  Command" :  Poor. 

"The  Fallen  Sparrow":  Good. 

"Adventures  of  a  Rookie":  Fair. 

"The  Seventh  Victim":  Poor. 

"So  This  Is  Washington":  Fair-Poor. 

"A  Lady  Takes  a  Chance":  Good. 

"The  Iron  Major":  Good. 

"Gangway  for  Tomorrow":  Fair. 

"Government  Girl":  Good. 

"Gildersleeve  on  Broadway":  Fair- Poor. 

"The  Falcon  and  the  Co-Eds":  Fair. 

"The  North  Star":  Very  Good-Good. 

Twenty-two  pictures,  excluding  two  westerns,  have  been 
checked  with  the  following  results: 

Very  Good,  1;  Very  Good-Good,  1;  Good,  7;  Fair,  f; 
Fair-Poor,  5;  Poor,  3. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox 

"Ox-Bow  Incident":  Fair. 
"Jitterbugs":  Good-Fair. 
"Coney  Island":  Excellent-Very  Good. 
"Stormy  Weather":  Fair. 
"Heaven  Can  Wait":  Very  Good. 
"Bomber's  Moon":  Good-Fair. 
"Holy  Matrimony" :  Good-Fair. 
"Claudia":  Very  Good-Good. 
"Wintertime":  Good. 

"Sweet  Rosie  O'Grady":  Excellent-Very  Good. 
"Paris  After  Dark":  Good-Fair. 
"Guadalcanal  Diary":  Excellent-Very  Good. 
"Battle  of  Russia":  Poor. 
"The  Dancing  Masters" :  Fair-Poor. 
"Happy  Land":  Fair. 
"The  Gang's  All  Here" :  Very  Good. 
Sixteen  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results : 

Excellent- Very  Good  3;  Very  Good,  2;  Very  Good-Good, 
1;  Good,  1;  Good-Fair,  4;  Fair,  3;  Fair-Poor,  1;  Poor,  1. 

United  Artists 

"Prairie  Chickens":  Poor. 

"Stage  Door  Canteen" :  Excellent- Very  Good. 

"Somewhere  in  France" :  Fair-Poor. 

"Nazty  Nuisance" :  Fair-Poor. 

"Victory  Thru  Air  Power" :  Fair-Poor. 

"Yanks  Ahoy" :  Fair-Poor. 

"Hi  Diddle  Diddle":  Fair. 

"Johnny  Come  Lately" :  Good. 

"The  Kansan" :  Fair. 

"The  Woman  of  the  Town":  Fair. 

Ten  pictures,  excluding  four  westerns,  have  been  checked 
with  the  following  results: 

Excellent-Very  Good,  1;  Good,  1;  Fair,  3;  Fair-Poor,  5. 
(Continued  on  inside  page) 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published     Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  Rnnm  1  «1  9  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  i\uuiu  1014  Publisher 

Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain           16.50  A  MoUon  picture  Reviewing  Service 

Australia  aNew" Zealand'  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 
India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      Jtg  Editorial  Poiicy.  No  problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

a  Lopy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  FEBRUARY  12,  1944  No.  7 


HERE  AND  THERE 

THIS  PAPER'S  RECENT  editorials  about  con- 
cealed advertising  in  pictures  brought  forth  the  fol- 
lowing comment  in  an  official  bulletin,  dated  February 
3,  of  the  New  York  State  Publishers  Association: 

"  'Don't  Allow  Tour  Screen  to  Become  a  Billboard.' 

"This  is  the  headline  used  by  the  Harrison's  Reports 
on  movies  in  its  January  22  issue  to  protest  the  fact 
that  'concealed  advertising  is  sneaking  back  into  pic- 
tures again.' 

"The  usual  method,  as  described  by  this  motion 
picture  reviewing  service,  is  for  an  actor  to  prominent- 
ly display  a  particular  brand  of  liquor  or  to  call  for 
a  brand  of  chewing  gum  by  name,  and  so  forth. 

"It  is  to  be  remembered  that  in  1933  the  New  York 
State  Publishers  Association  co-operated  with  Harri' 
son's  Reports  in  protesting  against  indecency  and 
commercial  advertising  in  pictures.  It  is  also  worthy 
of  note  that  Mr.  George  B.  Williams,  Geneva  Daily 
Times,  who  called  our  attention  to  the  recent  outbreak 
of  this  concealed  advertising,  played  a  prominent  part 
in  getting  the  situation  corrected  in  1933." 

To  the  New  York  State  Publishers.  Association, 
Harrison's  Reports  says,  "Thanks  for  remember- 
ing." 


WHILE  ON  THE  SUBJECT  of  concealed  adver- 
tising, here  is  another  violation,  which  has  been 
brought  to  this  paper's  attention  by  a  Cincinnati 
exhibitor : 

In  20th  Century-Fox's  "Guadalcanal  Diary,"  one 
sequence  deals  with  the  approach  of  the  zero  hour  for 
a  battle  attack.  As  the  commanding  officer  looks  at 
his  wrist  watch,  the  camera  shifts  to  a  full  close-up  of 
the  timepiece  as  it  ticks  away  the  final  seconds  .Shown 
plainly  on  the  watch  is  the  nameplate  "Gruen." 

Unlike  other  violations  cited  by  this  paper,  the 
close-up  of  a  watch  in  this  sequence  had  a  definite 
place  in  the  development  of  the  story,  for  it  added  to 
the  suspense.  Care  should  have  been  taken,  however, 
to  show  a  watch  that  did  not  display  legibly  the  name- 
plate  of  the  manufacturer. 

Whether  or  not  the  advertisement  given  to  "Gruen" 
watches  was  paid  for  is  immaterial.  The  practice  is 
objectionable.  The  producers  should  exercise  greater 
care  in  such  matters,  for  they  should  know  that  the 
public  assumes  an  antagonistic  attitude  towards  adver- 
tisements in  pictures,  and  the  one  way  it  shows  its 
displeasure  is  by  staying  away  from  the  theatres. 

Let  us  keep  the  advertisements  out  and  bring  the 
patrons  in. 


A  MOST  IMPORTANT  and  encouraging  de- 
velopment in  exhibitor  relations  was  the  joint  confer- 
ence of  independent  exhibitors  held  in  Chicago  two 
weeks  ago  under  the  auspices  of  National  Allied. 

This  group,  as  most  of  you  already  know,  met  for 
the  specific  purpose  of  studying  the  consenting  dis- 
tributors' proposals  for  changes  in  the  consent  decree, 
a  draft  of  which  was  sent  to  them  by  Assistant  At- 
torney General  Tom  C.  Clark. 

In  attendance  at  the  conference  were  Allied's  ex' 
ecutive  board,  and  representatives  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
Conference  of  Independent  Theatre  Owners;  North 
Central  Allied;  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of 
Virginia;  Unaffiliated  Independent  Exhibitors  of  New 
York;  Allied  Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  Iowa- 
Nebraska;  Independent  Exhibitors,  Inc.,  of  New 
England;  and  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  the  North- 
west. 

Naming  itself  the  National  Council  of  Unaffiliated 
Exhibitors,  the  group,  after  a  thorough  analytical 
study  of  the  distributors'  proposals,  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  set  forth  its  views  in  a  brief  that  was  to  be 
submitted  last  Wednesday  (February  9)  at  a  meeting 
in  Washington  with  Mr.  Clark. 

In  keeping  with  a  promise  made  to  Mr.  Clark,  no 
public  announcement  was  made  of  the  decisions 
reached  at  the  conference.  But  enough  has  been 
printed  in  the  trade  papers  to  indicate  that  those  at 
the  conference  felt  that  the  distributors'  recommenda- 
tions were  far  from  satisfactory. 

The  committee  appointed  to  meet  with  Clark  in- 
cluded Abram  F.  Myers  and  Col.  H.  A.  Cole,  of 
Allied;  William  Crokett  of  the  MPTO  of  Virginia; 
Robert  Poole,  of  the  PCCITO;  and  Jesse  Stern,  of 
the  UIE  of  New  York. 

A  unified  independent  exhibitor  front,  such  as  the 
National  Council  of  Unaffiliated  Exhibitors,  should 
go  far  in  inducing  Mr.  Clark  either  to  obtain  greater 
concessions  from  the  distributors,  or  to  proceed  against 
them  with  the  anti-trust  suit. 

*       *  * 

IT  SEEMS  AS  IF  the  hue  and  cry  raised  by  this 
paper,  Film  Bulletin,  and  numerous  independent  ex- 
hibitor organizations,  against  Columbia's  failure  to 
keep  its  promises  to  its  1942-43  contract-holders,  and 
its  utter  disregard  for  the  rights  of  its  customers,  have 
reached  the  shores  of  Australia. 

The  Australasian  Exhibitor,  a  leading  trade  journal 
in  that  country,  has  taken  up  the  cry,  devoting  the 
front  page  of  its  November  25,  1943  issue  to  a  resume 
of  the  facts  that  led  up  to  Columbia's  being  branded 
as  the  "company  of  worthless  promises." 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


20 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  12,  1944 


"The  Return  of  the  Vampire"  with 
Bela  Lugosi  and  Frieda  Inescort 

(Columbia,  N.ov.  11;  time,  69  min.) 

Strictly  for  the  horror  fans.  It  belongs  to  the  cycle  of 
horror  pictures  fashioned  after  the  "Dracula"  stories,  and 
although  it  is  eerie  enough  it  is  an  unpleasant  entertainment; 
it  docs  not  hold  one's  interest  because  it  is  wholly  uncon- 
vincing, and  could  appeal  only  to  morbid  natures.  This  time, 
to  add  to  the  gruesomeness,  Bela  Lugosi,  in  his  familiar  role 
as  the  vampire,  is  aided  and  abetted  by  a  "wolf  man,"  his 
slave.  The  situations  that  show  the  different  characters  either 
hammering  a  spike  into  a  dead  man's  body,  or  pulling  it  out, 
are  sickening  to  watch.  It  is  also  unpleasant  to  watch  Matt 
Willis'  face  become  distorted  as  it  changes  into  that  of  a 
"wolf  man."  Though  horrifying,  the  film  is  made  up  of 
familiar  ingredients.  The  action  takes  place  in  England: — 

Lugosi,  aided  by  Willis,  attacks  the  six-year-old  daughter 
of  Professor  Gilbert  Emery,  who  lived  in  a  sanatorium 
operated  by  Frieda  Inescort,  a  scientist.  Recognizing  that  his 
daughter  had  been  attacked  by  a  vampire,  Emery,  assisted 
by  Miss  Inescort,  tracks  Lugosi  to  his  crypt  and,  together, 
they  drive  a  spike  through  his  heart.  With  the  death  of  his 
master,  Willis  regains  his  normal  human  features,  and  Miss 
Inescort  takes  him  to  her  home  and  rehabilitates  him.  Twenty 
years  later,  a  Nazi  bomb  strikes  Lugosi's  grave,  and  his  body 
is  thrown  above  the  ground.  Workmen,  seeing  the  spike 
through  his  heart,  remove  it,  causing  Lugosi  to  return  to  life. 
Vowing  vengeance,  Lugosi  brings  Willis  under  his  spell  and 
attacks  Emery's  daughter  (Nina  Foch)  once  again.  Miss 
Inescort,  aware  that  Lugosi  had  returned,  visits  Miles 
Mander,  head  of  Scotland  Yard,  for  help.  Mander  considers 
her  story  fantastic,  but  agrees  to  aid  her.  After  a  series  of 
incidents  in  which  Lugosi  evades  the  police,  he  succeeds  in 
luring  Nina  to  his  secret  crypt.  Willis,  whom  Lugosi  had 
abandoned  in  favor  of  Nina,  his  new  slave,  finds  a  crucifix 
on  the  floor  of  the  crypt  and,  holding  Lugosi  in  its  shadow, 
causes  him  to  disintegrate  completely.  Willis  dies  with  his 
master,  and  Nina  becomes  her  normal  self. 

Griffin  Jay  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sam  White  produced 
it,  and  Lew  Landers  directed  it. 

Too  horrifying  for  children. 


"Lady  in  the  Dark"  with  Ginger  Rogers, 
Ray  Milland  and  Jon  Hall 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  100  min.) 

A  very  good  entertainment,  and  an  outstanding  box-office 
attraction.  The  extremely  lavish  production  values,  enhanced 
by  Technicolor  photography,  are  breathtaking  in  their 
beauty.  The  exquisite  gowns  worn  by  Ginger  Rogers  and 
the  female  supporting  cast  will  make  women  gasp.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  glamorous  clothes  is  one  of  the  film's 
chief  attractions.  Based  on  the  highly  successful  Broadway 
stage  play  of  the  same  title,  the  story,  which  alternates  be- 
tween realism  and  fantasy,  revolves  around  a  businesslike 
but  neurotic  young  woman  editor  of  a  fashion  magazine, 
whose  emotional  confusion  is  depicted  in  a  series  of  three 
fantastic  but  spectacular  dream  sequences,  which  are  tune- 
ful, imaginative,  and  rich  in  humor.  Though  the  story  deals 
with  the  anguish  of  a  human  being,  it  is  not  a  depressing 
entertainment;  the  dialogue  is  quite  witty,  and  it  has  a  num- 
ber of  very  good  comedy  situations.  Since  psychoanalysis  is 
the  theme,  it  is  doubtful  if  children  will  understand  the 
story.  Ginger  Rogers,  as  the  repressed  heroine,  is  excellent. 
Cast  in  a  role  that  runs  the  gamut  of  emotions,  she  makes 
the  most  of  every  opportunity  to  display  her  versatility, 
whether  it  be  singing,  dancing,  or  playing  a  highly  dramatic 
scene.  The  supporting  cast  is  excellent  throughout: — 

Ginger  finds  herself  on  the  verge  of  a  nervous  breakdown 
for  reasons  she  cannot  fathom.  She  believes  herself  in  love 
with  Warner  Baxter,  her  publisher,  but  shrinks  from  the 
idea  of  marrying  him  when  he  obtains  a  divorce  from  his 
wife.  Ray  Milland,  the  magazine's  crack  advertising  man- 
ager, irritated  her;  he  constantly  poked  fun  at  her  for  being 
a  career  woman  who  scorned  glamour.  In  desperation,  Ginger 
visits  a  psychiatrist  (Barry  Sullivan)  who,  through  his  in- 


terpretation of  her  weird  dreams,  learns  what  caused  her 
neuroses.  He  finds  that,  as  a  child,  Ginger  had  been  frus- 
trated by  her  parents,  and  that,  as  an  adolescent,  she  had 
lost  out  on  her  first  romance  to  a  better  looking  girl.  She 
then  built  a  wall  around  herself  by  determining  to  become 
a  career  woman,  so  as  not  to  compete  against  other  women 
as  a  woman.  Sullivan  informs  her  that  her  illness  was  due 
to  her  failure  to  satisfy  her  subconscious  female  desires.  He 
suggests  that  she  change  her  mode  of  living,  and  that  she 
find  a  man  capable  of  dominating  her.  Realizing  that  Baxter 
was  the  sort  of  man  who  needed  mothering,  Ginger  rejects 
his  love.  She  meets  Jon  Hall,  a  handsome  film  star,  and 
accepts  his  marriage  proposal  after  a  whirlwind  courtship. 
But  Ginger  breaks  the  engagement  when  she  learns  that  he 
is  an  insecure  person,  one  who  could  not  manage  his  own 
affairs.  When  Milland  resigns  as  advertising  manager,  and 
admits  to  her  frankly  that  he  resented  her  being  his  boss, 
and  that  he  coveted  her  job,  Ginger  asks  him  to  remain, 
agreeing  to  share  her  authority  with  him,  Enthusiastic, 
Milland  takes  immediate  charge  of  the  magazine's  affairs. 
Ginger  comes  to  the  realization  that  she  was  in  love  with 
Milland  and,  as  he  takes  her  into  his  arms,  she  changes  into 
a  completely  happy  personality,  free  from  repressions  and 
fears. 

Frances  Goodrich  and  Albert  Hackett  wrote  the  screen 
play  based  upon  the  play  by  Moss  Hart,  Dick  Blumenthal 
produced  it,  and  Mitchell  Leisen  directed  it.  Buddy  G.  De 
Sylva  was  the  executive  producer.  The  cast  includes  Mischa 
Auer,  Mary  Philips,  Phyllis  Brooks,  Edward  Fielding,  Gail 
Russell  and  many  others.   Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Imposter"  with  Jean  Gabin 

(Universal,  Feb.  11;  time,  94'/2  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  war  melodrama,  of  program 
grade.  The  story,  which  is  rather  weighty,  is  more  or  less  a 
character  study  of  an  escaped  French  convict,  whose  re- 
generation is  brought  about  when  he  joins  the  Free  French 
forces.  The  effective  acting  of  Jean  Gabin  holds  one's  inter- 
est, but  there  are  times  when  the  picture  drags  and  becomes 
tiresome.  There  is  no  comedy  relief,  or  romantic  interest, 
and  a  tragic  note  is  sustained  throughout.  One  feels  sym- 
pathy for  Gabin  because  of  his  desire  to  compensate  for 
his  past.  Ellen  Drew,  the  only  woman  in  the  cast,  appears 
in  a  few  brief  sequences: — 

Jean  Gabin,  about  to  be  guillotined  for  killing  a  police- 
man, escapes  from  a  Paris  prison  during  a  Nazi  air  raid. 
Heading  for  the  south  of  France,  he  hails  a  ride  on  a  military 
truck  transporting  soldiers.  The  truck  is  strafed  and  bombed 
by  a  Nazi  plane.  Gabin,  seeing  his  chance  to  assume  a  new 
identity,  changes  clothes  with  a  dead  soldier  and  steals  his 
papers.  He  makes  his  way  to  a  seaport,  where  he  boards  a 
freighter  together  with  a  group  of  French  soldiers  including 
Richard  Whorf,  John  Qualen,  Allyn  Joslyn,  Peter  Van 
Eyck,  and  Eddie  Quillan.  The  ship  sails  to  a  free  French 
port  in  Equatorial  Africa,  where  the  six  men  join  DeGaulle's 
army.  Gabin  and  his  new-found  friends  are  commissioned  to 
build  an  airfield  in  the  jungle.  Through  the  months  of  hard 
and  dangerous  work,  Gabin  becomes  the  natural  leader  of 
the  men  and  wins  their  devotion.  He  is  promoted  to  Lieu- 
tenant, and  distinguishes  himself  in  a  desert  battle.  Return- 
ing to  his  camp,  Gabin  is  decorated  for  bravery,  only  to  learn 
that  the  medals  he  received  were  for  a  previous  act  of  bravery 
on  the  part  of  the  dead  soldier,  whose  identity  he  had 
assumed.  Gabin  confesses  the  truth  to  one  of  his  buddies, 
who  advises  him  to  remain  silent.  Later,  Gabin  is  recognized 
as  an  imposter  by  Ellen  Drew,  the  dead  soldier's  fiancee, 
who  had  come  to  the  camp  in  search  of  her  sweetheart,  and 
by  Milburn  Stone,  who  had  served  in  battle  with  the  dead 
man.  Gabin  confesses  to  the  authorities  and,  at  a  court  mar- 
tial, is  demoted  to  the  rank  of  private.  Sent  to  the  desert 
front,  Gabin,  completely  ignoring  his  own  safety  for  that  of 
his  comrades,  dies  a  hero  as  he  wipes  out  a  machine  gun  nest. 

Julien  Duvivier  wrote  the  screen  play,  produced  it,  and 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Ralph  Morgan  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


February  12, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


27 


"The  Sullivans"  with  Thomas  Mitchell, 
Anne  Baxter  and  Selena  Royle 

(20th  Century-Fox,  no  release  date  set;  time,  111  mm.) 

Excellent  entertainment  for  the  masses.  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury-Fox has  taken  the  life  story  of  the  Sullivans — the  five 
brothers  who  lost  their  lives  in  the  sinking  of  the  cruiser 
Juneau — and  made  of  it  a  delightful  combination  of  comedy 
and  drama,  with  deep  human  appeal.  Although  the  story  is 
simple,  it  is  so  true  to  life,  that  audiences  will  chuckle  with 
delight  at  some  of  the  situations.  Other  situations  are  so 
touching,  that  they  bring  tears  to  the  eyes. 

The  first  part  of  the  film  deals  with  the  life  of  the  boys  as 
mere  youngsters,  and  shows  how  they  were  raised  together  in 
a  typical  American  home  by  God-fearing  parents,  who, 
though  poor,  gave  them  the  simple  comforts  of  a  good  home. 
Depicted  are  their  boyish  quarrels,  which  were  quickly 
patched  up  so  that  no  animosity  would  exist  among  them; 
their  joy  at  the  acquisition  of  their  first  dog;  the  near-tragedy 
that  befalls  them  when  they  go  sailing  in  a  leaky  rowboat; 
and  ever  so  many  other  boyish  pranks  that  drive  parents  to 
distraction.  One  of  the  most  comical  situations  is  the  one  in 
which  the  father  catches  the  boys  smoking  cornsilk  and, 
instead  of  whipping  them,  gives  each  of  them  a  cigar  and 
tells  them  to  smoke  like  men.  Their  subsequent  sickness 
cures  them  of  the  habit. 

The  second  part  of  the  picture  shows  the  boys  grown  to 
manhood,  and  concerns  itself  with  the  romance  and 
marriage  of  the  youngest  brother.  Immediately  following 
the  attack  on  Pearl  Harbor,  they  join  the  Navy  and  secure 
permission  to  serve  on  the  same  ship.  Months  later,  all  lose 
their  lives  when  their  ship  is  sunk. 

Sam  Jaffe,  the  producer,  has  very  wisely  limited  the  scenes 
dealing  with  the  war  and  the  brothers'  final  moments  to 
about  half  of  the  final  reel.  Primarily,  "The  Sullivans"  is  a 
story  of  a  typical  American  family,  told  with  charming 
simplicity. 

Thomas  Mitchell  and  Selena  Royle  enact  the  roles  of  the 
parents  with  deep  understanding.  Anne  Baxter  is  appealing 
as  the  wife  of  the  youngest  brother,  and  Trudy  Marshall  is 
charming  as  the  boys'  only  sister.  Edward  Ryan,  John 
Campbell,  James  Cardwell,  John  Alvin,  and  George  Offer- 
man,  Jr. — all  unknowns — give  fine  performances  as  the  five 
Sullivan  boys.  As  their  junior  counter-parts,  Bobby  Driscoll, 
Marvin  Davis,  Buddy  Swan,  Billy  Cummings,  and  Johnny 
Calkins  are  excellent. 

Mary  C.  McCall,  Jr.,  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Lloyd 
Bacon  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Men  on  Her  Mind"  with 
Mary  Beth  Hughes,  Edward  Norris 
and  Ted  North 

(PRC,  Feb.  12;  time,  69  win.) 

A  mildly  entertaining  program  picture,  with  music,  suit- 
able for  small-town  and  neighborhood  theatre  patronage. 
The  story,  which  deals  with  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  a 
talented  young  singer,  and  with  her  problem  in  selecting 
one  of  three  suitors,  presents  nothing  novel.  But  it  has 
enough  human  interest,  romance,  and  tuneful  music,  to  keep 
one  pleasantly  entertained  for  an  hour.  Mary  Beth  Hughes, 
the  heroine,  acts  well  and  sings  effectively.  The  flashback 
method  is  used  in  the  telling  of  the  story: — 

Returning  to  her  dressing  room  after  a  triumphant  radio 
debut,  Mary  Beth  Hughes  is  congratulated  by  Alan  Ed- 
wards, a  successful  business  man;  Edward  Norris,  a  wealthy 
playboy;  and  Ted  North,  a  youthful  music  professor.  Each 
admits  his  love  and  asks  her  to  marry  him.  Grateful  to  all 
three  for  having  helped  her  to  become  a  success,  Mary, 
pondering  which  one  to  accept,  retraces  the  events  in  her 
life  from  the  time  she  left  an  orphanage  to  seek  a  singing 
career.  Her  first  job  had  been  in  a  laundry,  but  she  had 
given  up  that  vocation  when  a  burly  truck  driver  sought  to 


marry  her.  Eventually  she  secured  a  position  as  secretary 
to  Edwards,  who  became  interested  in  her  voice  and  spon- 
sored  her  singing  career.  But  Kay  Linaker,  Edwards'  sister, 
fearing  that  Mary  had  designs  on  her  brother,  had  compelled 
her  to  break  the  association.  Mary  next  met  Norris  and, 
through  his  influence,  became  a  singer  in  a  local  cafe.  Having 
fallen  in  love  with  Norris,  Mary  had  accepted  a  diamond 
bracelet  from  him.  But  she  had  unjustly  connected  the 
bracelet  with  a  reported  jewel  theft  and,  lest  she  become 
involved,  had  fled  to  a  small  town.  There,  through  a  case 
of  mistaken  identity,  she  became  a  physical  instructress  in 
a  girls'  school,  where  she  met  and  fell  in  love  with  North. 
Months  later,  she  had  been  traced  to  the  school  by  Edwards, 
who  had  induced  her  to  resume  her  musical  education. 
Having  attained  her  ambition  in  life  with  her  debut,  Mary, 
weighing  the  advantages  she  would  gain  through  marriage 
to  one  of  the  three  men,  decides  that  she  will  be  happiest 
with  North. 

Raymond  L.  Schrock  wrote  the  screen  play,  Alfred  Stern 
produced  it,  and  Wallace  W.  Fox  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Luis  Alberni  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Up  in  Arms"  with  Danny  Kaye, 
Dinah  Shore  and  Dana  Andrews 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  106  min.) 
Very  Good!  Elaborately  produced,  and  photographed  in 
Technicolor,  this  is  the  sort  of  comedy  that  keeps  one  laugh- 
ing from  beginning  to  end;  it  should  satisfy  all  types  of 
audiences.  The  story  itself  is  thin,  but  this  does  not  detract 
from  the  picture's  entertaining  quality,  for  it  is  filled  with 
gags  and  situations  that  are  extremely  comical.  The  film 
marks  the  screen  debut  of  Danny  Kaye,  a  versatile,  dynamic 
comedian,  who  should  become  a  great  favorite  with  the 
motion  picture  public.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  without  him,  the 
production  would  not  amount  to  much.  His  delivery  of  three 
song  specialties,  especially  written  for  him,  is  alone  worth 
the  price  of  admission  to  see  and  hear.  His  portrayal  of  a 
high-strung  hypochondriac  is  extremely  funny.  Dinah 
Shore,  in  addition  to  taking  a  leading  part  in  the  amusing 
action,  sings  a  few  numbers  pleasantly.  Constance  Dowling 
and  Dana  Andrews  handle  the  romantic  interest.  A  lavish 
musical  dream  sequence,  with  the  "Goldwyn  Girls,"  is  a  high 
spot  of  the  production: — 

Despite  his  claim  of  numerous  imaginary  ailments,  Danny 
Kaye  is  classified  1-A  and  inducted  into  the  army,  together 
with  Dana  Andrews,  his  pal.  Constance  Dowling  and  Dinah 
Shore,  the  boys'  girl-friends,  join  the  WACS.  Kaye,  who 
was  in  love  with  Constance,  was  unaware  that  she  was  in 
love  with  Andrews.  Nor  did  he  realize  that  Dinah  was  in 
love  with  him.  Having  completed  their  training,  the  boys 
are  sent  to  an  embarkation  point,  where  they  prepare  to 
board  a  transport  bound  for  the  South  Pacific.  Constance 
and  Dinah,  who,  too,  were  ready  for  shipment  overseas, 
come  to  the  dock  to  bid  the  boys  goodbye.  Through  a  series 
of  strange  circumstances,  due  to  Kaye's  bungling,  the  girls 
find  themselves  on  board  ship  as  it  leaves  the  harbor.  While 
Dinah  is  able  to  satisfactorily  explain  her  presence,  Con- 
stance, however,  was  technically  a  stowaway.  Kaye's  efforts 
to  keep  her  from  being  discovered  keep  the  ship  in  a  con- 
stant state  of  pandemonium.  Eventually,  her  presence  be- 
comes known  to  the  captain,  and  Kaye,  gallantly  taking  the 
blame,  is  thrown  into  the  brig  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage. 
When  the  ship  arrives  at  a  Pacific  Island,  Kaye  is  confined 
in  a  guard  house,  only  to  be  captured  by  the  Japs  during  a 
raid.  In  a  series  of  wild  heroics,  he  manages  to  outwit  his 
captors,  and  returns  to  his  camp  leading  twenty  captured 
Jap  soldiers,  strung  on  a  rope  like  fish  on  a  string.  He  is 
acclaimed  a  hero. 

Don  Hartman,  Allen  Boretz,  and  Robert  Pirosh  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Samuel  Goldwyn  produced  it,  and  Elliott 
Nugent  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Louis  Calhcrn.  Elisha 
Cook,  Jr.,  Lyle  Talbot,  Walter  Catlett,  Sig  Arno  and  others. 
Morally  suitable  for  all. 


28 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  12,  1944 


Quoting  liberally  from  articles  that  have  appeared 
in  Harrison's  Reports  condemning  Columbia  for 
its  unethical  practices,  the  Australasian  Exhibitor 
makes  the  following  comments: 

"And  so  that  is  how  the  parent  of  the  company 
with  which  we  Australians  deal  is  viewed  by  some 
folks  over  in  America.  And  the  significance  of  the 
affair  for  us  is  that  these  are  the  views  of  authorities 
to  whom  Australian  exhibitors  are  prone  to  look  for 
guidance  and  information. 

"Nick  Pery's  (Ed.  T^lote:  Columbia's  managing 
director  in  Australia)  home  office  has  certainly  got 
itself  in  bad  with  the  American  exhibitors! 

"How  is  he  faring  here?  In  view  of  the  mess  over- 
seas, can  he  fulfill  his  promises  expressed  or  implied?" 

Pointing  out  that  Mr.  Pery  announced  forty-eight 
features  for  the  1942-43  season,  and  that  the  list 
included  "16  top  line  productions,"  the  Australasian 
Exhibitor  then  lists  the  titles  of  the  eight  top  produc- 
tions Columbia  has  failed  to  deliver,  and  queries: 
"Are  they  to  be  announced  by  the  same  Mr.  Pery 
.  .  .  for  next  year,  too?  Then  what  is  he  going  to 
announce  for  the  year  after?  The  same — or  some  of 
the  same  again — pictures?  We  only  want  to  know 
what  is  fact  and  what  is  fancy." 

Elsewhere  in  its  article,  this  Australian  trade  paper 
states:  "Somehow  or  other  despite  their  pretentions 
to  bigness  the  Columbia  product  always  seemed  in 
our  opinion  to  slip.  They  came  to  us  like  nicely  labeled 
jam  pots,  but  when  we  opened  the  tins  we  found  very 
little  inside.  They  were  like  boys,  full  of  boastful  con- 
fidence, trying  to  do  a  man's  work.  The  truth  is  that 
Columbia,  despite  the  kick  forward  Capra  gave  it, 
.  .  .  never  rose  above  being  what  it  has  always  been, 
a  handy  exchange  for  programme  fillers." 

Referring  to  Columbia's  exploitation  of  its  pictures, 
the  article  says:  "Every  one  goes  out  to  the  public  as 
if  it  were  a  treasured  masterpiece — and  then,  like  the 
spoilt  boy  it  is,  shows  a  tendency  to  play  up  at  the 
box  office." 

It  certainly  appears  as  if  Columbia's  reputation  is 
no  local  matter.  Perhaps  we  shall  hear  from  some 
more  countries  before  long. 

*       *  * 

AT  ITS  CLOSING  session  of  the  meetings  held 
in  Chicago  on  February  3  and  4,  the  board  of  directors 
of  Allied  States  Association  elected  the  following 
officers: 

Martin  G.  Smith,  of  Ohio,  as  president,  succeed- 
ing M.  A.  Rosenberg,  who  served  two  terms;  William 
L.  Ainsworth,  of  Wisconsin,  as  treasurer,  succeeding 
Mr.  Smith  who  served  in  that  capacity  for  several 
terms;  Roy  Harrold,  as  secretary,  succeeding  Meyer 
Leventhal,  of  Maryland;  Pete  J.  Wood,  of  Ohio,  re- 
elected as  recording  secretary;  and  Abram  F.  Myers, 
of  Washington,  re-elected  as  general  counsel  and 
chairman  of  the  board. 

Martin  Smith,  long  a  capable  leader  in  exhibitor 
circles,  is  a  fine  fellow.  He  should  bring  new  vigor  to 
the  organization  in  the  great  work  to  be  accomplished 
during  the  coming  months. 

Harrison's  Reports  felicitates  the  newly  elected 


and  re-elected  officers,  and  wishes  for  them  a  tenure 
marked  with  successful  achievements. 

*       *  * 

A  COMMITTEE  COMPOSED  of  Pete  Wood, 
as  chairman,  Henry  Lowenstein,  and  Maxwell  Alder- 
man, was  appointed  by  Allied's  board  of  directors  to 
make  a  study  of  the  plan  to  form  a  national  council 
of  independent  exhibitors  for  the  purpose  of  present- 
ing a  united  front  against  discriminatory  tax  legisla- 
tion. The  committee  will  poll  the  individual  Allied 
units  to  learn  if  they  favor  participation  in  such  a 
plan. 


"The  Ghost  That  Walks  Alone"  with 
Arthur  Lake  and  Lynne  Roberts 

(Columbia,  Feb.  10;  time,  63  min.) 

Poor  program  fare.  It  is  a  murder  mystery  comedy, 
weighted  down  by  an  inane  story,  and  undistin- 
guished in  either  direction  or  acting.  Here  and  there 
some  of  the  situations  manage  to  provoke  a  mild  grin, 
but  on  the  whole  it  is  extremely  boresome.  Arthur 
Lake,  who  enacts  the  role  of  a  scatter-brained  young 
man,  similar  to  the  characterization  he  portrays  in  the 
"Blondie"  pictures,  struggles  hard  to  be  amusing,  but 
his  efforts  are  unavailing.  The  production  rates  no 
better  than  the  lower  half  of  a  mid-week  double  bill : — 

Arthur  Lake,  sound  effects  man  on  a  failing  radio 
show,  marries  Lynne  Roberts,  the  show's  ingenue. 
Warned  by  the  sponsor  that  the  program  will  be  can- 
celled unless  it  showed  a  definite  improvement  in  its 
next  broadcast,  the  others  in  the  cast  plead  with  the 
newlyweds  to  postpone  their  honeymoon.  The  young 
couple  ignores  their  pleas  and  go  to  a  mountain  resort 
operated  by  Barbara  Brown,  Lake's  sister.  There  they 
find  Matt  Willis,  an  eccentric  employee,  and  Ida 
Moore,  an  equally  eccentric  middle-aged  guest.  Both 
resent  openly  the  presence  of  the  young  couple.  Late 
that  night,  the  peace  of  the  resort  is  shattered  by  the 
arrival  of  the  newlyweds'  fellow  players,  who  had 
followed  them  to  rehearse  for  the  crucial  broadcast. 
The  group  included  Jack  Lee,  producer  of  the  show, 
and  Janis  Carter,  his  wife;  Arthur  Space,  a  character 
actor,  who  carried  on  openly  with  Janis;  Warren 
Ashe,  the  leading  man,  whom  nobody  liked;  and 
Frank  Sully,  a  script  writer.  Excitement  occurs  when 
Lee  is  found  murdered  in  bed  soon  after  all  retire. 
Deciding  that  the  police  might  interfere  with  their 
important  rehearsals,  the  members  of  the  cast  de- 
termine to  solve  the  murder  themselves.  They  stuff 
the  corpse  into  Lake's  sound  effects  box  and  hide  it  in 
the  basement  of  the  lodge.  Lake's  activities  keep  him 
away  from  his  bride  all  night,  and  she  refuses  to  speak 
to  him  on  the  following  morning.  The  mystery  deepens 
when  Lake's  sound  effects  box  containing  Lee's  body 
disappears.  It  is  found  in  a  Los  Angeles  railroad 
depot  by  two  detectives,  who  come  out  to  the  resort 
and  arrest  Lake  for  the  murder.  After  a  series  of  non- 
sensical happenings,  in  which  all  search  for  Miss 
Moore,  who  had  disappeared  after  indicating  that  she 
knew  the  murderer's  identity,  the  killer  is  revealed 
as  Ashe. 

Clarence  Upson  Young  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jack 
Fier  produced  it,  and  Lew  Landers  directed  it. 
Morally  suitable  for  all. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  Rr»/>iri  1  R1  9  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  nuo,u  10"  Publisher 

Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain           16.50  A  MoUon  plcture  Reviewing  Service   

oreat  witain  . ...........  io./o  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

Australia,  New  Zealand,   

India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      IUj  Editorial  Poijcy.  No  Problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

ibc  a  copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  FEBRUARY  19,  1944  No.  8 


THE  VIEWPOINT  OF  THE 
TRULY  INDEPENDENT  EXHIBITORS 

The  committee,  appointed  by  the  independent  exhibitors' 
conference  held  in  Chicago  on  January  31  and  February  1 
to  consider  the  consenting  distributors'  proposals  for  an 
amended  and  supplemental  decree,  has  submitted  to  Assist' 
ant  U.  S.  Attorney  General  Tom  C.  Clark  a  report,  dated 
February  8,  in  which  it  gives  an  account  of  the  action  taken 
by  the  conference  with  respect  to  each  of  the  distributors' 
proposals,  and  outlines  its  objections,  counter-proposals, 
and  recommendations,  and  the  reasons  therefor. 

The  committee,  in  its  report,  emphasizes  the  fact  that 
"every  objection,  counter-proposal,  or  recommendation  set 
forth  in  this  report  is  the  result  of  the  unanimous  vote  of  all 
participants  in  the  conference,"  which  was  attended  by  the 
authorized  representatives  of  22  national  and  regional  inde- 
pendent exhibitor  associations,  having  members  in  29  states 
and  comprising  a  "large  majority  of  the  organized  independ- 
ent exhibitors  of  the  United  States."  These  representatives, 
states  the  report,  "with  one  vote  denounced  the  distributors' 
proposals  as  grossly  inadequate  and  as  further  evidencing 
the  unyielding  and  defiant  attitude  of  the  defendants." 

Pointing  out  that,  under  the  present  decree,  the  monopo- 
listic practices  of  the  defendants  have  increased  in  number 
and  severity,  and  that  there  is  little  hope  for  relief  under  an 
amended  and  supplemental  decree,  the  committee  reports 
that  the  unanimous  view  of  the  conference  was  that  the 
"only  course  compatible  with  the  statutory  duty  of  the  At- 
torney General  and  the  dignity  of  the  United  States  is  either 
to  proceed  with  the  pending  suit  or  to  file  a  similar  proceed- 
ing in  another  judicial  district  and  to  prosecute  it  vigor- 
ously." 

Should  the  Department  of  Justice  conclude,  however,  that 
there  is  still  a  possibility  that  the  defendants  will  consent  to 
a  decree  that  will  afford  substantially  the  relief  sought  by 
the  Government  in  its  original  petition,  the  committee  sets 
forth  the  following  suggestions  and  recommendations, 
agreed  upon  by  the  conference,  relative  to  such  a  decree: 
I.  Selling  Provisions 

(Ed.  7<[ote:  The  numbers  given  to  the  paragraphs  in  this 
article  are  the  same  as  those  given  in  the  committee's  report.) 

(1)  Trade  Showings.  Since  the  Department  of  Justice 
insists  that  feature  pictures  be  trade  shown  before  they  are 
licensed  for  exhibition,  the  conference  is  willing  to  accede 
to  their  wishes,  but,  in  order  to  prevent  certain  abuses  that 
have  grown  out  of  the  practice  of  trade  showing  pictures, 
namely,  the  unfair  competitive  advantage  gained  by  the 
distributors  and  their  affiliated  theatres  over  independent 
subsequent-run  exhibitors  by  exhibiting  pictures  before  they 
have  been  tradeshown,  and  by  releasing  to  affiliated  and 
other  favored  theatres  features  contained  in  a  group  that  had 
been  only  partially  tradeshown,  the  conference  recommends 
that  the  trade  showing  provision  be  fortified  and  protected 
by  the  following: 

(a)  That  the  definition  of  a  trade  showing,  as  set  out  in 
the  distributors'  proposals,  be  amended,  so  that  it  will  read: 

"A  trade  showing  is  an  exhibition  of  a  feature  at  a  theatre 
or  in  a  projection  room  for  the  benefit  of  exhibitors'  gener- 
ally, to  which  the  public  or  a  paying  audience  is  not  ad- 
mitted." 

(b)  That  the  substance  of  the  following  suggestion  be  in- 
cluded in  the  decree: 

"That  no  picture  included  in  an  announced  group  of  pic- 
tures shall  be  licensed  for  public  exhibition  in  any  theatre 
until  all  the  features  in  that  group  have  been  trade  shown." 

(2)  Quarterly  Groups.  With  reference  to  the  present 
system  of  selling,  the  independent  exhibitors  blame  the  five 
picture  plan  for  the  enormous  increase  in  film  rentals  dur- 


ing the  last  three  years,  and  a  majority  favor  a  reversion  to 
the  system  of  offering  a  full  season's  output  of  features  in 
a  single  group.  Although  they  recognize  that  the  trade  show- 
ing of  features  would,  as  a  practical  matter,  make  full-season 
selling  impossible,  the  exhibitors  are  convinced  that  the  dis- 
tributors can,  if  required,  offer  their  features  in  substantially 
larger  groups  than  at  present.  Clark's  attention  is  directed 
to  the  backlogs  the  distributors  have  on  hand,  and  to  the 
fact  that  MGM,  one  of  the  defendants,  since  the  fall  of 
1942,  has  been  offering  its  trade  shown  features,  except 
specials,  in  quarterly  groups,  approximating  12  pictures 
each.  Accordingly,  the  adoption  of  the  following  provision 
is  urged : 

"Features  shall  be  offered  to  exhibitors  in  groups  repre- 
senting in  each  case  not  less  than  25%  of  the  company's 
bona  fide  estimate  of  its  annual  output,  and  not  more  than 
four  groups  a  year." 

(3)  Forcing  Features.  Pointing  out  that  the  forcing  of 
features  was  continued  in  violation  of  Sec.  IV  (a)  of  the 
decree,  and  that  violations  have  increased  by  leaps  and 
bounds  since  that  provision  lapsed  on  June  1,  1942,  the 
reinstatement  in  the  decree  of  the  following  provision  is 
urged : 

"The  license  or  offer  for  license  of  a  feature  or  group  of 
features  shall  not  be  conditioned  upon  the  licensing  of  an- 
other feature  or  group  of  features." 

"In  order  to  prevent  willful  disregard  of  such  provisions," 
states  the  report,  "such  as  occurred  while  Sec.  IV  (a)  of  the 
original  decree  was  in  effect,  the  conference  recommends 
that  it  be  made  enforceable  in  the  manner  outlined  in  Sec. 
Ill  (1)  of  this  report."  (Ed.  N^ote:  Sec.  Ill  (1)  refers  to 
penalties,  which  are  outlined  later  on  in  this  article.) 

(4)  Forcing  exhibitor  to  license  for  two  or  more  theatres. 
Requiring  an  exhibitor  who  operates  two  or  more  theatres 
to  license  features  for  both  or  all  his  theatres  as  a  condition 
to  licensing  for  the  theatre  for  which  he  desires  the  product, 
is  referred  to  in  the  report  as  "compulsory  block-booking  in 
the  highest  degree."  To  cure  this  growing  evil,  the  inclusion 
of  the  following  provision  is  recommended: 

"That  the  licensing  of  feature  pictures  for  exhibition  in 
one  theatre  shall  not  be  conditioned  upon  the  licensing  of 
features  for  exhibition  in  another  theatre  or  theatres." 

(?)  Forcing  Shorts.  The  inclusion  in  the  decree  of  the 
following  provision  in  the  distributors'  proposals  is  ap- 
proved : 

"No  distributor  shall  offer  for  license  one  or  more  features 
conditioned  upon  the  licensing  (1)  of  short  subjects,  news- 
reels,  trailers  or  serials  (hereinafter  collectively  referred  to 
as  shorts),  or  (2)  of  re-issues,  westerns  or  foreigns  (here- 
inafter collectively  referred  to  as  foreigns)." 

For  the  purpose  of  this  provision  and  of  all  other  pro- 
visions relating  to  foreigns  and  westerns,  it  is  recommended 
that  such  pictures  be  defined  in  the  decree  as  follows,  and 
that  the  provisions  should  be  made  enforceable  as  recom- 
mended in  Sec.  Ill  (2)  of  the  report,  which  refers  to 
penalties: 

"Westerns  are  those  western  pictures  which  are  not  of  the 
usual  character  and  type  of,  and  are  inexpensively  produced 
as  compared  with,  the  distributors'  general  line  of  features. 

"Foreigns  are  feature  pictures  produced  outside  of  the 
North  American  continent  or  which  have  predominantly 
foreign  casts  unfamiliar  to  American  audiences." 

The  remaining  portions  of  Sec.  I  of  the  report  are  here- 
with reproduced  in  full: 

"(6)  Westerns,  foreigns,  and  re-issues.  In  order  to  pre- 
vent the  forcing  of  inferior  product  and  further  in  order  to 
protect  the  cancellation  provision  hereinafter  recommended, 
the  conference  recommends  that,  by  a  limitation  on  the  pro- 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


30 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  19, 1944 


"Lady,  Let's  Dance"  with  Belita 
and  James  Ellison 

(Monogram,  April  11;  time,  88  min.) 

Good!  Given  production  values  that  are  far  more  expen- 
sive than  those  iound  in  the  average  Monogram  product, 
this  picture  should  more  than  satisly  those  who  enjoy  a 
combination  of  music,  dancing,  and  ice  skating,  with  a 
sprinkling  of  comedy.  It  is  mostly  all  "Belita."  In  addition 
to  her  expert  skating  routines,  Belita  shows  unusual  ability 
as  a  dancer,  displaying  her  versatility  in  ballroom,  ballet, 
and  acrobatic  dancing.  Her  acting,  too,  has  improved.  Not 
much  can  be  said  for  the  story,  which  is  unimaginative  and 
serves  merely  as  a  framework  tor  the  lavish  production  num- 
bers. Frick  and  Frack,  a  comedy  skating  team,  are  quite 
good.  Some  comedy  is  provided  by  Walter  Catlett,  who 
imagines  himsell  to  be  a  rugged  westerner.  The  orchestras  of 
Henry  Busse,  Mitch  Ayres,  Eddie  LcBaron,  and  Lou  Bring, 
furnish  the  music: — 

When  Maurice  St.  Clair's  dance  partner  leaves  him 
and  disrupts  the  floor  at  a  swank  hotel,  James  Ellison,  a 
promoter,  promises  the  hotel  manager  (Lucicn  Littletield) 
that  he  will  find  another  star.  Walter  Catlett,  a  part  owner 
of  the  hotel,  discovers  that  Belita,  a  waitress,  had  been  a 
well  known  dancer  and  skater  in  Europe,  and  presses  her 
into  service.  Ellison  fulls  in  love  with  Belita  and,  perceiving 
her  great  talent,  decides  to  further  her  career.  He  pretends 
that  Henry  Busse,  an  orchestra  leader,  wanted  her  for  his 
new  show,  and  sends  her  to  Chicago.  Joining  Busse  s  show, 
Belita  learns  that  Busse  did  not  send  lor  her,  and  that 
Ellison  financed  her  trip.  She  tries  to  contact  Ellison,  but  to 
no  avail.  In  succeeding  months,  however,  she  becomes  a 
great  star.  Meanwhile  Ellison,  who  had  been  discharged  by 
Littlefield  for  having  sent  Belita  away,  finds  it  difficult  to 
obtain  another  position,  and  shortly  thcrealtcr  is  drafted  into 
the  army.  Months  later,  Catlett,  responding  to  Bclita's  ap- 
peals, finds  Ellison,  wounded,  in  a  veterans'  hospital. 
Through  Catlett's  efforts,  Belita  and  Ellison  are  re-united. 

Peter  Milne  and  Paul  Gerard  Smith  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Scott  R.  Dunlap  produced  it,  and  Frank  Woodruff 
directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Curse  of  the  Cat  People"  with 
Simone  Simon  and  Kent  Smith 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  70  min.) 

This  psychological  horror  drama  is  mediocre  program 
fare.  Supposedly  a  sequel  to  "Cat  People,"  it  fails  to  carry 
the  punch  of  that  picture.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  film  alter- 
nates betwen  being  a  horror  drama  and  a  fairy  tale.  The 
story  is  so  fantastic  and  improbable  that  some  of  the  situa- 
tions seem  ridiculous.  It  does  have  some  eerie  moments  and 
at  times  the  spectator  is  held  in  suspense,  but  on  the  whole  it 
falls  far  short  of  gripping  one's  attention: — 

When  Ann  Carter,  his  daughter,  imagines  many  strange 
fancies,  Kent  Smith  fears  that  she  may  grow  up  like  Simone 
Simon,  his  first  wife,  who  had  met  a  tragic  end  as  a  result 
of  her  strange  and  supernatural  beliefs.  Jane  Randolph, 
Kent's  second  wife  and  Ann's  mother,  believes  it  is  merely 
a  childish  quirk.  Ann  goes  to  a  dilapidated  house  nearby  her 
home,  where  she  meets  Julia  Dean,  a  half-crazed  elderly 
actress,  who  believed  that  Elizabeth  Russell,  her  daughter, 
was  an  impostor.  Miss  Dean  takes  a  liking  to  Ann  and  gives 
her  a  "wishing-nng."  Lonely  because  other  children  would 
not  play  with  her,  Ann  rubs  the  ring  and  wishes  for  a  friend. 
Simone,  in  spirit,  comes  before  Ann,  and  for  months  the 
child  plays  happily  with  her,  but  does  not  tell  Kent  lest  he 
do  not  believe  her.  When  Ann  finds  a  photograph  of  Simone 
and  reveals  to  her  father  that  she  is  her  "friend,"  Smith 
punishes  the  child  for  "lieing"  to  him,  despite  her  insistence 
that  she  can  see  Simone.  Ann,  frightened  and  anxious  to 
find  her  "friend,"  runs  away  from  home  during  a  blinding 
snow  storm,  and  seeks  refuge  in  Miss  Dean's  home.  Realiz- 
ing that  her  liking  for  the  child  had  aroused  her  daughter's 
enmity,  Miss  Dean  tries  to  hide  Ann,  but  she  suffers  a  heart 
attack  because  of  the  excitement,  and  dies.  Miss  Russell,  in 
a  murderous  rage  over  her  mother's  death,  decides  to  kill 
Ann.  But  Simone's  spirit  intervenes  in  time  to  save  the 
youngster.  Grateful  for  having  found  the  child  unharmed, 
Kent  determines  to  mend  his  ways  and  make  Ann's  life  a 
happier  one. 

DeWitt  Bodeen  wrote  the  screen  play,  Val  Lewton  pro- 
duced it,  and  Gunther  V.  Fritsch  and  Robert  Wise  directed 
it. 

Since  it  is  not  gruesome,  it  is  suitable  for  children. 


"Chip  Off  the  Old  Block"  with 
Donald  O'Connor  and  Peggy  Ryan 

(Universal,  February  25;  time,  79  min.) 

Like  the  previous  comedies  with  music  in  which  Donald 
O'Connor  and  Peggy  Ryan  have  been  featured,  this,  too, 
is  a  fast-moving,  gay  program  entertainment;  it  should  easily 
satisfy  their  followers.  As  is  usually  the  case,  O'Connor, 
aided  and  abetted  by  Peggy,  provokes  considerable  laughter 
by  his  continuous  clowning  and  snappy  dialogue.  Their  song 
and  dance  routines  are  highly  entertaining.  The  film  in- 
troduces Ann  Blyth,  a  sixteen-year-old  youngster,  who  has 
a  pleasing  personality  and  a  very  fine  singing  voice.  Joel 
Kuppcrman,  the  "Quiz  Kid"  of  radio  fame,  appears  in  two 
amusing  sequences.  The  story,  though  thin,  has  many  mirth- 
ful situations.  Helen  Brodenck  and  Arthur  Treacher  add  to 
the  comedy: — 

Given  a  two  weeks  suspension  from  a  naval  academy  for 
having  burlesqued  the  faculty  during  the  annual  school 
show,  Donald  O'Connor  returns  home  to  visit  Lt.  Com- 
mander Patric  Knowles,  his  father.  On  the  train,  he  meets 
Ann  Blyth,  whose  mother  (Helen  Vinson)  was  a  famous 
actress.  The  youngsters  are  attracted  to  each  other  and  make 
a  date  for  that  evening.  O'Connor  is  met  at  the  station  by 
Peggy  Ryan,  an  cxhubcrant  friend,  whose  display  of  affec- 
tion causes  Ann  to  indignantly  cancel  their  date.  O'Connor's 
attempts  at  a  reconciliation  become  complicated  when  he 
learns  that,  years  previously,  his  father  had  jilted  Ann's 
mother,  and  that  Helen  Brodenck,  Ann's  grandmother,  had 
a  similar  experience  with  his  grandfather.  To  add  to  his 
worries,  O'Connor  overhears  a  conversation  between  his 
father  and  a  foreigner  about  secret  plans,  and  mistakenly 
believes  that  Knowles  had  become  involved  in  a  spy  plot. 
Actually,  Knowles  was  arranging  secretly  to  build  a  boat 
as  a  birthday  present  to  his  son.  O'Connor  manages  to  clear 
up  his  misunderstanding  with  Ann,  and  both  Peggy  and  he 
attend  Ann's  coming-out  party.  There,  Ernest  Truex  and 
J.  Edward  Bromberg,  Broadway  producers,  hear  Ann  sing 
and  beg  her  to  play  the  lead  in  a  new  musical  show.  Ann 
declines,  but  changes  her  mind  when  O'Connor  advises  her 
to  accept,  providing  the  producers  give  the  profits  to  war- 
time charities.  O'Connor  persuades  the  producers  to  give 
Peggy  a  part.  On  opening  night,  Donald  substitutes  for  a 
missing  member  of  the  cast,  and  the  show  is  a  huge  success. 
After  learning  the  truth  about  the  "spy  plot,"  O'Connor 
returns  to  the  academy  to  resume  his  naval  career. 

Eugene  Conrad  and  Leo  Townsend  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Bernard  W.  Burton  produced  it,  and  Charles  Lamont  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Arthur  Treacher,  Minna  Gom- 
bell,  Samuel  S.  Hinds  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Action  in  Arabia"  with  George  Sanders 
and  Virginia  Bruce 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  76  mm.) 

A  fairly  good  program  melodrama.  It  belongs  in  the  cate- 
gory of  spy  stories,  and,  although  it  fails  to  strike  a  realistic 
note,  those  who  enjoy  this  type  of  entertainment  should  find 
it  interesting.  The  action,  which  takes  place  against  the 
colorful  background  of  Damascus  and  the  desert  nearby, 
moves  along  at  a  nice  pace,  with  most  of  the  excitement 
occurring  towards  the  finish,  where  the  Nazi  spies  are  killed 
and  an  Arab  revolt  suppressed.  There  are  some  good  aerial 
shots  showing  large  assemblages  of  Arabs  and  camels  in  the 
desert.  A  romance  between  George  Sanders  and  Virginia 
Bruce  is  worked  into  the  story,  but  it  is  incidental : — 

George  Sanders  and  Robert  Anderson,  American  news- 
papermen on  their  way  back  to  the  States,  arrive  in  Damas- 
cus. Sensing  a  story  in  the  meeting  between  Andre  Chariot, 
a  mysterious  fellow-passenger,  and  Lenore  Aubert,  daughter 
of  a  powerful  Arab  leader,  Anderson  follows  the  two,  while 
Sanders  registers  at  a  hotel  operated  by  Alan  Napier,  a  Nazi 
agent.  There,  Sanders  becomes  interested  in  Virginia  Bruce, 
a  mysterious  French  woman.  When  Anderson  is  found  dead 
in  a  native  quarter,  Sanders  decides  to  remain  until  he 
solves  his  friend's  death.  He  finds  evidence  of  a  Nazi  plot 
to  stir  up  revolt  among  the  Arab  tribes  and,  aided  by  Robert 
Armstrong,  of  the  American  Legation,  trails  Virginia, 
Napier,  and  Gene  Lockhart,  a  Frenchman  of  dubious  char- 
acter, to  an  abandoned  airport,  where  they  overhear  that 


February  19, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


31 


Napier  planned  to  attend  a  conference  at  the  villa  of  Lenore's 
father  (H.  B.  Warner).  The  Americans  steal  Napier's  plane 
and  fly  to  the  villa.  Virginia,  stealing  Napier's  car,  drives 
toward  the  same  destination,  with  Napier  in  pursuit.  Ar- 
riving at  the  villa,  Sanders  finds  that  Chariot  had  hood- 
winked Warner  into  allowing  Jamiel  Hasson,  a  traitorous 
Arab  chief,  to  gain  control  of  the  Arab  tribes,  which  were 
to  be  used  against  the  Allies.  Virginia  arrives  on  the  scene 
and  reveals  that  she  is  Free  French,  but  that  Lockhart,  her 
father,  had  compelled  her  to  collaborate  with  the  Nazis. 
Although  Sanders  convinces  Warner  of  the  plot  against  his 
people,  all  are  made  prisoners  by  Chariot  and  his  henchmen. 
In  a  daring  escape,  in  which  Armstrong  sacrifices  his  life, 
Sanders  and  the  others  reach  the  meeting  place  of  the  tribes- 
men. There,  Warner  quells  the  revolt  and  incites  the  tribes- 
men to  kill  the  Nazis.  His  work  accomplished,  Sanders 
leaves  for  home,  accompanied  by  Virginia,  his  bride. 

Philip  MacDonald  and  Herbert  Biberman  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Maurice  Geraghty  produced  it,  and  Leonide  Moguy 
directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Passage  to  Marseille"  with 
Humphrey  Bogart,  Claude  Rains 
and  Sydney  Greenstreet 

{Warner  Bros.,  March  11;  time,  110  mm.) 

A  thrilling  melodrama,  with  a  war  background.  It  will 
undoubtedly  prove  a  good  box-office  attraction  because  of 
the  popularity  of  the  stars,  who  will  be  remembered  as  the 
principals  in  "Casablanca."  The  story,  which  deals  with  a 
group  of  French  convicts  who  escape  from  Devil's  Island  to 
fight  for  France,  pulls  no  punches  in  making  out  its  case 
against  fascism  and  the  French  apeasers,  and  it  is  told  in  a 
series  of  flashbacks,  at  times,  flashbacks  within  flashbacks. 
The  film  has  many  exciting  moments,  a  high  spot  being  a 
battle  aboard  ship  between  Free  Frenchmen  and  fascist  sym- 
pathizers. It  has  its  brutal  moments,  too.  The  maltreatment 
of  convicts  in  the  penal  colony,  and  the  deliberate,  though 
justified,  shooting  down  of  defenseless  Nazi  fliers  clinging 
to  the  wreckage  of  their  submerged  plane,  are  not  pleasant 
sights  to  watch.  For  the  most  part  the  action  moves  along  at 
a  steady  pace,  occasionally  bogging  down  because  of  exces- 
sive dialogue.  Except  for  a  few  brief  sequences,  in  which 
Michele  Morgan  appears  as  Bogart's  wife,  there  are  no 
women  in  the  cast.  The  performances  are  excellent: — 

At  a  camouflaged  airport  in  England,  Captain  Claude 
Rains  relates  to  John  Loder,  a  newspaperman,  the  story  of 
a  Fighting  French  bomber  squadron  based  -there.  Rains' 
story  begins  at  the  start  of  the  war,  when  he  had  been  ordered 
back  to  France  from  New  Caledonia  on  a  freighter  bound 
for  Marseille.  During  the  voyage,  the  ship  had  rescued  five 
unconscious  men,  who  had  escaped  from  Devils  Island. 
Victor  Francen,  the  ship's  captain,  had  treated  them  kindly, 
much  to  the  annoyance  of  Major  Sydney  Greenstreet,  a  pro- 
fessional soldier,  who  hated  the  Republic  and  admired 
fascism.  The  five  men  had  taken  Rains  into  their  confidence 
and  had  convinced  him  of  their  patriotism.  Each  had  told 
him  of  the  circumstances  that  resulted  in  his  conviction, 
and  how  Vladmir  Sokoloff,  a  released  convict  confined  to 
the  island,  had  helped  them  to  escape  to  fight  for  France. 
The  five  men  included  Humphrey  Bogart,  a  French  journal- 
ist, whose  opposition  to  the  appeasers  at  the  time  of  Munich 
resulted  in  his  conviction  on  a  trumped  up  charge  of  mur- 
der; Philip  Dorn,  a  deserter  from  the  French  Army;  Peter 
Lorre,  a  pickpocket  from  Paris;  Helmut  Dantine,  murderer 
of  his  sweetheart;  and  George  Tobias,  a  simple-minded 
farmer,  who  had  murdered  an  official  when  a  new  dam 
flooded  his  land.  News  of  France's  surrender  had  provoked 
a  crisis  aboard  ship.  Seeking  to  avoid  capture  in  Marseille, 
Francen  had  set  the  ship's  course  for  England,  but  Green- 
street and  other  fascists  took  over  control  of  the  ship.  With 
the  aid  of  the  five  convicts,  however,  the  mutineers  had  been 
overpowered  and  Francen  restored  to  control.  As  Rains 
concludes  his  story  by  telling  what  the  five  convicts  are 
doing  at  the  airport,  a  bomber  returns  from  a  mission,  and 
Bogart  is  taken  out  dead.  On  his  person  is  found  a  letter  to 
his  young  son  in  occupied  France,  reminding  him  that 
France  will  live  forever. 

Casey  Robinson  and  Jack  Moffit  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Hal  B.  Wallis  produced  it,  and  Michael  Curtiz  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


THE  VIEWPOINT  OF  THE 
TRULY  INDEPENDENT  EXHIBITORS 

(Continued  from  bac\  page) 
have  no  right  to  assert  any  such  claim  unless  he  shall  have 
mailed  to  the  distributor  at  its  Home  Office  a  notice  in  writ- 
ing of  such  claim  and  of  the  grounds  therefore  not  later  than 
five  days  after  the  alleged  offer  is  claimed  to  have  been  made. 
The  power  of  the  arbitrator  in  deciding  any  such  contro- 
versy shall  be  limited  to  making  ( 1 )  a  finding  as  to  whether 
or  not  the  offer  to  license  such  feature  or  features  was  so 
made  or  conditioned,  and,  if  the  finding  be  in  the  affirma- 
tive (2)  an  award  imposing  upon  the  distributor  making 
such  offer  a  penalty  in  the  amount  $500.00,  payable  to  the 
complainant.' 

"(2)  Forcing  Shorts.  For  the  enforcement  of  the  pro- 
vision against  forcing  shorts  the  conference  approved  the 
provision  contained  in  Sec.  IV,  C,  1  and  2,  modified  to 
conform,  in  general,  to  the  foregoing  provision  relating  to 
the  forcing  of  features;  that  is  to  say — 

"The  time  in  which  notice  must  be  given,  in  cases  where 
a  license  has  been  entered  into,  should  be  extended  to  five 
instead  of  two  days  after  receipt  by  the  exhibitor  of  the 
distributor's  written  approval  of  his  application.  The  pro- 
vision for  an  award,  in  such  cases,  should  be  in  the  con- 
junctive; i.e.,  it  should  provide  for  both  cancellation  and 
penalty.  The  amount  of  the  penalty  should  be  fixed  at 
$250,000,  and  at  $500.00  in  case  of  a  repitition  of  the 
offense,  without  leaving  it  to  the  discretion  of  the  arbitrator 
to  impose  a  less  amount.  All  penalties  should  be  made  pay- 
able to  the  complainant. 

"(3)  Enforcement  of  cancellation  provision.  The  pro- 
vision for  arbitrating  complaints  involving  the  refusal  of  a 
distributor  to  grant  the  cancellation  right  to  be  provided  in 
the  decree,  either  in  offering  features  for  license  or  in  per- 
mitting cancellation  after  a  license  has  been  entered  into 
(distributors'  proposals,  IV  A),  should  be  amended  by 
increasing  the  time  for  giving  notice  from  two  days  to 
five  days  after  receipt  by  the  exhibitor  of  written  approval 
of  his  application,  or  after  the  refusal  to  cancel,  as  the  case 
may  be. 

"(4)  Other  penalties.  In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  the 
conference  recommends  wherever  in  the  decree  an  arbitrator 
is  authorized  to  include  a  penalty  in  his  award,  such  penalty 
be  made  payable  to  the  complainant  instead  of  into  the 
arbitration  fund." 

IV.  Circuit  Expansion 

Stating  that  the  very  foundation  of  the  anti-trust  suit  is 
the  charge  that  the  defendant  distributors,  by  granting 
preferences  to  each  others'  affiliated  theatres,  and  by  dis- 
criminating against  the  independent  exhibitors,  have  ac- 
quired a  monopoly  of  exhibition,  the  report  points  out  that 
the  declared  purpose  of  the  suit  is  to  divorce  the  distributors 
from  their  theatre  holdings.  Yet  the  distributors'  proposals 
make  no  provision  whatever  towards  carrying  out  that  pur- 
pose. They  do  not  provide  for  maintaining  the  status  quo 
of  their  theatre  holdings,  nor  do  they  provide  against  fur- 
ther acquisitions,  which  may  have  the  effect  to  restrain 
trade. 

The  only  provision  in  the  distributors'  proposals  that 
would,  with  minor  modifications,  afford  some  protection 
against  the  growth  of  the  monopoly,  provides  that  no  de- 
fendant shall  build  or  acquire  a  financial  or  proprietary 
interest  in  a  theatre  except  on  application  to  a  U.  S.  District 
Court,  after  showing  that  such  acquisition  will  not  unrea- 
sonably restrain  interstate  trade  or  commerce  in  motion 
pictures  in  the  particular  competitive  area.  But  this  pro- 
vision, states  the  report,  "is  wholly  emasculated  and  made 
of  no  effect"  by  a  second  provision  that  would,  in  effect, 
authorize  unlimited  expansion  in  "locations"  and  "general 
localities"  where  the  distributors  or  their  controlled  corpora- 
tion already  have  theatres. 

Strongly  recommending  that  this  second  provision  be 
eliminated  in  its  entirety,  the  report  further  recommends 
that  the  first  provision  be  amended  to  provide  that  any  ex- 
hibitor who  might  be  affected  by  the  proposed  acquisition 
of  a  theatre  shall  be  notified  of  the  application,  and  shall 
have  the  right  to  appear  in  court  and  be  heard  as  to  the 
effect  on  his  business  of  the  proposed  expansion. 

Recommended  also  is  that  application  for  expansion  be 
filed  before  the  court  in  the  district  in  which  the  theatre  in 
question  is  located,  rather  than  in  New  York,  so  that  the 
objecting  exhibitor  would  not  be  required  to  travel  to  New 
York  in  order  to  protect  his  interests. 

(Concluded  next  week) 


32 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  19, 1944 


vision  for  selling  in  quarterly  groups,  westerns,  foreigns, 
and  re-issues,  as  above  defined,  be  excluded  from  such 
groups. 

"(7)  Specials  and  roadshows.  The  conference  took  note 
of  the  established  practice  of  excepting  from  blocks  or  groups 
certain  features  called  specials  and  roadshows.  Taking  ac- 
count of  changed  economic  conditions,  and  in  order  to  pre- 
vent abuses,  it  is  recommended  that  specials  and  roadshows 
be  excepted  from  the  quarterly  groups  only  when  they  con- 
form to  the  following  definitions: 

"  'Roadshow  is  an  exhibition  within  the  film  delivery 
territory  in  which  the  feature  is  to  be  given  a  roadshow 
status,  at  a  theatre  which  during  the  engagement  shall  not 
give  more  than  two  performances  a  day  and  where  a  ma- 
jority of  the  main  floor  seats  are  reserved  and  sold  at  an 
admission  price  of  not  less  than  one  dollar  and  a  half.' 

"  'A  special  is  a  feature  produced  by  a  person  or  company 
other  than  the  distributor  releasing  it  and  which  the  distribu- 
tor is  required  by  contract  with  the  producer  to  license  on  a 
separate  agreement. ' 

"(8)  Features  offered  singly.  Features  of  the  class  that 
are  offered  singly  generally  are  given  such  extended  runs 
before  they  are  made  available  on  general  release  that  they 
are  milked  dry.  It  is  unfair  to  require  an  exhibitor  to  ac- 
cept as  part  of  a  group  a  picture  the  boxoffice  possibilities  of 
which  have  already  been  exhausted.  Therefore,  the  con- 
ference recommends  the  following  provision: 

"  'No  feature  which  was  not  originally  included  in  a 
regular  quarterly  group,  shall  thereafter  be  offered  for  license 
otherwise  than  singly." 

"(9)  Announced  groups.  The  conference  recommends 
the  insertion  in  the  decree  of  the  following  in  order  to  pre- 
vent the  inequities  resulting  from  the  practice  of  distributors 
in  shifting  pictures  from  one  announced  group  to  another, 
solely  in  their  own  interest: 

"  'An  announced  group  of  features  shall  be  the  same 
throughout  the  United  States  and  a  group  once  announced 
shall  not  thereafter  be  changed;  provided,  that  nothing 
herein  shall  prevent  variations  resulting  from  the  road- 
showing  of  a  picture  in  one  territory  and  not  in  another,  or 
shall  prevent  the  licensing  of  such  lesser  number  of  features 
as  the  distributor  and  the  exhibitor  may  agree  upon." 

"(10)  Blind  Pricing.  Not  only  did  the  five  picture  plan 
open  the  way  for  the  distributors  to  demand  additional  per- 
centage engagements,  but  numerous  practices  have  been 
resorted  to  in  order  to  mulct  the  exhibitors  of  the  last  pos- 
sible penny  of  revenue  on  such  engagements.  One  of  the 
most  vicious  of  these  devices  is  blind  pricing;  i.e.,  with- 
holding allocation  of  a  picture  to  its  price  category  until 
after  its  boxoffice  possibilities  have  been  demonstrated — 
sometimes  after  the  picture  has  completed  its  engagement 
in  the  theatre  in  question — and  then  allocating  it  in  the  sole 
discretion  and  interest  of  the  distributor.  Since  playing  on 
percentage  is  by  its  very  nature  a  gamble,  the  risk  should 
be  borne  by  both  parties,  and  the  distributor  should  not,  in 
effect,  be  allowed  to  lay  its  bet  after  the  race  has  been  run. 

"For  the  foregoing  reasons,  and  because  this  and  other 
selling  practices  dealt  with  in  this  report  are  manifestations 
of  the  monopolistic  power  of  the  defendants,  the  conference 
felt  that  the  practice  should  be  outlawed  by  the  decree.  To 
that  end  the  conference  recommends  adoption  of  the  follow- 

"'The  price  and/or  terms  of  each  feature  in  a  group 
shall  be  designated  at  the  time  the  application  for  such  group 
is  signed  by  the  exhibitor  and  shall  not  thereafter  be  changed 
except  by  agreement  of  the  parties  to  the  license  agreement.'  " 
II.  Cancellations 

(Ed.  J<iote:  This  section  of  the  report  is  herewith  repro- 
duced in  full.) 

"The  conference  felt  strongly  that  the  cancellation  right 
outlined  in  the  distributors'  proposals  was  too  narrow  and 
easy  to  evade.  The  conference  recalled  that  during  the 
negotiations  for  a  code  of  fair  trade  practices  in  1939,  when 
the  several  distributors  were  not  in  nearly  as  strong  a  finan- 
cial position  as  they  are  today,  they  voluntarily  offered  a 
much  more  liberal  cancellation  than  that  contained  in  the 
present  proposals.  The  formula  then  put  forward  (copy  of 
which  was  submitted  to  the  Department  of  Justice)  was,  in 
substance : 

"  'Where  the  exhibitor  pays  an  average  film  rental  which 
does  not  exceed  $100  per  picture,  20%.' 

"  'Where  the  average  rental  is  in  excess  of  $100  and  not 
in  excess  of  $250  per  picture,  1?%.' 

"  'Where  the  average  rental  exceeds  $250  per  picture, 
10%.' 

"Thus  the  1939  formula  which  was  advanced  by  the  non- 
consenting  as  well  as  the  consenting  defendants  was  more 


generous  both  in  graduation  of  the  film  rentals  and  the 
percentage  of  cancellations  allowed. 

"The  conference  felt  that  the  amount  of  film  rental  paid 
had  no  bearing  upon  the  right  to  cancel  feature  pictures,  at 
least  so  far  as  independent  theatres  are  concerned.  Due  to 
the  enormous  increase  in  film  rentals  in  recent  years,  many 
exhibitors  who  could  have  qualified  for  a  20%  cancellation 
a  few  years  ago  now  could  qualify  for  only  a  10%  or  even 
5%  cancellation. 

"For  these  reasons  and  others  that  might  be  cited  the 
conference  urges  the  incorporation  in  the  decree  of  a  20% 
unrestricted  cancellation  for  all  exhibitors  regardless  of  the 
amount  of  film  rental  paid." 

III.  Enforcement 

(Ed.  7v(ote:  This  section,  too,  is  reproduced  in  full.) 

"(1)  Weakness  of  enforcement  provisions.  The  distrib- 
utors' proposals  like  the  original  decree  provide  for  en- 
forcement by  the  exhibitors  by  means  of  arbitration  pro- 
ceedings instead  of  direct  enforcement  by  the  Department 
of  Justice.  This  places  the  burden  of  enforcement  on  the 
weakest  and  most  dependent  elements  in  the  industry.  The 
reluctance  of  the  exhibitors  to  incur  the  ill  will  of  the  dis- 
tributors on  which  they  are  dependent  for  product,  plus  the 
inadequate  and  inconclusive  nature  of  the  awards  pro- 
vided in  the  decree,  resulted  in  little  or  no  enforcement  of 
the  original  decree. 

"There  can  be  no  doubt,  in  view  of  the  survey  made  by 
Allied  States  Association  and  the  Pacific  Coast  Conference, 
that  the  remedial  provisions  of  the  original  decree,  par- 
ticularly those  against  the  forcing  of  features  and  shorts, 
were  flagrantly  disregarded. 

"Unless  these  offenses  are  made  subject  to  injunctions 
written  into  the  decree,  and  the  Department  undertakes  to 
police  and  enforce  the  decree,  violation  and  evasion  will 
surely  result. 

"The  very  least  that  can  be  done  to  insure  a  proper  ob- 
servance of  the  decree,  if  the  Department  is  not  to  assume 
direct  responsibility,  is  to  include  in  the  awards  penalties 
payable  to  the  complaining  exhibitor  in  such  amounts  as  to 
cover  all  costs  of  the  proceeding  and  make  the  effort  worth- 
while. 

"(1)  Forcing  Features.  For  the  enforcement  of  the  pro- 
vision against  forcing  features  (supra  I  (3)),  the  confer- 
ence recommends  the  following: 

"  'Where  a  license  has  been  entered  into,  controversies 
arising  upon  a  complaint  by  an  exhibitor  that  the  licensing 
to  him  of  one  or  more  features  was  conditioned  upon  his 
licensing  another  feature  or  features,  and  controversies 
arising  upon  complaint  by  an  exhibitor  that  the  licensing 
to  him  of  one  or  more  features  for  exhibition  in  one  theatre 
was  conditioned  by  the  distributor  upon  his  licensing  a  fea- 
ture or  features  for  exhibition  in  another  theatre,  shall  be 
subject  to  arbitration.  An  exhibitor  shall  have  no  right  to 
assert  any  such  claim  unless  he  shall  have  mailed  to  the 
distributor  at  its  Home  Office  a  notice  in  writing  of  such 
claim  and  the  grounds  thereof,  not  later  than  five  days  after 
receipt  by  the  exhibitor  of  the  distributor's  written  approval 
of  the  exhibitor's  signed  application  or  applications  for 
such  features.  Pending  the  determination  of  the  arbitration 
proceeding,  the  distributor  shall  not  require  the  dating  or 
playing  of  the  forced  pictures,  and  other  pictures  licensed 
by  the  distributor  to  the  exhibitor  shall  be  delivered  to  the 
exhibitor  on  his  regular  availability.  The  power  of  the  arbi- 
trator in  deciding  any  such  controversy  shall  be  limited  to 
making  (1)  a  finding  as  to  whether  or  not  the  licensing  of 
such  feature  or  features  was  so  conditioned;  and,  if  the 
finding  be  in  the  affirmative,  (2)  an  award  which  shall  cancel 
the  license  for  the  forced  features  and  shall  impose  upon 
the  distributor  defendant  a  maximum  penalty  equal  to  the 
total  film  rental  stipulated  in  the  license  for  the  forced  pic- 
tures.* but  which  in  any  case  shall  not  be  less  than  $500.00, 
such  penalty  to  be  payable  to  the  complainant.' 

"  'Where  no  license  has  been  entered  into,  controversies 
arising  upon  a  complaint  by  an  exhibitor  that  the  offer  to 
him  of  one  or  more  features  was  conditioned  by  the  distrib- 
utor upon  his  licensing  another  feature  or  features,  and 
controversies  arising  upon  a  complaint  by  an  exhibitor  that 
the  offer  to  him  of  one  or  more  features  for  exhibition  in 
one  theatre  was  conditioned  by  the  distributor  upon  his 
licensing  a  feature  or  features  for  exhibition  in  another 
theatre,  shall  be  subject  to  arbitration.  An  exhibitor  shall 

*In  case  any  of  the  pictures  are  to  he  played  on  a  percen- 
tage basis,  the  film  rental  shall  he  computed  as  provided  in 
the  license  agreement  in  case  of  the  failure  of  the  distributor 
to  deliver  a  print,  i.e.,  a  miss-out. 

(Continued  on  inside  page) 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  TWO 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  FEBRUARY  19,  1944 

No.  8 

(Partial  Index  No.  1 — pages  2  to  28  Incl.) 

Titles  of  Pictures  Reviewed  on  Page 

Ali  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves — Universal 

(87  min.)    10 

Arizona  Whirlwind — Monogram  (59  min.) .. not  reviewed 
Attorney's  Dilemna,  The — Republic  (see  "False 

Faces")   1943,  82 

Beautiful  But  Broke — Columbia  (74  min.)   10 

Beneath  Western  Skies — Republic  (56  min.)  .  not  reviewed 
Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey,  The — United  Artists 

(107  min.)    22 

Broadway  Rhythm — MGM  (115  min.)   14 

Casanova  in  Burlesque — Republic  (74  min.)   18 

Cowboy  in  the  Clouds — Columbia  (55  min.) .  .not  reviewed 
Cowboy  Canteen — Columbia  (72  min.)  not  reviewed 

Escape  to  Danger — RKO  (84  min.)   22 

Fighting  Seabees,  The — Republic  (100  min.)   15 

Ghost  That  Walked,  The— Columbia  (63  min.)   28 

Girl  from  Monterrey,  The— PRC  (59  min.)   3 

Girls  He  Left  Behind,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (see 

"The  Gang's  All  Here")   1943,  194 

Heavenly  Body,  The — MGM  (95  min.)   2 

Henry  Aldrich,  Boy  Scout — Paramount  (66  min.)  ....  6 

Imposter,  The — Universal  (94'/2  min.)   26 

In  Our  Time — Warner  Bros.  (110  min.)   23 

Jane  Eyre — 20th  Century-Fox  (97  min.)   22 

Lady  in  the  Dark — Paramount  ( 100  min.)   26 

Lifeboat — 20th  Century-Fox  (96  min.)   11 

Lodger,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (84  min.)   6 

Men  on  Her  Mind— PRC  (69  min.)   27 

Million  Dollar  Kid — Monogram  (64  min.)   11 

Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek,  The — Paramount 

(100  min.)    8 

Mojave  Firebrand — Republic  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Nabonga— PRC  (71  min.)   15 

Nelson  Touch,  The — Universal  (see  "Corvette 

K-225")   .1943,  158 

Night  is  Ending,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (see  "Paris 

After  Dark")   1943,  162 

None  Shall  Escape: — Columbia  (87  min.)   7 

Oklahoma  Raiders — Universal  (57  min.)  ....  not  reviewed 

Outlaw  Roundup — PRC  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Passport  to  Adventure — RKO  (64  min.)   18 

Passport  to  Destiny — RKO  (see  "Passport  to 

Adventure")    18 

Partners  of  the  Trail — Monogram  (55  min.)  .  .not  reviewed 

Phantom  Lady — Universal  (87  min.)   18 

Racket  Man,  The — Columbia  (65  min.)   7 

Raiders  of  the  Border — Monogram  (53  min.)  .not  reviewed 

Rationing — MGM  (93  min.)   18 

Return  of  the  Vampire,  The — Columbia  (69  min.) ....  26 

Russian  Girls,  The — United  Artists  (80  min.)   3 

Sing  a  Jingle — Universal  (62  min.)   2 

Song  of  Bernadette,  The — 20th  Century-Fox 

(157  min.)    19 

Song  of  Russia — MGM  (107  min.)   4 


Standing  Room  Only — Paramount  (83  min.)   6 

Sullivans,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (111  min.)   27 

Sundown  Valley — Columbia  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Suspected  Person — PRC  (76  min.)   3 

Sweethearts  of  the  U.  S.  A. — Monogram  (64  min.)  ....  14 

Tender  Comrade— RKO  (103  min.)   2 

There's  Something  About  a  Soldier — Columbia 

(81  min.)    11 

Timber  Queen — Paramount  (66  min.)   7 

Uncensored — 20th  Century -Fox  (83  min.)   14 

Uninvited,  The — Paramount  (98  min.)   8 

Up  in  Arms— RKO  (106  min.)   27 

Vigilantes  Ride,  The — Columbia  (56  min.)  .  .  .not  reviewed 

Voodoo  Man,  The — Monogram  (62  min.)   19 

Weekend  Pass — Universal  (63  min.)   23 

You're  A  Lucky  Fellow,  Mr.  Smith — Universal 

(64  min.)    10 


RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 
Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave..  Hew  York  19,  H-  Y.) 
5029  Klondike  Kate — Neal-Savage  Dec.  16 

5203  Cowboy  in  the  Clouds — Starrett  (55  m.)  Dec.  23 

5005  What  a  Woman!— Russell- Aherne  Dec.  28 

5036  The  Racket  Man— Neal-Bates  Jan.  18 

5020  Swing  Out  the  Blues — Haymes-Merrick  Jan.  20 

5022  Beautiful  But  Broke — Davis-Frazee  Jan.  28 

5006  None  Shall  Escape — Hunt-Knox  Feb.  3 

5204  The  Vigilantes  Ride— Hayden  (56  m.)  Feb.  3 

5220  Cowboy  Canteen — Starrett-Frazee  (72  m.)..Feb.  8 

The  Ghost  That  Walks  Alone— Lake-Carter. Feb.  10 

Nine  Girls — Harding-Keyes  Feb.  17 

Sailor's  Holiday — Lake-Lawrence  Feb.  24 

Hey,  Rookie — Miller-Parks  Mar.  9 

Two-Man  Submarine — Savage-Neal  Mar.  16 

Sundown  Valley — Starrett  (55  m.)  Mar.  23 

The  Whistler— Dix-Stuart   Mar.  30 

Cover  Girl — Hay  worth-Kelly  Apr.  6 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Features 

(1540  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 
(Block  2 — release  dates  are  tentative) 

413  Thousands  Cheer — Grayson-Kelly   January 

414  Cross  of  Lorraine — Aumont  January 

415  Lost  Angel — O'Brien-Craig  January 

417  Cry  "Havoc" — Sullavan-Sothern  February 

422  Song  of  Russia — Taylor-Peters  February 

490  Madame  Curie — Garson-Pidgeon  February 

416  A  Guy  Named  Joe — Tracy-Dunne  March 

418  Rationing — Beery-Main   March 

419  Broadway  Rhythm — Murphy-Simms  March 

420  See  Here,  Private  Hargrove — Walker-Reed. . .  .March 

421  Heavenly  Body — Powell-Lamarr  April 

423  Swing  Fever — Kay  Kyser  April 


February  19,  1944  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  B 


Monogram  Features 

(630  Ninth  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 

303  Women  in  Bondage — Patrick-Kelly  Jan.  10 

302  Where  Are  Your  Children— Storm-Cooper.  .  .Jan.  17 

362  Westward  Bound — Trail  Blazers  (54  m.)  Jan.  17 

888  The  Sultan's  Daughter — Corio-Butterworth .  .  .  Jan.  24 

352  Raiders  of  the  Border — J.  M.  Brown  (53  m.) .  .Jan.  31 

317  Charlie  Chan  in  Secret  Service — Toler  Feb.  14 

318  Voodoo  Man — Lugosi-Carradine  Feb.  21 

311  Million  Dollar  Kid— East  Side  Kids  Feb.  28 

321  Sweethearts  of  the  U.  S.  A. — Merkel-Novis.  .  .Mar.  7 

363  Arizona  Whirlwind — Trail  Blazers  (59  m.)..Mar.  7 

353  Partners  of  the  Trail— J.  M.  Brown  (55  m.) .  .Mar.  14 
Hot  Rhythm — Lowery-Drake   Apr.  7 

301  Lady  Let's  Dance — Belita  Apr.  11 

Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  18,  K  T.) 
(No  National  Release  Dates) 
Block  3 

43 1 1  Henry  Aldrich,  Boy  Scout — Lydon  

4312  Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek — Hutton-Bracken  

4313  Timber  Queen — Arlen-Hughes  

4314  Standing  Room  Only — Goddard-MacMurray  

4315  The  Uninvited — Milland-Hussey  

Block  4 

4316  The  Navy  Way — Lowery-Parker  

4317  The  Hour  Before  Dawn — Lake-Tone  

4318  You  Can't  Ration  Love — Rhodes-Johnston  

4319  Going  My  Way — Crosby-Stevens  

4320  The  Hitler  Gang — Kosleck-Watson  

Specials 

4338  For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls — Cooper-Bergman  

4336  Lady  in  the  Dark — Rogers-Milland  

4337  The  Story  of  Dr.  Wassell — Cooper-Day  

PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave.  Hew  York  22,  H-  T.) 
403  Career  Girl — Langford-Norris   Jan.  11 

408  Nabonga — Crabbe-D'Orsay   Jan.  25 

454  Outlaw  Roundup — Texas  Rangers  No.  4 

(55  m.)   Feb.  10 

409  Men  on  Her  Mind — Hughcs-Norris  Feb.  12 

462  Frontier  Outlaw — Crabbe  No.  5  Mar.  4 

414  Lady  in  the  Death  House — Atwill-Parkcr.  .  .  .Mar.  15 

463  Thundering  Gun  Slingers — Crabbe  No. 5  Mar.  25 

413  Gangsters'  Den — Kruger-Horton   Mar.  29 

Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  Y.) 

353  Pride  of  the  Plains — Livingston  (56  m.)..  .Jan.  5 
341  Hands  Across  the  Border — Roy  Rogers 

(73  m.)  Jan-  5 

3301  Rootin'  Tootin'  Rhythm — Autry  (reissue) 

(61  m.)  Jan.  15 

9002X  Women  At  War — Elsie  Janis  (reissue) 

(69  m.)  Jan.  25 

311  The  Fighting  Seabees — Wayne-Hay  ward.  .Feb.  19 
333  Casanova  in  Burlesque — Brown-Havoc.  ..  .Feb.  18 

3302  The  Big  Show — Autry  (reissue)  Mar.  1 

354  Beneath  Western  Skies — Livingston  (56m). Mar.  3 
377  Mojave  Firebrand — Elliott-Hayes  (55  m.).Mar.  19 

RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  20,  H-  Y.) 
(No  National  Release  Dates) 
Block  3 

411  Around  the  World — Kyser-Davis  

412  The  Ghost  Ship — Richard  Dix  


413  Tarzan's  Desert  Mystery— Weissmuller-Kelly . 

414  Rookies  in  Burma — Brown-Carney  

415  Higher  and  Higher — Sinatra-Haley-Morgan. 

Block  4 

416  Tender  Comrade — Rogers-Ryan   

417  Passport  to  Destiny — Lanchestcr-Oliver  

418  Curse  of  the  Cat  People — Simon-Smith  

419  Escape  to  Danger — Portman-Dvorak  

420  Action  in  Arabia — Sanders-Bruce  

Special 

451  The  North  Star — Baxter-Huston  


Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 

(444  W.  56th  St..  Hew  York  19,  H-  T.) 
Block  5 

415  Happy  Land — Amcchc-Dee  Dec.  3 

416  The  Gang's  All  Here — Faye-Miranda  Dec.  24 

Block  6 

417  The  Lodger — Sanders-Oberon   Jan.  7 

418  Uncensored — English  cast   Jan.  21 

419  Lifeboat — Bankhead-Bcndix   Jan.  28 

Block  7 

420  Jane  Eyre — Fontaine-Welles  Feb. 

421  The  Sullivans— Mitchell-Baxter   Feb. 


United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  Yor^  19,  H-  Y.) 

Jack  London — O'Shea-Hayward   Dec.  24 

Woman  of  the  Town — Dekker-Trcvor  Dec.  31 

Three  Russian  Girls — Sten-Smith  Jan.  14 

Knickerbocker  Holiday — Eddy-Coburn   Jan.  28 

Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey — Ban-Calhern  Feb.  11 

It  Happened  Tomorrow — Powell-Darnell  Feb.  25 

Voice  in  the  Wind — Lederer-Gurie  Mar.  10 

Song  of  the  Open  Road — Bergen-O'Neill  Mar.  24 

Up  in  Mabel's  Room — Patrick-Hubbard  Apr.  7 

Strange  Confession — Sanders-Darnell  Apr.  21 

The  Hairy  Ape — Bendix-Hayward  May  9 

Universal  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  20,  H-  Y.) 

8064  Gung  Ho!— Randolph  Scott  Dec.  31 

8034  Sing  A  Jingle — Allan  Jones  Jan.  7 

8003  All  Baba  the  Forty  Thieves — Montez-Hall.  .Jan.  14 
8021  Spider  Woman — Rathbone-Sondergaard  ....Jan.  21 

8083  Marshal  of  Gunsmoke — Tex  Ritter  (58  m.).  .Jan.  21 
Phantom  Lady — Tone-Raines  Jan.  28 

8020  Swingtime  Johnny — Andrews  Sisters  Feb.  4 

8066  The  Imposter— Gabin-Whorf   Feb.  1 1 

Weekend  Pass — O'Driscoll-Beery   Feb.  18 

Chip  Off  the  Old  Block— O'Connor-Ryan .  .  .Feb.  25 
Hat  Check  Honey — McDonald-Errol  Mar.  10 

8084  Oklahoma  Raiders — Tex  Ritter  (57  m.)  Mar.  17 

Ladies  Courageous — Young-Fitzgerald  Mar.  17 

Hi,  Good  Lookin' — Harriet  Hilliard  Mar.  24 

Follow  the  Boys — All  star  cast  Apr.  7 

Weird  Woman — Chaney-Gwynne  Apr.  14 

Her  Primitive  Man — Allbritton-Paige  Apr.  21 

Moon  Over  Las  Vegas — Gwynne-Bruce  Apr.  28 

Warner-First  National  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St..  Hew  Yor\  18,  H-  T.) 

309  Destination  Tokyo — Grant-Garfield  Jan.  1 

310  The  Desert  Song — Morgan-Manning  Jan.  29 

224  This  is  the  Army — Murphy-Leslie  Feb.  15 

311  In  Our  Time — Henreid-Lupino  Feb.  19 

325  Frisco  Kid — Cagney  (reissue)  (77  m.)  Mar.  4 

312  Passage  to  Marseille — Bogart-Rains  Mar.  11 

Shine  on  Harvest  Moon — Sheridan-Morgan.  .Apr.  8 
Uncertain  Glory — Flynn-Lucas  Apr.  22 


Page  C 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


February  19,  1944 


SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 
Columbia — One  Reel 

5656  Community  Sings  No.  6  (9</2  m.)  Dec.  10 

5855  Screen  Snapshots  No.  5  (9l/2  m.)  Dec.  17 

5657  Community  Sings  No.  7  (10'/2  m.)  Dec.  24 

5704  Polly  Wants  a  Doctor — Phantasies  (6]/2  m.).Jan.  6 
5954  Film  Vodvil  No.  4  (9  m.)  Jan.  7 

5805  Winged  Targets — Sports  (reset)  (10  m.)...Jan.  7 

5856  Screen  Snapshots  No.  6  (10  m.)  Jan.  14 

5503  The  Herring  Murder  Mystery— Color  Rhap. 

(reset)  (7  m.)  Jan.  20 

5658  Community  Sings  No.  8  (10  m.)  Jan.  28 

5705  Magic  Strength — Phantasies  (7|/2  m.)  Feb.  4 

5601  Amoozin'  But  Confoozin' — Li'l  Abner  (re.) .  .Feb.  17 

5857  Screen  Snapshots  No.  7  (9  m.)  Feb.  18 

5806  Follow  Through  with  Sam  Byrd — Sports 

(reset)  (9  m.)  Feb.  18 

5659  Community  Sings  No.  9  (9</2  m.)  Feb.  25 

5753  The  Dream  Kids— Fox  &  Crow  (reset)  Feb.  25 

5706  Lionel  Lion — Phantasies   Mar.  3 

5807  Golden  Gloves — Sports  Mar.  24 

5858  Screen  Snapshots  No.  8  Mar.  24 

5602  Sadie  Hawkins  Day — Li'l  Abner  Mar.  31 

5504  Disillusioned  Bluebird— Color  Rhap  Apr.  28 

Columbia — Two  Reels 

To  Heir  is  Human — Merkel  (16  m.)  Jan.  14 

Dr.  Feel  My  Pulse — Vera  Vague  (18  m.)  Jan.  21 

Jungle  Whispers — The  Phantom  (20  m.) .  .  .  .Jan.  21 
The  Mystery  Well — The  Phantom  (20  m.)  .  .Jan.  28 
In  Quest  of  the  Keys — Phantom  (20  m.)  .  .  .  .Feb.  4 
The  Fire  Princess — The  Phantom  (20  m.) .  .  .Feb.  11 
The  Emerald  Key— The  Phantom  (20  m.)..  .Feb.  18 

His  Tale  is  Told— Clyde  ( l7'/2  m.)  Mar.  4 

Crash  Goes  the  Hash — Stooges  (17  m.)  Feb.  5 

Bachelor  Daze — Summerville  (18  m.)  Feb.  17 

The  Fangs  of  the  Beast — Phantom  (20  m.)  .  .Feb.  25 

The  Road  to  Zoloz — Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  3 

A  Lost  City— The  Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  10 

Peace  in  the  Jungle — Phantom  (20  m.)  .  .  .  .Mar.  17 

Busy  Buddies — Stooges  (I6J/2  m.)  Mar.  18 

Defective  Detectives — Lang-Brendel  Apr.  3 


5431 
5432 
5166 
5167 
5168 
5169 
5170 
5434 
5405 
5433 
5171 
5172 
5173 
5174 
5406 
5435 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

W-455  Baby  Puss — Cartoon  (8  m.)  Dec.  25 

W-456  Strange  Innertube — Cartoon  (7  m.) .'  Jan.  22 

(More  to  come) 

1943-  44 

T'511  Through  the  Colorado  Rockies — Traveltalk 

(10  m.)  Oct. 

T'512  Grand  Canyon,  Pride  of  Creation — 

Traveltalk  (9  m.)  Nov. 

M-581  My  Tomato — Miniature  (7  m.)  Dec. 

M-583  No  News  is  Good  News — Miniature  (9m.)  .Dec. 
M-582  Kid  in  Upper  Four — Miniature  (11  m.). .  .Dec.  25 
T'513  Salt  Lake  Diversions — Traveltalk  (9  m.)  .  .  .Dec.  25 

S-551  Practical  Joker — Pete  Smith  (11  m.)  Jan.  8 

T-514  A  Day  in  Death  Valley— Traveltalk  ( 10m.)  .Jan.  22 
T-515  Visiting  in  St.  Louis— Traveltalk  (9  m.)...Feb.  19 

S-552  Home  Maid— Pete  Smith  (9  m.)  Feb.  19 

W-531  Zoot  Cat— Cartoon  (7  m.)  Feb.  26 

T'516  Mackinac  Island — Traveltalk   Mar.  18 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 

1942-  43 

A-403  Shoe  Shine  Boy— Special  (15  m.)  Dec.  25 

(More  to  come) 

1943-  44 

X-510  Danger  Area — Special  Release  (22  m.)....Jan.  1 


Paramount — One  Reel 

R3-3  G.  I.  Fun— Sportlight  (9  m.)  Dec.  24 

E3-2  Marry  Go  Round — Popeye  (8  m.)  Dec.  31 

L3-2  Unusual  Occupations  No.  2  (10  m.)  Jan.  7 

R3-4  Swimcapades — Sportlight  (9  m.)  Jan.  14 

U3-3  Package  for  Jasper — Mad.  Mod.  (8  m.)  Jan.  21 

Y3-2  In  Winter  Quarters — Speaking  of  Animals 

(9  m.)   Jan.  28 

D3-1  Eggs  Don't  Bounce — Little  Lulu  (reset)  (8m)  .Jan.  28 

J3-3  Popular  Science  No.  3  (10  m.)  Feb.  4 

R3-5  Open  Fire— Sportlight  (9  m.)  Feb.  18 

P3'2  Henpecked  Rooster — Noveltoons  Feb.  18 

D3-2  Hullaba  Lulu — Little  Lulu  Feb.  25 

L3-3  Unusual  Occupations  No.  3  Mar.  3 

U3-4  Say  Ah,  Jasper — Mad.  Mod  Mar.  10 

Y3-3  In  The  Newsreels — Speaking  of  Animals.  .  .  .Mar.  17 

R3-6  Heroes  on  the  Mend — Sportlight  Mar.  24 

P3-3  Cilly  Goose — Noveltoons  Mar.  24 

D3-3  Lulu  Gets  Her  Birdie — Little  Lulu  Mar.  31 

Paramount — Two  Reels 

FF3-1  Mardi  Gras — Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  Oct.  1 

FF3-2  Carribean  Romance — Musical  Parade  (20m). Dec.  17 
FF3-3  Lucky  Cowboy — Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  .  .  .Feb.  11 


34110 
34111 
34112 
34113 
34114 
34115 
34116 
34117 


44201 
44301 
44202 
44302 
44203 
44303 
44204 
44304 
44205 
44305 
44206 

43402 
43101 
43204 
43102 
43703 
43403 
43103 


29 
17 
7 
28 


RKO — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

Home  Defense — Disney  (8  m.)  Oct 

Chicken  Little — Disney  (9  m.)  Dec 

Pelican  and  the  Snipe — Disney  (9  m.)  Jan 

How  to  be  a  Sailor — Disney  (7m.)  Jan 

Trombone  Trouble — Disney   Feb.  18 

How  to  Play  Golf — Disney  Mar.  10 

Donald  Duck  &  the  Gorilla — Disney  Mar.  31 

Columbia  Candor — Disney  Apr.  21 

(More  to  come) 

1943-  44 

Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  1  (9  m.)  Sept.  3 

Field  Trial  Champions — Sportscope  (9  m.)  .Sept.  10 

Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  2  (9  m.)  Oct.  1 

Joe  Kirkwood — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Oct.  8 

Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  3  (9  m.)  Oct.  29 

Stars  and  Strikes — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Nov.  5 

Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  4  (9m.)  Nov.  26 

Mountain  Anglers — Sportscope  (9  m.).  .  .  .Dec.  3 

Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  5  (9  m.)  Dec.  24 

Co-ed  Sports — Sportscope  (8m.)  Dec.  31 

Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  6  (9  m.)  Jan.  21 

RKO — Two  Reels 

Unlucky  Dog- — Edgar  Kennedy  (15  m.) . .  .Nov.  12 

Sailors  All — This  is  America  (18  m.)  Nov.  19 

Music  Will  Tell— Head.  Rev.  (18  m.)  Dec.  3 

Letter  to  a  Hero — This  is  America  (18  m.)  .Dec.  17 
Wedtime  Stories — Leon  Errol  (l7'/2  m.).. Dec.  24 
Prunes  and  Politics — Edgar  Kennedy  (16m). Jan.  7 
New  Prisons-New  Men — This  is  America 

(17  m.)   Jan.  14 


Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 

4510  The  Helicopter — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  Jan.  21 

4951  The  Biter  Bit— Special  (10  m.)  Jan.  28 

4155  Realm  of  Royalty — Magic  Carpet  (9  m.) . .  .  .Feb.  4 

4511  The  Wreck  of  the  Hespurus — Terry.  (7  m.)..  Feb.  11 
4202  Silver  Wings — Adventure  (9  m.)  Feb.  18 

4512  A  Day  in  June — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  Mar.  3 

4153  Steamboat  on  the  River — Magic  Carpet  (9m). Mar.  10 

4513  The  Champion  of  Justice — Terrytoon  (7m.)  .Mar.  17 
4201  Sails  Aloft— Adventure  (9  m.)  Mar.  31 

4514  The  Frog  6?  the  Princess — Terry.  (7  m.) . . .  .Apr.  7 
4303  Fun  for  All— Sports  Apr.  14 


February  19,  1944  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  D 


Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 

Vol.  10  No.  3  Youth  in  Crisis — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Nov.  5 

Vol.  10  No.  4  Naval  Log  of  Victory — March  of  Time 

(19  m.)  Dec.  3 

Vol.  10  No.  5  Upbeats  in  Music — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)  Dec.  31 

Vol.  10  No.  6  Sweden's  Middle  Road — March  of 

Time  (18  m.)   Jan.  28 


Pathe  News 


NEWSWEEKLY 
NEW  YORK 
RELEASE  DATES 


8354 
8355 
8356 
8375 

8357 
8376 
8377 
8232 

8358 

8124 
8125 
8126 
8112 
8127 


9503 
9305 

9403 

9504 
9701 
9605 

9306 

9702 
9705 
9721 
9404 
9703 
9307 

9606 
9506 
9704 
9705 
9308 
9722 

9507 
9706 
9607 

9508 
9309 


9109 
9103 
9110 
9100 
9111 
9005 


Universal — One  Reel 

Wings  in  Record  Time — Var.  Views  (9m.)  .Dec.  27 
Amazing  Metropolis — Var.  Views  (9  m.)...Jan.  17 

Magazine  Model — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Jan.  24 

Mrs.  Lowell  Thomas,  Fur  Farmer — 

Personal  Oddities  (9  m.)   Jan.  31 

Animal  Tricks — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Feb.  21 

The  Barefoot  Judge— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Feb.  28 

Aviation  Expert — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Mar.  20 

The  Greatest  Man  in  Siam — Swing 

Symphony  (7m.)   Mar.  27 

Hobo  News — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Mar.  27 

Universal — Two  Reels 

Radio  Melodies — Musical  (15  m.)   Dec.  29 

New  Orleans  Blues — Musical  (15  m.)  Jan.  26 

Sweet  Swing — Musical  (15  m.)  Feb.  23 

With  the  Marines  at  Tarawa — Special  Mar.  1 

Fellow  on  a  Furlough — Musical  (15  m.) .  .  .  .Mar.  29 

Vitaphone — One  Reel 

Into  the  Clouds — Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  1 

Cross  Country  Detours — Mer.  Mcl. 

(reissue)  (7  m.)   Jan.  15 

Hunting  the  Devil  Cat — Varieties 

(reset)  (10  m.)  Jan.  22 

Baa  Baa  Blackshcep — Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  22 

Meatless  Fly  Day — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Jan.  29 

Ted  Weems  Merchant  Marine  Band — 

Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  Jan.  29 

Hiawatha's  Rabbit  Hunt — Mer.  Mel. 

(reissue)  (7  m.)   Feb.  12 

Tom  Turk     Daffy— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Feb.  12 

Dogie  Roundup — Sports  (10  m.)  Feb.  26 

The  Three  Bears — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Feb.  26 

Struggle  for  Life — Varieties  (10  m.)  Mar.  4 

I've  Got  Plenty  of  Mutton — Mer.  Mel.  (7m). Mar.  11 
The  Bear's  Tale — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)   Mar.  11 

Songs  of  the  Range — Mel.  Mas.  ( 10  m.) .  .  .  .Mar.  18 

Chinatown  Champs — Sports  (10  m.)  Mar.  18 

The  Weakly  Reporter — Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)..  .Mar.  25 
Tick  Tock  Tuckered — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)...  .Apr.  8 
Sweet  Sioux — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue)  (7m.)..  .Apr.  8 
Bugs  Bunny  Nips  the  Nips — Mer.  Mel. 

(7  m.)   Apr.  22 

Backyard  Golf — Sports  (10  m.)  Apr.  22 

The  Swooner  Crooner — Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)..  .May  6 
Rudy  Vallee's  Coast  Guard  Band — Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)  May  6 

Philippine  Sports  Parade — Sports  (10  m.) .  .May  13 
Of  Fox  ii  Hounds — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)  May  13 

Vitaphone — Two  Reels 

Gun  to  Gun — Sante  Fe  Western  (20  m.) .  . .  .Jan.  8 
Grandfather's  Follies — Featurette  (20  m.).  .  .Feb.  5 
Roaring  Guns — Sante  Fe  Western  (20  m.).  .Feb.  19 

Italian  Frontier — Featurette  (20  m.)  Mar.  25 

Wells  Fargo  Days — Sante  Fe  Western  (20m). Apr.  15 
Winners  Circle — Featurette  (20  m.)  Apr.  29 


45149 

Sat.  (O). 

.Feb. 

12 

45250 

Wed.  (E) 

.Feb. 

16 

45151 

Sat.  (O). 

.Feb. 

19 

45252 

Wed.  (E) 

.Feb. 

23 

45153 

Sat.  (O). 

.Feb. 

26 

45254 

Wed.(E). 

Mar. 

1 

45155 

Sat.  (O). 

Mar. 

4 

45256 

Wed.(E). 

Mar. 

8 

45157 

Sat.  (O).Mar. 

11 

45258 

Wed.(E). 

Mar. 

1  J 

45159 

Sat.  (O). 

Mar. 

18 

45260 

Wed.(E). 

Mar. 

22 

45161 

Sat.  (O). 

Mar. 

is 

45262 

Wed.(E). 

Mar. 

29 

45163 

Sat.  (O), 

Apr. 

1 

Paramount  News 


47 

Sunday 

(O). 

.Feb.  13 

48 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.Feb.  17 

49 

Sunday 

(O). 

.  Feb.  20 

f0 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.Feb.  24 

5  1 

Sunday 

(O). 

.Feb.  27 

52 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Mar.  2 

S3 

Sunday 

(O) 

.Mar.  5 

54 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Mar.  9 

5  5 

Sunday 

(O) 

.Mar.  12 

56 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Mar.  16 

57 

Sunday 

(O) 

.Mar.  19 

58 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Mar.  23 

59 

Sunday 

(O) 

.Mar.  26 

60 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Mar.  30 

61 

Sunday 

(O) 

.Apr.  2 

Fox  Movietone 


47  Tues.  (O) .  . 

48  Thurs.  (E). 

49  Tues.  (O). . 

50  Thurs.  (E). 

51  Tues.  (O).  . 

52  Thurs.  (E). 

53  Tues.  (O).. 

54  Thurs.   (E) . 

55  Tues.  (O).. 

56  Thurs.   (E) . 

57  Tues.   (O).  . 

58  Thurs.  (E). 

59  Tues.  (O).  . 

60  Thurs.  (E). 

61  Tues.   (O).  . 


,  .  Feb.  1 5 
.Feb.  17 
.Feb.  22 
.Feb.  24 
.Feb.  29 
.Mar.  2 
.Mar.  7 
.Mar.  9 
.Mar.  14 
.Mar.  16 
.Mar.  21 
.Mar.  23 
.Mar.  28 
.Mar.  30 
.Apr.  4 


Metrotone 

245  Tues.  (O). 

246  Thurs.  (E) 

247  Tues.  (O). 

248  Thurs.  (E) 

249  Tues.  (O). 

250  Thurs.  (E) 

251  Tues.  (O). 

252  Thurs.  (E) 

253  Tues.  (O). 

254  Thurs.  (E) 

255  Tues.  (O). 

256  Thurs.  (E) 

257  Tues.  (O). 

258  Thurs.  (E) 

259  Tues.  (O) . 


News 

. .  Feb.  1 5 
.  .Feb.  17 
.  .Feb.  22 
. .  Feb.  24 
.  .  Feb.  29 
.  Mar.  2 
.Mar.  7 
.Mar.  9 
.Mar.  14 
.Mar.  16 
.Mar.  21 
.Mar.  23 
.Mar.  28 
.Mar.  30 
.Apr.  4 


Universal 

266  Fri.   (E)  Feb.  11 

267  Wed.   (O).  .Feb.  16 

268  Fri.   (E). . .  .Feb.  18 

269  Wed.   (O).. Feb.  23 


270  Fri.   (E). . 

271  Wed.  (O), 

272  Fri.  (E)... 

273  Wed.  (O), 

274  Fri.  (E) . . . 

275  Wed.  (O) . 

276  Fri.  (E)  . . . 

277.  Wed.  (O) . 

278.  Fri.  (E)... 

279  Wed.  (O). 

280  Fri.  (E)... 


.Feb.  25 
.Mar.  1 
.Mar.  3 
.Mar.  8 
.Mar.  10 
.Mar.  15 
.Mar.  17 
.Mar.  22 
.Mar.  24 
.Mar.  29 
.  Mar.  3 1 


All  American  News 

(Negro  Newsreel) 

68  Friday   Feb.  11 

69  Friday   Feb.  18 

70  Friday   Feb.  25 

71  Friday  Mar.  3 

72  Friday  Mar.  10 

73  Friday  Mar.  17 

74  Friday  Mar.  24 

75  Friday  Mar.  31 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


Harrison's  Reports 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  FEBRUARY  26,  1944  No.  9 


Beware!  Columt 

Abe  Montague,  Columbia's  general  sales  manager, 
has  announced  that  his  company's  annual  sales  cam' 
paign,  which  has  been  labeled  "Dates  to  Win"  and  is 
now  under  way,  has  been  dedictated  to  its  sales  force 
"as  a  tribute  to  .  .  .  the  part  it  has  played  in  cement- 
ing exhibitor  friendship  and  good  will  for  the  com' 
pany." 

I  wonder  if  Abe  Montague  kept  a  straight  face 
when  he  made  this  statement. 

According  to  Montague,  during  the  time  covered 
by  the  campaign,  which  terminates  on  June  22,  "Co- 
lumbia will  release  some  of  the  most  important  pic- 
tures it  has  ever  offered." 

Montague's  statement  is  incomplete;  he  should  have 
said:  "Columbia  will  release  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant pictures  it  has  ever  offered  twice." 

In  addition  to  "Sahara,"  "What  a  Woman!"  and 
"None  Shall  Escape,"  which  are  currently  in  release, 
Montague  has  announced  the  following  important 
pictures  as  scheduled  for  release  during  the  sales 
campaign : 

"Cover  Girl,"  a  Technicolor  production,  with  Rita 
Hayworth;  "Curly,"  with  Cary  Grant;  "Address 
Unknown,"  with  Paul  Lukas;  "Pilebuck,"  with  Pat 
O'Brien;  "Mr.  Winkle  Goes  to  War,"  with  Edward 
G.  Robinson;  "Road  to  Yesterday,"  with  Irene 
Dunne;  "Tonight  and  Every  Night,"  a  Technicolor 
production,  with  Rita  Hayworth  (this  feature's 
former  title  was  "Heart  of  a  City") ;  and  a  musical 
starring  Kay  Kyser  and  his  orchestra.  Included  also 
for  release  are  eight  minor  program  pictures  of  differ- 
ent types. 

From  the  viewpoint  of  star  values,  no  one  can  deny 
that  it  is  an  impressive  list.  From  the  viewpoint  of  a 
Columbia  promise,  however,  past  performances  make 
it  most  unimpressive. 

To  those  of  you  who  are  unfamiliar  with  some  of 
Columbia's  promises,  and  with  the  manner  in  which 
it  treats  its  customers,  a  short  review  may  be  in  order. 

Of  the  pictures  listed  above,  the  following  were 
promised  to  Columbia's  1942-43  contract-holders  and, 
after  failure  to  deliver,  promised  again  to  the  1943-44 
contract-holders : 

"Cover  Girl,"  "Tonight  and  Every  Night," 
"Curly,"  "Road  to  Yesterday,"  "What  a  Woman!" 
"Sahara,"  and  "Mr.  Winkle  Goes  to  War." 

Of  the  aforementioned  seven  pictures,  "Tonight 


i  Is  At  It  Again! 

and  Every  Night"  and  "Road  to  Yesterday"  have  not 
yet  been  put  in  production.  Keep  your  eye  on  them — 
and  don't  be  too  surprised  if  they  should  be  held 
back  once  again  and  dangled  as  bait  for  prospective 
1944-45  contract-holders.  Incidentally,  the  Kay  Kyser 
picture,  announced  for  release  during  the  sales  cam- 
paign, has  not  yet  gone  before  the  cameras.  This  pro- 
duction, too,  will  bear  watching. 

Here  are  some  more  facts  that  may  be  indicative  of 
Columbia's  future  plans.  Conspicuous  by  their  ab- 
sence from  the  list  of  pictures  to  be  released  during 
the  "Dates  to  Win"  campaign  are  the  following  im- 
portant productions,  which  were  announced  by  Co- 
lumbia as  part  of  its  1943-44  program,  and  which 
undoubtedly  were  instrumental  in  impelling  many 
exhibitors  to  sign  contratcs : 

An  untitled  Jean  Arthur  production;  "The  Life  of 
Al  Jolson";  "At  Night  We  Dream,"  with  Paul 
Muni;  "Gone  Are  the  Days,"  a  Technicolor  picture 
starring  Rita  Hayworth;  and  "Knights  Without 
Armor."  These  last  two  productions  had  been  part  of 
the  eight  important  pictures  Columbia  promised  but 
failed  to  deliver  to  its  1942-43  contract  holders.  With 
the  exception  of  "At  Night  We  Dream,"  none  of 
these  pictures  has  yet  been  put  into  production.  It 
will  be  interesting  to  see  what  percentage  of  them,  if 
any,  will  be  delivered  this  season  as  promised. 

Harrison's  Reports'  purpose  in  bringing  these 
facts  to  the  attention  of  the  exhibitors  is  to  put  them 
on  their  guard  against  Columbia's  notorious  tactics, 
which  have  earned  for  it  the  dubious  honor  of  being 
called  "the  company  of  worthless  promises." 

The  Columbia  salesmen,  fortified  by  their  com- 
pany's glowing  account  of  the  pictures  intended  for 
release  within  the  next  few  months,  are  ready  to  de- 
scend upon  you  with  many  glib  promises,  just  to  get 
your  signature  on  a  contract.  You  should  expect  these 
promises  to  be  even  more  voluble  than  they  have  been 
in  the  past,  for  this  time  the  salesmen  will  be  aiming 
for  some  of  the  cash  awards  offered  to  them  in  the 
campaign.  But  remember  that,  no  matter  what  a  sales- 
man tells  you,  his  company  cannot  be  held  responsi- 
ble except  for  the  promises  actually  written  in  the 
contract. 

Harrison's  Reports  says,  "Beware!"  If  you  want 
to  be  sure  of  getting  the  pictures,  first  get  the  promises 
in  writing — as  part  of  your  contract. 


34 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  26,  1944 


THE  VIEWPOINT  OF  THE 
TRULY  INDEPENDENT  EXHIBITORS 

(Continued  from  last  week) 
V.  Sections  V  to  X,  Inclusive 

(Ed.  ?s[ote:  The  above  heading  refers  to  Sections  V  to  X 
of  the  original  Consent  Decree.) 

Sec.  V.  Licensing  in  more  than  one  exchange  district. 
Calling  this  provision  "unrealistic"  and  "easy  of  invasion," 
the  report  states  that  its  retention  is  a  matter  of  indifference. 

Sec.  VI.  Licensing  on  some  run.  The  conference  joins 
with  the  distributors  in  recommending  that  this  provision  be 
retained  in  its  present  form. 

Sec.  VII.  Immoral  pictures.  The  conference  joins  with 
the  distributors  in  recommending  the  adoption  of  this  pro- 
posal, which  is  an  improvement  over  the  corresponding  pro- 
vision in  the  original  decree. 

Sec.  VIII.  Clearance.  Expressing  dissatisfaction  with  the 
"unfair  and  unwarranted"  interpretations  given  to  this 
provision,  the  report  recommends  that  the  definition  of 
clearance  contained  in  the  distributors'  proposals  be  elimi- 
nated, and  that  the  following  paragraph  in  Section  VIII  be 
eliminated  also: 

"It  is  recognized  that  clearance,  reasonable  as  to  time  and 
area,  is  essential  in  the  distribution  and  exhibition  of  motion 
pictures. 

In  substitution  of  the  passages  to  be  eliminated,  the  re- 
port recommends  the  insertion  in  Section  VIII  of  the  follow- 
ing: 

"Clearance  means  the  period  of  time,  either  fixed  by 
agreement  between  a  distributor  and  an  exhibitor,  or  by 
general  practice,  prior  to  the  expiration  of  which  a  feature 
licensed  for  prior  exhibition  in  a  theatre  may  not  be  ex- 
hibited in  another  competitive  theatre  or  theatres. 

"It  is  recognized  that  clearance  which  is  commensurate 
with  the  degree  of  competition  existing  between  the  theatres 
involved  is  essential  in  the  distribution  and  exhibition  of 
motion  pctures. 

"Where  there  is  no  competition  between  the  theatres  in- 
volved, or  where  the  competition  is  so  slight  as  to  have  no 
substantial  economic  effect,  there  should  be  no  clearance. 

"For  the  purpose  of  this  section  clearance  shall  date  from 
the  beginning  of  the  run  of  a  picture  in  the  first  theatre  of 
the  exhibitor  having  the  prior  run." 

Sec.  IX.  Withholding  prints.  The  conference  considers 
the  distributors'  proposal  an  improvement  over  the  corre- 
sponding provision  in  the  original  decree,  and  recommends 
its  adoption. 

Sec.  X.  Licensing  on  a  particular  run.  Pointing  out  that 
this  provision  in  the  original  decree  has  been  ineffective, 
because  it  is  "so  hedged  about  with  restrictions  and  condi- 
tions," the  report  states  that  the  distributors'  present  pro- 
posal, though  an  imporvement,  has  many  defects,  and  that 
the  remedy  provided  still  is  too  ineffective  and  inconclusive 
to  warrant  the  risk  and  expense  of  instituting  a  proceeding 
thereunder. 

Because  of  the  complexity  of  the  distributors'  proposal, 
the  conference,  to  best  present  its  recommendations  for 
changes,  has  re-drafted  the  entire  provision  as  follows: 

"Section  X 

"A.  Controversies  arising  upon  a  complaint  by  an  exhibi- 
tor that  a  distributor  defendant  has  arbitrarily  refused  to 
license  its  features  for  exhibition  on  the  run  requested  by 
said  exhibitor  in  one  of  said  exhibitor's  theatres  shall  be 
subject  to  arbitration. 

"B.  In  any  such  arbitration  no  award  shall  be  made  against 
the  distributor  defendant  or  defendants  unless  the  arbitrator 
shall  first  find  the  following  facts: 

"1.  That  the  complainant  is  an  independent  exhibitor, 
i.e.,  that  he  is  wholly  independent  of  any  producer  or  dis- 
tributor of  motion  pictures;  that  no  producer  or  distributor, 
and  no  controlled  corporation  of  any  producer  or  distribu- 
tor operates,  controls  or  has  any  financial  or  proprietary 


interest  in  his  theatre  or  theatres;  and  that  complainant  was 
operating  the  theatre  specified  in  his  complaint  at  the  time 
of  filing  the  demand  for  arbitration;  and 

"2.  That  the  theatre  having  the  run  of  pictures  requested 
by  the  complainant  is  a  circuit  theatre,  i.e.,  is  a  component  of 
a  group  of  theatres  the  several  components  of  which  are 
affiliated  with  each  other  by  stock  ownership,  common  own- 
ership, or  otherwise,  or  licenses  for  which  arc  negotiated  by 
a  buying  combine  or  common  agent,  and  which  possess  in 
the  aggregate  at  least  double  the  total  film  buying  power  of 
the  complainant;  and 

"3.  That  the  complainant  submitted  to  the  distributor 
defendant  or  defendants  bona  fide  offers  to  license  for  exhi- 
bition on  the  run  and  in  the  theatre  specified  in  the  com- 
plaint at  least  five  successively  released  features  distributed 
by  said  distributor  detendant  or  defendants  during  the  cur- 
rent motion  picture  season  and  said  distributor  defendant 
or  defendants  failed  or  refused  to  license  the  exhibition  of 
said  features  to  said  theatres  on  the  run  requested;  and 

"4.  The  complainant  did  not  have  available  features  suffi- 
cient in  nature  and  quantity  to  enable  him  to  operate  his 
theatre  on  the  run  requested  by  him;  and 

"5.  That  such  refusal  to  license  the  exhibition  of  said 
features  in  the  complainant's  said  theatre  was  arbitrary  in 
that  it  was  not  based  on  any  good,  substantial  or  valid  busi- 
ness consideration,  but  was  in  fact  because  the  theatre 
licensed  on  the  requested  run  was  a  circuit  theatre,  which 
fact  shall  be  a  matter  of  inference  to  be  drawn  by  the  arbi- 
trator from  all  the  evidence,  particularly  the  evidence  ad- 
duced pursuant  to  Paragraph  C. 

"C.  In  considering  whether  the  exhibitor's  complaint  is 
established  by  the  evidence,  the  arbitrator  shall  take  into 
consideration,  among  other  things,  the  following  factors  and 
accord  to  them  the  importance  and  weight  to  which  each  is 
entitled,  regardless  of  the  order  in  which  they  are  listed: 

( I )  the  terms,  if  any,  offered  in  good  faith  in  respect  of  each 
of  the  two  contending  theatres,  considered  as  units  and  not 
as  a  part  of  a  circuit;  (2)  the  seating  capacity  of  each  of  said 
theatres;  (3)  the  capacity  of  each  for  producing  revenue  for 
the  distributors  when  operating  on  the  run  requested;  (4) 
the  character,  appearance  and  condition  of  each,  including 
its  furnishings,  equipment  and  conveniences;  (5)  the  loca- 
tion of  each  of  said  theatres;  (6)  the  character  and  extent 
of  the  area  and  population  which  each  serves;  (7)  the  com- 
petitive conditions  in  the  area  in  which  they  are  located; 
(8)  their  comparative  suitability  for  the  exhibition  of  the 
distributor's  features  on  the  run  requested;  (9)  the  char- 
acter, ability  and  good  will  of  the  exhibitor  operating  each 
and  his  reputation  generally  in  the  industry  and  in  the  com- 
munity for  showmanship,  honesty  and  fair  dealing;  (10) 
the  policy  under  which  each  of  the  theatres  has  been  oper- 
ated and  the  policy  under  which  the  complainant  proposes 
to  operate  his  theatre  if  he  is  awarded  the  run  requested; 

(II)  the  financial  responsibility  of  the  exhibitor  operating 
each  of  said  theatres  insofar  as  the  conduct  of  his  business 
as  an  exhibitor  is  concerned;  (12)  and  the  distributor's  prior 
relations  with  each  of  the  two  theatres  involved  and  with 
their  owners  and  operators  and  any  equities  arising  there- 
from. 

"D.  If  in  any  such  arbitration  the  arbitrator  finds  for  the 
complainant  he  shall  make  an  award  against  the  distributor 
defendant  or  defendants  which  shall  prohibit  said  defendant 
or  defendants  from  thereafter  offering  its  or  their  feature  pic- 
tures on  the  run  in  question  to  the  said  circuit  theatre  without 
first  offering  the  same  to  the  complainant  for  exhibition  on 
said  run  in  his  theatre  specified  in  the  complaint,  on  terms 
and  conditions  fixed  by  the  distributor  defendant  or  defend- 
ants which  are  not  calculated  to  defeat  the  purpose  of  this 
section;  provided,  that  any  distributor  defendant  affected  by 
such  an  award  may  institute  a  further  arbitration  proceeding 
to  be  relieved  therefrom  on  the  ground  that  since  the  making 
of  the  award  the  granting  of  the  requested  run  to  the  com- 
plainant in  compliance  therewith  has  had  the  effect  of  re- 
ducing the  distributor's  total  film  rental  in  the  competitive 
area  in  which  complainant's  said  theatre  is  located  and,  in 
the  event  that  the  arbitrator  finds  that  the  granting  of  the 
run  to  complainant  in  compliance  with  the  award  has  in 
fact  had  the  effect  of  reducing  the  distributor's  total  film 
revenue  in  the  said  area,  he  shall  vacate  the  award." 


February  26,  1944  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  35 


VI.  Miscellaneous  Provisions 
The  conference  makes  no  suggestion  relative  to  the  fol' 
lowing  provisions  of  the  decree,  except  as  noted: 

Sec.  XII.  Pooling  agreements;  Sec.  Xlll.  Applicable  only 
to  continental  United  States;  Sec.  XIV.  Roadshows  (except 
that  a  roadshow  should  be  defined  as  described  elsewhere  in 
the  report);  Sec.  XV.  l^o  contempt  proceedings  except  for 
refusal  to  arbitrate,  etc.;  Sec.  XVI.  Licensing  owned  or  con- 
trolled theatres;  Sec.  XVII.  Examining  booths  and  records; 
Sec.  XVlll.  Selecting  own  customers;  and  Sec.  XIX.  Effec- 
tive date. 

Sec.  XX.  Test  Period.  Pointing  out  that  the  tenor  and 
substance  of  their  proposals  manifest  the  distributors' 
"grudging  and  unyielding  spirit,"  the  report  states  that  it 
would  be  foolhardy  to  assume  that  the  distributors  would 
respect  an  amended  and  supplemental  decree  any  more 
than  they  respected  the  provisions  of  the  original  decree,  or 
that  they  will  not  devise  methods  and  means  to  circumvent 
the  amended  and  supplemental  provisions. 

Accordingly,  the  conference  rejects  the  distributors'  pre 
posal  for  a  ten  year  test  period,  and  recommends  that  the 
test  period  under  an  amended  and  supplemental  decree 
should  not  exceed  three  years. 

Sec.  XXII.  Retention  of  jurisdiction.  Charging  that  the 
distributors'  proposals  provide  tor  only  a  consenting  defend- 
ant to  apply  to  the  Court  for  modifications  of  the  decree, 
the  report  deplores  the  omission  of  a  similar  right  for  the 
Government,  and  urges  strongly  the  adoption  of  the  pro- 
vision  contained  in  the  original  decree,  which  granted  the 
Government  that  right. 

VII.  Arbitration 

1.  Counsel.  In  the  opinion  of  the  conference,  one  of  the 
main  reasons  for  the  independent  exhibitors'  dissatisfaction 
with  the  arbitration  system  is  the  fact  that  the  distributors 
and  their  affiliated  circuits  have  available  batteries  of  lawyers 
with  wide  experience  in  motion  picture  affairs,  whereas 
counsel  with  comparable  knowledge  of  the  business  are  not 
available  to  the  independent  exhibitor  complainants. 

To  make  the  system  function  efficiently,  the  conference 
recommends  the  establishment  "in  each  film  exchange  center 
where  there  is  located  a  Local  Tribunal  a  sort  of  prosecutor 
who  shall  be  chosen  and  compensated  by  the  Administrator, 
whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  represent  the  complainants  in  arbi' 
tration  proceedings  whenever  requested  by  the  complainants 
so  to  do,  and  shall  by  reason  of  his  participation  in  numerous 
proceedings  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  business  and  a  skill 
in  the  conduct  of  arbitration  proceedings  comparable  to  that 
of  the  defendants'  counsel." 

2.  Appeal  Board.  Although  it  recognized  that  there  had 
been  much  criticism  of  the  Appeal  Board  because  of  its  loca- 
tion in  New  York  City,  close  to  the  distributors'  home  offices, 
and  distant  from  the  territories  in  which  a  majority  of  the 
proceedings  originate,  the  conference,  nevertheless,  ap- 
preciated the  value  of  a  central  appeal  board  to  reconcile 
the  conflicts  among  the  tribunals  as  to  the  proper  interpreta- 
tion of  the  decree. 

To  satisfy  independent  exhibitors  generally,  the  confer- 
ence recommends  the  following: 

"Whenever  a  complainant  so  elects  the  Local  Tribunal 
may  be  composed  of  three  arbitrators  to  be  chosen  from  the 
panel  in  the  usual  manner  to  hear  and  determine  his  case. 
In  that  event,  the  findings  as  to  the  facts  and  conclusions  of 
the  specially  constituted  tribunal  shall  be  final  and  con- 
clusive except  to  the  extent  that  the  conclusions  involve  or 
are  based  upon  an  interpretation  of  one  or  more  provisions 
of  the  amended  and  supplemental  decree.  In  such  cases  the 
Appeal  Board's  power  of  review  would  be  limited  to  inter- 
pretations of  the  decree*  and  to  determining  whether  there 
had  been  any  misconduct  on  the  part  of  the  arbitrators. 

"A  complainant  wishing  to  follow  the  established  pro- 
cedure with  a  single  arbitrator  and  a  right  of  full  review  by 
the  Appeal  Board  would  be  free  to  do  so." 

3.  Rules.  The  report  states  that  the  conference  did  not 
have  time  to  consider  and  make  recommendations  concern- 


*A  precedent  for  this  is  the  Criminal  Appeal  Act  (17.  S. 
C.  A.,  Tit.  18,  Ch.  682)  which  limits  the  Supreme  Court's 
jurisdiction  to  questions  involving  the  construction  or  valid- 
ity of  a  statute. 


ing  the  Rules  of  Arbitration,  but  that  it  may  reconvene  at  a 
later  date  should  it  become  necessary  to  take  action  regarding 
these  rules. 

VIII.  Monopolistic  Practices  for  Which  the 
Proposals  Provide  No  Remedy 

In  this  section  of  the  report,  the  conference  calls  attention 
to  the  fact  that  a  negotiated  decree  serves  only  to  curb,  not 
to  eliminate,  the  monopolistic  practices  of  the  distributor 
defendants.  Pointing  out  that  the  distributors'  proposals 
touch  upon  only  a  few  of  the  many  unfair  and  discrimi- 
natory practices  cited  in  the  Government's  original  Bill  of 
Complaint,  the  report  enumerates  several  of  the  neglected 
allegations  and  recommends  that  the  Government  insist  that 
a  remedy  be  provided  for  as  many  of  these  abuses  as  possible. 

"Most  of  the  enumerated  practices,"  continues  the  report, 
"deal  directly  or  indirectly  with  film  rentals;  and  the  con- 
ference was  fully  aware  of  the  difficulties  inherent  in  any 
attempt  to  deal  with  that  subject  in  a  consent  decree.  Never- 
theless, the  highly  restricted  film  market  ...  is  a  direct  result 
of  the  defendants'  monopoly;  and  that  restricted  market 
places  the  independent  exhibitor  completely  at  the  mercy 
of  the  little  group  of  willful  men  who  dominate  the  major 
distributing  companies.  So  long  as  the  consenting  defend- 
ants control  at  least  90%  of  the  larger  first  run  theatres, 
the  market  will  continue  to  be  closed  to  new  producers  and 
distributors,  and  competition  .  .  .  cannot  come  into  play; 
and  just  so  long  as  the  market  remains  monopolized,  the 
terms  and  conditions  imposed  upon  the  independent  ex- 
hibitors can  and  undoubtedly  will  become  more  and  more 
onerous  and  even  confiscatory." 

Citing  the  Government's  Bill  of  Complaint,  the  report 
lists  the  following  monopolistic  practices  contained  therein, 
which  have  been  ignored  in  the  distributors'  proposals: 

1.  'Arbitrary  designation  of  playdates."  This  abuse, 
states  the  report,  serves  to  extort  maximum  film  rentals  and 
extends  the  distributors'  control  over  the  operating  policies 
of  independent  theatres. 

2.  "Arbitrary,  unconscionable  and  discriminatory  film 
rentals."  Charging  that  competitive  conditions  cannot  be 
restored,  and  that  the  position  of  independent  exhibitors 
cannot  be  made  secure,  until  a  method  is  devised  to  prevent 
the  forcing  of  percentage  engagements,  the  report  states 
that  "there  is  more  than  a  mere  trade  practice  or  selling 
method  at  stake;  by  forced  percentage  engagements  the  dis- 
tributors force  themselves  into  an  unwelcome  partnership 
with  the  exhibitors  and  bring  the  latter's  theatres  under  their 
domination  and  control  just  as  effectively  as  though  they 
were  acquired  under  Sec.  XI  of  the  decree." 

As  a  solution,  the  conference  recommends  that  the  dis- 
tributors be  required  to  offer  all  percentage  pictures  on  a 
separate  contract,  so  that  an  exhibitor  would  not  be  com- 
pelled to  license  these  pictures  as  a  condition  of  obtaining 
other  flat  rental  pictures  in  a  group. 

3.  "Benefits,  favors  and  advantages  extended  by  the  de- 
fendants to  each  other." 

(a)  "Sharing  advertising  costs." 

(b)  "Optional  contracts."  Charging  that  the  distributors 
revise  their  contract  forms  from  time  to  time,  always  to  the 
detriment  of  the  independent  exhibitors,  the  conference  felt 
that  it  would  be  consistent  with  the  purpose  of  the  decree 
to  include  a  provision  requiring  that,  during  the  pendency 
of  the  ad  interim  decree,  the  defendant  distributors  obtain 
the  permission  of  the  Court  or  the  Government  before 
changing  the  contract  form  in  any  way  that  might  adversely 
affect  the  exhibitors,  and  that  the  exhibitors  be  given  the 
right  to  be  heard  regarding  proposed  changes  in  the  contract 
forms. 

Harrison's  Reports  believes  that  both  the  conference 
and  the  committee  have  done  a  thorough  and  splendid  job. 
They  have  analyzed  the  situation  fully;  they  have  studied  its 
implications  profoundly;  and  they  have  reported  their  find- 
ings and  recommendations  clearly  and  succintly. 

Most  of  their  suggestions  are  basic,  reflecting  exhibitor- 
demands  of  long  standing.  Some  of  the  suggestions  arc  novel, 
reflecting,  no  doubt,  a  new  approach  to  an  old  problem.  They 
should  be  given  careful  consideration,  because  they  come 
from  exhibitor  leaders  whose  experience  and  earnestness 
command  respect  for  their  views. 


36 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


February  26, 1944 


"See  Here,  Private  Hargrove"  with 
Robert  Walker  and  Donna  Reed 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  100  min.) 

Based  on  Marion  Hargrove's  best-seller  novel  of  the  same 
title,  this  comedy  with  an  army  background  is  amusing  mass 
entertainment.  The  story,  which  revolves  around  the  mis- 
adventures of  a  rookie  in  training,  drags  somewhat  in  spots, 
but  that  docs  not  appreciably  reduce  the  film's  entertaining 
quality,  for  it  is  a  pleasant  blend  of  romance  and  comedy. 
Robert  Walker,  as  the  recruit,  is  very  good.  Some  of  the 
predicaments  he  gets  himself  into  are  extremely  comical.  A 
laugh-provoking  situation  is  the  one  in  which  Walker, 
granted  a  furlough  and  needing  money  to  visit  his  girl,  vir- 
tually signs  his  life  over  to  his  buddies  in  order  to  obtain  a 
loan.  Donna  Reed,  as  Walker's  sweetheart,  gives  an  engag- 
ing performance: — 

Drafted  into  the  Army,  Robert  Walker,  a  naive  cub  re- 
porter, quickly  makes  friends  with  fellow-privates  Kcenan 
Wynn,  William  Phillips,  and  George  Offerman,  Jr.  Walker 
finds  himself  continually  assigned  to  K.P.  because  of  his 
ineptitude.  Noticing  that  Walker  was  attracted  to  Donna 
Reed,  a  hostess  in  a  canteen,  Wynn,  who  had  a  knack  for 
turning  everything  to  his  own  financial  advantage,  pretends 
that  he  operated  a  "date  bureau"  and  sells  Walker  a  date 
with  Donna.  When  Walker  calls  on  her,  Donna,  seeing  the 
humor  in  his  predicament,  keeps  the  date.  Both  fall  in  love. 
Walker  becomes  a  model  soldier,  hoping  that  he  will  be 
granted  a  furlough  so  that  he  could  visit  Donna,  who  had 
returned  to  her  home  in  New  York.  He  is  placed  in  charge 
of  a  gun  crew  during  practice  games  and,  because  of  his 
blundering,  is  captured  by  the  "enemy."  Expecting  that  his 
furlough  will  be  cancelled,  Walker  spends  his  savings.  The 
furlough,  however,  comes  through  on  schedule,  and  Walker 
is  virtually  compelled  to  sign  away  his  future  life's  earnings 
in  order  to  borrow  enough  money  from  his  three  buddies  for 
a  trip  to  New  York.  Returning  to  camp  after  a  glorious  time 
with  Donna,  Walker  is  persuaded  by  Wynn  to  get  them- 
selves "soft"  jobs  in  the  public  relations  department.  Both 
are  labelled  "yellow"  by  their  buddies,  who  break  friendship 
with  them.  Learning  that  their  old  battery  was  going  over- 
seas, the  boys  take  steps  to  be  transferred  back  and  succeed 
in  re-joining  their  buddies. 

Harry  Kurnitz  wrote  the  screen  play,  George  Haight  pro- 
duced it,  and  Wesley  Ruggles  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Robert  Benchley,  Ray  Collins,  Chill  Wills,  Grant  Mitchell 
and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Nine  Girls"  with  Ann  Harding, 
Jinx  Falkenburg  and  Anita  Louise 

(Columbia,  February  17;  time,  79  min.) 

A  mildly  entertaining  program  murder-mystery  melo- 
drama with  comedy  situations,  most  of  which  are  pretty 
silly.  Most  of  the  comedy  is  ineffective  because  it  is  forced. 
The  story  is  far-fetched,  and  is  developed  in  an  unbeliev- 
able way.  Moreover,  the  outcome  is  obvious;  and,  although 
the  murderess  is  not  identified  until  the  end,  it  is  simple  for 
one  to  guess  her  identity  long  before  then.  No  fault  can  be 
found  with  the  performances,  but  there  is  not  much  that  the 
players  could  do  with  the  material  on  hand : — 

When  Anita  Louise,  a  member  of  an  exclusive  girls' 
sorority,  is  found  murdered,  Police  Captain  Willard  Robert- 
son and  William  Demarest,  his  aide,  go  to  the  sorority's 
mountain  lodge  to  investigate.  There  they  find  Jinx  Falken- 
burg, Lynn  Merrick,  Leslie  Brooks,  Evelyn  Keyes,  Jeff  Don- 
nell,  Nina  Foch,  Shirley  Mills,  and  Marcia  Mae  Jones,  who 
were  being  chaperoned  by  Ann  Harding.  Robertson  learns 
that  Anita  had  been  disliked  by  the  other  girls,  each  of 
whom  had  threatened  her  at  one  time.  He  holds  the  girls 


as  suspects  and  orders  them  to  remain  in  the  lodge.  Sus- 
pecting one  another  of  the  crime,  the  girls  snoop  about  the 
lodge  all  through  the  night,  much  to  the  consternation  of 
Demarest,  who  had  been  left  to  guard  them.  Evelyn,  worried 
lest  circumstantial  evidence  point  to  her  as  the  murderess, 
confides  in  Miss  Harding.  On  the  following  night,  Miss 
Harding,  under  the  pretense  of  helping  Evelyn,  tricks  her 
into  writing  a  letter  that  could  be  interpreted  as  a  confession, 
then  attempts  to  poison  her.  But  the  sudden  entrance  of  one 
of  the  girls  spoils  her  plan.  After  a  series  of  other  happen- 
ings Robertson,  tricks  Miss  Harding  into  revealing  herself 
as  the  murderess.  She  confesses  that  she  killed  Anita  because 
of  her  constant  interference  with  her  plans  to  marry  Lester 
Matthews,  Anita's  father. 

Karen  DeWold  and  Connie  Lee  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Burt  Kelly  produced  it,  and  Leigh  Jason  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"The  Purple  Heart"  with  Dana  Andrews 
and  Sam  Levene 

(20the  Century-Fox,  March  release;  lime,  99  mm. 

A  powerful  drama;  it  grips  one  throughout.  The  story, 
which  revolves  around  the  farcical  trial  of  eight  captured 
American  flyers  charged  with  deliberately  bombing  and 
machine-gunning  civilians  during  the  raid  on  Japan,  is  the 
first  major  production  to  deal  with  Japanese  atrocities,  of 
which  much  has  been  brought  to  light  in  recent  weeks.  In 
spite  of  the  fact  that  it  is  a  grim  picture,  public  interest 
should  be  of  considerable  help  at  the  box-office.  The  tortures 
undergone  by  the  flyers  are  not  actually  shown,  but  the 
condition  in  which  they  are  returned  to  their  cell  is  so  in- 
dicative of  the  inhumanities  they  had  suffered  that  it  sends 
shudders  through  one.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  women  may  find 
it  a  bit  too  strong.  The  action,  which  is  divided  between  the 
Americans'  cell  and  a  Japanese  courtroom,  keeps  one  in 
tense  suspense.  The  film  is  a  strong  indictment  of  the  Japa- 
nese and,  at  the  same  time,  a  stirring  drama;  it  leaves  the 
spectator  proud  of  American  tenacity,  because  of  the  flyers' 
undaunted  courage,  and  determined  that  Japan  be  crushed, 
because  of  the  barbaric  instincts  inherent  in  its  people: — 

Despite  their  protests  that  civil  courts  have  no  jurisdiction 
over  military  prisoners,  Dana  Andrews,  Sam  Levene,  Richard 
Conte,  John  Craven,  Kevin  O'Shea,  Donald  Barry,  and 
Farley  Granger,  crew  of  a  B-25  bomber  plane,  are  compelled 
to  stand  trial  on  charges  of  bombing  civilian  objectives.  False 
testimony,  fake  films,  and  the  denial  of  the  right  to  cross- 
examine  witnesses  soon  convince  the  men  that  the  trial  was 
a  mere  device  set  up  to  justify  their  conviction.  A  furore  is 
created,  however,  when  General  Richard  Loo,  Jap  Army 
chief,  testifies  that  the  planes  came  from  an  aircraft  carrier, 
and  his  testimony  is  challenged  by  Admiral  Key  Chang,  Jap 
Naval  chief;  it  becomes  obvious  that  both  men  are  trying  to 
shift  responsibility  on  one  another  for  the  success  of  the  at- 
tack. The  trial  is  recessed  and,  in  the  chambers  of  Peter 
Chang,  the  judge,  both  men  submit  inconclusive  evidence 
of  their  claims.  Chang  demands  conclusive  evidence,  and 
Loo  promises  to  obtain  it.  Loo  offers  the  flyers  the  status  of 
ordinary  war  prisoners  if  they  will  reveal  where  their  planes 
came  from.  They  refuse.  One  by  one  they  are  beaten  and 
maimed  but  each  remains  silent.  As  a  compromise,  Loo  offers 
to  dismiss  the  charges  against  them  if  they  will  admit  that 
their  superiors  had  ordered  them  to  bomb  civilian  objec- 
tives. But  the  men,  realizing  that  Japan  would  capitalize  on 
the  propaganda  value  of  such  an  admission,  reject  his  offer. 
Loo,  his  prestige  smashed  by  the  men's  courage,  commits 
suicide.  Sentenced  to  die,  the  Americans  leave  the  court- 
room with  heads  high,  gratified  that  they  had  frustrated 
the  aims  of  the  Japs. 

Jerome  Cady  wrote  the  screen  play,  Darryl  F.  Zanuck  pro- 
duced it,  and  Lewis  Milestone  directed  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  MARCH  4,  1944  No.  10 


HERE  AND  THERE 

IT  SEEMS  AS  IF  Monogram,  which  has  made 
great  forward  strides  the  past  few  years,  is  becoming 
a  bit  too  big  for  its  britches. 

In  a  recent  service  bulletin,  M.  A.  Rosenberg, 
president  of  the  Allied  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Own- 
ers  of  Western  Pennsylvania,  takes  this  company  to 
task  for  its  selling  policy  on  "Where  Are  Your  Chil- 
dren." Stating  that  Monogram  is  rating  this  picture 
as  better  than  any  of  its  average  productions,  Rosen- 
berg points  out  that  those  exhibitors  who  have  con- 
tracted for  Monogram's  entire  product  cannot  date 
"Where  Are  Your  Children"  unless  they  have  dated 
all  previous  releases  before  or  at  the  time  of  dating 
this  picture. 

Referring  to  the  practice  as  "using  the  old  black- 
jack," Rosenberg  condemns  Monogram  for  using  its 
first  better  release  to  take  advantage  of  its  established 
customers,  who  have  stood  by  it  during  harder  times. 

According  to  Rosenberg,  the  success  of  this  picture 
has  caused  Monogram's  home  office  personnel,  terri- 
torial managers,  and  local  sales  staffs  to  strut  about 
like  peacocks.  He  further  states  that  the  exchanges, 
when  an  exhibitor  complains  against  the  practice  of 
their  forcing  other  features  as  a  condition  of  licensing 
"Where  Are  Your  Children,"  absolve  themselves  by 
asserting  that  this  policy  has  been  instituted  by  the 
home  office. 

Assuming  that  Rosenberg's  accusations  are  correct, 
Harrison's  Reports  deems  it  unfortunate  that 
Monogram,  through  a  short-sighted  sales  policy,  is  en- 
dangering the  good  will  that  it  has  so  carefully  built 
up,  particularly  in  the  last  few  years. 

Good  will  in  this  business  is  necessary,  and  a  lack 
of  it  is  a  definite  handicap.  The  artificial  product 
shortage  created  by  the  hoarding  of  pictures  by  the 
major  companies  has  given  the  smaller  producing  and 
distributing  companies  their  greatest  opportunity  in 
years  to  line  up  new  accounts.  This  is  the  time  for 
them  to  create  good  will  so  that,  if  one  of  the  coming 
years  should  be  lean,  they  may  depend  on  the  exhibi- 
tor's good  will  to  carry  them  through. 

This  paper  has  always  been  in  sympathy  with  the 
efforts  of  the  smaller  companies  to  better  their  posi- 
tions, and  has  always  urged  the  independent  exhibi- 
tors to  support  them.  It  regrets,  therefore,  to  see  that 
one  of  these  companies  is  resorting  to  the  objection- 
able practices  of  some  of  the  major  companies. 


NOW  THAT  CONGRESS  has  passed  the  tax 
bill  over  the  President's  veto  and  the  bill  has  become 
the  law  of  the  land,  the  new  admission  tax  rate  of  one 
cent  on  each  five  cents  or  major  fraction  will  become 
effective  on  April  1.  The  law  provides  that  the  new 
rates  are  temporary,  and  that  they  shall  end  "on  the 
first  day  of  the  first  month  which  begins  six  months  or 
more  after  the  date  of  the  termination  of  hostilities 
in  the  present  war." 

The  exhibior  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  law  does 
not  contemplate  that  he  absorb  the  increase  in  order 
to  maintain  his  present  rate  of  admissions.  The  law 
provides  that  the  increase  shall  be  paid  by  the  public. 
An  exhibitor  who  attempts  to  absorb  any  part  of  the 
tax  will  compel  his  competitors  to  do  likewise,  thus 
creating  an  admission-price  war  to  the  detriment  of 
one  another.  If  an  admission-price  war  is  to  be  averted, 
each  exhibitor  must  adopt  a  unified  policy  of  collect- 
ing the  tax  from  his  customers.  That  is  the  intent  of 
the  law. 

The  wise  exhibitor  will  take  immediate  steps  to 
inform  his  patrons  of  the  pending  increase,  and  to 
point  out  that  such  an  increase  represents  a  Govern- 
ment amusement  tax.  A  well  conceived  publicity 
campaign  should  help  to  lessen  the  sting  when  the  new 
rates  are  put  into  effect. 

*  *  * 

ANOTHER  SOUND  REASON  why  exhibitors 
should  not  attempt  to  absorb  any  part  of  the  tax  in- 
crease is  the  fact  that  the  new  tax  rules  add  to  the  cost 
of  operating  their  theatres.  Among  the  new  taxes  that 
will  affect  theatre  operation  are  the  increased  rates  on 
electric  bulbs  and  tubes,  local  and  long-distance  tele- 
phone calls,  passenger  transportation,  and  postal 
service. 

*  *  * 

AS  MOST  OF  YOU  already  know,  March  23  to 
March  29  has  been  designated  as  the  week  in  which 
motion  picture  theatres  will  take  up  collections  for  the 
Red  Cross  War  Fund. 

The  services  rendered  by  the  American  Red  Cross 
are  too  well  known  to  need  re-telling.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  it  is  the  greatest  of  humanitarian  services. 

This  paper  urges  every  exhibitor  to  do  his  utmost 
to  make  the  Red  Cross  drive  an  outstanding  success, 
for  now,  more  than  ever,  this  great  organization  de- 
serves the  unqualified  support  of  the  entire  country. 


38 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


March  4,  1944 


"The  Falcon  Out  West"  with  Tom  Conway 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  65  min.) 

Fair  program  entertainment.  Wherever  the  previous  pic 
tures  dealing  with  the  adventures  of  the  "Falcon"  have  gone 
over,  this,  too,  should  prove  acceptable.  The  story  follows 
the  usual  formula  used  in  the  series — that  of  combining 
murder-mystery  melodrama  with  comedy.  Though  the  story 
lacks  plausibility,  it  is  mystifying  enough  to  satisfy  the  most 
ardent  follower  of  that  type  of  entertainment.  This  time  the 
action  takes  place  on  a  Texas  ranch,  giving  the  production 
a  western  tang.  Tom  Conway,  continuing  his  part  of  the  self- 
appointed  detective,  plays  it  with  conviction.  As  in  the 
previous  pictures,  there  is  a  hint  of  romance  between  Con- 
way  and  the  heroine,  but  in  the  end  they  part: — 

On  the  eve  of  his  marriage  to  Carole  Gallagher,  a  model, 
Lyle  Talbot,  a  wealthy  Texan,  dies  mysteriously  of  snake 
poison  while  celebrating  at  a  New  York  night-club.  Present 
as  he  dies  are  Tom  Conway,  a  private  investigator;  Joan 
Barclay,  Talbot's  former  wife;  Don  Douglas,  Talbot's  attor- 
ney; and  Carole.  Conway  takes  charge  of  the  investigation, 
but  is  soon  replaced  by  Police  Inspector  Cliff  Clark  and 
Detective  Edward  Gargan,  with  whom  he  had  long  been  at 
odds.  Pending  further  investigation,  Carole  is  released  in 
the  custody  of  Douglas.  She  heads  secretly  for  Talbot's 
Texas  ranch,  but  Conway  and  the  others  learn  of  her  trip 
and  follow  her.  At  the  ranch,  Conway  learns  that  Carole 
sought  to  take  possession  of  the  property  on  the  claim  that 
Talbot  had  deeded  it  to  her.  The  deed,  however,  had  been 
stolen  from  Talbot's  safe.  When  an  attempt  is  made  on 
Carole's  life,  and  it  is  learned  that  Minor  Watson,  Talbot's 
partner,  stood  to  benefit  by  Talbot's  death,  Inspector  Clark 
uncovers  evidence  pointing  to  Watson  as  the  possible  mur- 
derer, and  charges  him  with  the  crime.  Watson's  men,  en- 
deavoring to  protect  him,  implicate  him  even  more.  Mean- 
while Conway,  not  satisfied  with  the  inspector's  deductions, 
carries  on  an  investigation  of  his  own.  After  a  series  of 
happenings,  in  which  suspicion  is  thrown  on  the  different 
characters,  Conway  proves  that  Carole  had  murdered  Tal- 
bot to  gain  possession  of  the  ranch,  and  also  to  marry  Lee 
Trent,  the  ranch  foreman,  with  whom  she  was  in  love. 

Billy  Jones  and  Morton  Grant  wrote  the  screen  plan, 
Maurice  Geraghty  produced  it,  and  William  Clemens  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Barbara  Hale  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Knickerbocker  Holiday"  with 
Nelson  Eddy,  Charles  Coburn  and 
Constance  Dowling 

(United  Artists,  no  release  date  set;  time,  85  min.) 

A  humorous  musical  comedy,  based  on  the  Broadway  stage 
play  of  the  same  title.  The  story,  which  satirizes  the  Dutch 
council  government  of  early  New  York,  during  the  reign 
of  Peter  Stuyvesant,  is  told  in  terms  of  music,  comedy,  and 
romance.  The  outstanding  feature  is  the  tuneful  musical 
score,  which  is  sung  by  the  different  characters  in  what 
might  be  called  comic  opera  style.  Nelson  Eddy,  as  the 
crusading  young  publisher  who  fights  against  Stuyvesant's 
corrupt  administration,  carries  the  burden  of  the  singing  in 
his  usual  good  voice.  Charles  Coburn  provokes  much  laughter 
by  his  roguish  portrayal  of  "Peg-leg"  Stuyvesant.  The  pro- 
duction values  are  good,  and  the  photography  and  direction 
are  handled  capably: — 

New  Amsterdam  is  agog  one  morning  following  the  an- 
nouncement that  Peter  Stuyvesant,  the  new  Governor,  will 
arrive  that  day.  Brom  Broeck  (Nelson  Eddy)  writes  a  biting 
editorial  to  the  Governor,  charging  the  New  Amsterdam 
councilmen  with  heavy  taxation  and  destroying  the  people's 
rights.  Tienhoven  (Ernest  Cossert),  the  chief  councilman, 
orders  Broeck's  arrest.  When  Stuyvesant,  a  shrewd  poli- 
tician, arrives  and  learns  why  Broeck  was  arrested,  he  orders 
his  immediate  release  and  appoints  him  Secretary  of  Print- 
ing. Exercising  dictatorial  powers,  Stuyvesant  ousts  the 
councilmen  so  that  he  alone  will  profit  from  the  taxes.  In 


the  meantime  Tienhoven,  seeking  Styuvesant's  favor,  per- 
suades his  daughter  Tina  (Constance  Dowling),  who  was 
Broeck's  sweetheart,  to  be  attentive  to  the  Governor.  Stuy- 
vesant, to  get  Broeck  out  of  the  way,  sends  him  on  an  im- 
portant mission.  When  Broeck  returns  and  begins  to  court 
Tina,  Stuyvesant  throws  him  into  jail.  Broeck,  aided  by 
Tina,  manages  to  escape,  and  he  prints  pamphlets  accusing 
Stuyvesant  of  being  a  tyrant.  After  a  series  of  incidents,  in 
which  Tina  steals  Stuyvesant's  silver-studded  leg  to  hamper 
his  movements,  Broeck  succeeds  in  rousing  the  people,  who 
demand  that  the  Governor  be  hung.  Broeck  hurries  to 
Stuyvesant  and  compels  him  to  reduce  taxes  and  agree  to 
other  reforms.  Stuyvesant,  addressing  the  people  himself, 
promises  them  better  government,  and  announces  the  mar- 
riage of  Broeck  and  Tina. 

David  Bochm  and  Rowland  Leigh  wrote  the  screen  play, 
and  Harry  Joe  Brown  produced  and  directed  it  for  Producers 
Corporation  of  America.  The  cast  includes  Otto  Kruger, 
Percy  Kilbride,  Fritz  Feld,  Johnny  "Scat"  Davis,  Shelly 
Winter,  Chester  Conklin  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Voice  in  the  Wind"  with  Francis  Lederer 
and  Sigrid  Gurie 

(United  Artists,  March  10;  time,  85  min.) 
A  grim  depressing  drama,  with  a  sordid  background. 
Aside  from  good  performances,  there  is  not  much  in  it  to 
recommend;  the  story  is  pointless,  and  it  is  hardly  the  type 
of  entertainment  motion  picture-goers  want  to  see  today,  for 
it  is  cheerless.  It  may  direct  some  appeal  to  class  audiences 
because  of  the  excellent  classical  music  score,  but  its  morbid 
theme  and  slow-moving  action  make  it  unsuitable  for  the 
rank  and  file.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  an  audience  composed 
mainly  of  defense  workers,  who  attended  the  premiere  of 
this  picture  in  Camden,  N.  J.,  shifted  about  restlessly  all 
through  the  showing  and  continuously  tittered  at  scenes  that 
were  meant  to  be  dramatic.  The  low  key  photography  ac- 
centuates the  film's  depressiveness.  Produced  on  a  modest 
budget,  the  picture  was  originally  slated  for  distribution 
by  PRC:— 

Given  permission  by  the  Nazis  to  present  a  concert, 
Francis  Lederer,  famed  Czech  pianist,  plays  "The  Moldau," 
a  national  air,  in  defiance  of  the  Nazi  ban  against  it.  Realiz- 
ing that  he  had  incurred  the  wrath  of  the  Nazis,  and  that 
Sigrid  Gurie,  his  fiancee,  may  suffer  at  their  hands,  Lederer 
manages  to  smuggle  her  out  of  the  country.  Before  he  him- 
self can  escape,  however,  he  is  captured  and  subjected  to 
violence,  which  leaves  him  mentally  unbalanced.  En  route  to 
a  concentration  camp,  Lederer  overpowers  his  guards  and 
escapes.  He  makes  his  way  to  the  isle  of  Gaudalupe,  a  haven 
for  refugees,  where  he  is  tolerated  as  a  harmless  half-wit, 
who  lived  in  a  disheveled  waterfront  shack.  He  worked,  at 
times,  for  Alexander  Granach,  who,  together  with  his  un- 
scrupulous brothers  (J.  Carroll  Naish  and  David  Cota), 
smuggled  and  murdered  refugees  escaping  from  Europe. 
Lederer  would  often  sit  at  a  piano  in  a  waterfront  saloon 
and  improvise  music.  Unknown  to  him,  Sigrid  lay  dying 
across  the  street  in  the  dingy  apartment  of  J.  Edward  Brom- 
berg  and  Olga  Fabian,  an  elderly  couple,  who  had  brought 
her  to  the  isle  as  a  fellow  refugee.  Sigrid,  hearing  Lederer's 
music,  makes  her  way  to  the  street  and  collapses.  She  is 
found  by  Lederer,  who  runs  off  like  a  frightened  animal 
when  a  policeman  approaches.  Meanwhile  Naish  seeks  to 
harm  Lederer;  in  a  semi-lucid  moment,  the  demented  man, 
realizing  that  he  was  a  pawn  of  Granach  and  his  brothers, 
had  sunk  their  murder  boat.  Naish  beats  him,  and  the  physi- 
cal violence  snaps  Lederer's  mind  back  to  normal.  Mortally 
wounded,  Lederer  stumbles  to  the  bedside  of  Sigrid,  who 
had  died,  and  collapses  on  her  bed.  Both  are  reunited  in 
death. 

Frederick  Torberg  wrote  the  screen  play  from  an  original 
story  by  Arthur  Ripley.  Rudolph  Monter  and  Mr.  Ripley 
produced  it.  Mr.  Ripley  also  directed  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


March  4,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


39 


"Sailor's  Holiday"  with  Arthur  Lake, 
Jane  Lawrence  and  Bob  Haymes 

(Columbia,  February  24;  time,  60  min.) 

Mediocre  program  fare.  Aside  from  the  children,  this 
slapstick  comedy  will  have  little  appeal  for  picture-goers  in 
general.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  most  adults  will  find  it  extremely 
tiresome.  What  there  is  to  the  story  serves  merely  as  a 
framework  for  a  series  of  slapstick  situations,  most  of  which 
are  stupid,  not  comical.  There  are  some  laughs,  but  they  are 
few  and  far  between.  It  rates  no  better  than  the  lower  half 
of  a  second-rate  mid-week  double  bill  in  secondary  theatres: 

Lewis  Wilson,  a  tough  sailor,  and  Arthur  Lake,  his  ship- 
mate, come  to  Hollywood  to  spend  their  furlough.  The 
two  meet  Bob  Haymes,  a  lonesome  sailor,  and  all  three  go 
to  the  apartment  of  Jane  Lawrence,  Wilson's  girl-friend, 
whom  he  planned  to  marry.  At  the  apartment,  Wilson's 
jealousy  is  aroused  by  the  presence  of  Edmund  MacDonald, 
a  stunt  man,  who  returns  Wilson's  dislike.  Jane  asks  Shelley 
Winters,  a  movie  extra,  to  spend  the  evening  with  Haymes, 
although  she  herself  perferred  the  young  man  to  Wilson. 
Shelley,  on  the  other  hand,  cared  more  for  Wilson  than  for 
Haymes.  Plans  are  made  for  Jane's  and  Wilson's  marriage 
on  the  following  night.  Haymes  confesses  to  Shelley  that  he 
loves  Jane,  and  she  admits  her  love  for  Wilson.  Both  agree 
that  it  would  be  to  every  one's  happiness  if  they  all  made 
known  their  true  feelings.  On  the  night  of  the  wedding, 
Jane,  having  promised  Wilson  that  many  stars  would  attend 
their  wedding,  employs  a  number  of  extras  to  impersonate 
different  movie  personalities.  After  a  series  of  nonsensical 
happenings,  in  which  MacDonald  tries  unsuccessfully  to 
keep  the  preacher  from  attending  the  wedding.  Shelley  con- 
vinces Wilson  that  it  would  be  a  mistake  for  him  to  marry 
Jane.  It  all  ends  in  a  double  ceremony,  with  Jane  marrying 
Haymes,  and  Shelley  marrying  Wilson. 

Manny  Seff  wrote  the  screen  play,  Wallace  MacDonald 
produced  it,  and  William  Berke  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Two-Man  Submarine"  with  Tom  Neal 
and  Ann  Savage 

(Columbia,  March  16;  time,  64  min.) 

Routine  program  fare.  It  is  one  of  those  implausible  melo- 
dramas, with  a  war  angle,  which  may  get  by  with  the  action 
fans,  because  it  is  fast-moving  and  has  a  number  of  exciting 
moments.  Although  the  title  indicates  sea  action  of  a  sort, 
actually,  the  story  has  little  to  do  with  submarine  warfare. 
The  action  takes  place  on  a  South  Pacific  island,  and  it  re- 
volves around  the  efforts  of  an  American  medical  research 
group  to  prevent  the  Japs  from  obtaining  a  secret  formula 
having  to  do  with  penicillin.  The  plot  is  fashioned  after 
familiar  ingredients,  and  the  spectator  guesses  in  advance 
just  what  is  going  to  happen.  Discriminating  audiences  may 
find  it  tiring: — 

Tom  Neal  and  Lloyd  Bridges,  medical  research  workers 
on  a  South  Pacific  island,  carry  on  experiments  for  the  pro- 
duction of  penicillin.  Both  are  aided  by  J.  Carroll  Naish, 
a  grizzly  physician;  Abner  Biberman,  a  Eurasion  handyman, 
who  was  a  secret  enemy  agent;  and  a  handful  of  friendly 
natives.  Neal,  impatient  to  fight  with  guns  instead  of  with 
test  tubes,  is  pleased  when  Ann  Savage  arrives  on  the  island 
to  replace  him.  He  decides  to  remain,  however,  when  Bridges 
is  mysteriously  murdered  while  investigating  the  loss  of 
three  jars  of  penicillium  mold.  Realizing  that  some  one  on 
the  island  sought  to  obtain  the  formula  for  penicillin,  Neal 
destroys  the  only  existing  copy  of  the  formula  and,  frankly 
telling  his  co-workers  that  he  suspected  each  of  them,  an- 
nounces that  he  alone  knows  the  formula  from  memory. 
Later,  Robert  Williams,  a  shipwrecked  sailor,  is  rescued  by 
the  natives  and  brought  to  the  camp.  In  the  course  of  events, 
Ann  and  Neal  catch  Biberman  signalling  to  a  Jap  two-man 
submarine  off  shore.  Neal  manages  to  capture  Biberman  and 
the  two  Japs,  only  to  be  confronted  by  Williams,  who  re- 
veals himself  as  a  Nazi  U-Boat  commander.  As  Williams 


tortures  Neal  in  an  attempt  to  extract  the  formula  from  him, 
Naish  enters  and  offers  the  information;  he  gives  the  Nazi 
a  fake  formula.  Neal,  in  an  unguarded  moment,  escapes. 
Later,  he  meets  Ann  and  learns  that  Williams'  U-Boat  was 
coming  in  to  refuel  from  a  submerged  oil  tank  in  the  middle 
of  the  bay.  Neal  swims  out  to  the  tank  and  cleverly  rigs  a 
hand  grenade  to  the  fuel  line.  After  a  series  of  heroics,  in 
which  Neal  and  Naish  rescue  Ann  from  the  anchored 
U-Boat,  the  Nazi  submarine  is  blown  up  when  a  sailor  at- 
tempts to  connect  the  fuel  line. 

Griffin  Jay  and  Leslie  T.  White  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jack 
Fier  produced  it,  and  Lew  Landers  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Going  My  Way"  with  Bing  Crosby, 
Rise  Stevens  and  Barry  Fitzgerald 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  127  min.) 

Great  entertainment  for  all  types  of  audiences;  it  has 
deep  human  appeal,  delightful  comedy,  and  pathos.  In  pre- 
senting the  story  of  a  modern  young  priest  who  is  sent  to 
an  impoverished  church  to  straighten  out  its  financial  diffi- 
culties, the  producer  has  endowed  it  with  a  warmth  and 
simplicity  that  will  appeal  to  the  masses.  Although  Bing 
Crosby  has  done  good  work  in  almost  every  one  of  the 
pictures  he  has  so  far  appeared  in,  his  work  in  this  picture 
is  without  question  the  best  in  his  career.  As  the  progressive, 
music-loving  young  priest,  he  wins  the  spectator's  sympathy 
by  his  kindly,  unobtrusive  manner,  and  by  his  deep  under- 
standing of  those  whom  he  aids.  Equally  as  good  is  the  per- 
formance of  Barry  Fitzgerald,  as  the  cantankerous  but  kindly 
old  priest,  whose  difficulties  Crosby  solves.  The  closing 
sequence  has  a  great  emotional  appeal;  there,  Fitzgerald  and 
his  ninety-year-old  mother,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  many 
years,  are  brought  together  by  Crosby.  This  sequence  is  so 
touching  that  one  finds  it  difficult  to  hold  back  the  tears. 
Rise  Stevens,  famed  opera  contralto,  sings  several  numbers 
pleasantly.  Her  acting,  however,  is  undistinguished.  Crosby, 
too,  sings  a  few  songs: — 

Assigned  to  a  financially  unstable  church  as  curate  to 
Barry  Fitzgerald,  who  founded  and  built  the  church  many 
years  previously,  Bing  Crosby  does  not  reveal  that  the 
Bishop  had  sent  him  to  replace  Fitgerald,  and  leads  the  old 
priest  to  believe  that  he  was  still  in  charge.  Fitzgerald,  at 
first  disturbed  by  Crosby's  modern  ways  and  progressive 
methods,  soon  becomes  devoted  to  the  young  man.  Crosby 
helps  to  eliminate  juvenile  delinquency  in  the  neighborhood 
by  organizing  the  tough  boys  into  a  choir.  When  a  neigh- 
borhood gossip  complains  that  Jean  Heather,  a  flighty 
eighteen-year-old  girl,  was  acting  in  an  indiscreet  manner 
with  James  Brown,  whose  father  (Gene  Lockhart)  held  the 
mortgage  on  the  church,  Crosby  takes  an  interest  in  the 
young  couple  and  eventually  leads  them  to  the  altar.  Aided 
by  Rise  Stevens,  an  opera  star,  and  Frank  McHugh,  a  young 
priest  from  a  parish  nearby,  both  former  schoolmates,  Crosby 
secretly  sells  one  of  his  songs  to  help  pay  off  the  church's 
debts.  He  arranges  for  the  money  to  be  donated  during  Sun- 
day services,  leading  Fitzgerald  to  believe  that  he  still  re- 
tained his  oratorical  power.  Fitzgerald,  his  mind  free  from 
financial  worries,  contemplates  a  trip  to  Ireland  to  visit  his 
ninety-year-old  mother,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  many 
years.  His  plans  are  upset,  however,  when  the  church  burns 
down,  and  his  health  fails  because  of  the  disaster.  But  his 
strength  returns  when  Crosby,  aided  by  Miss  Stevens,  who 
takes  the  choir  on  tour,  raises  funds  for  the  rebuilding  of 
the  church.  Fitzgerald's  happiness  is  dampened,  however, 
when  he  learns  that  the  Bishop  had  assigned  Crosby  to 
another  poverty-stricken  parish  to  help  rehabilitate  it.  At  a 
touching  farewell  church  service,  Crosby,  as  he  departs, 
brings  overwhelming  joy  to  Fitzgerald  by  leading  his  aged 
mother  to  him. 

Frank  Butler  and  Frank  Cavett  wrote  the  screen  play,  and 
Leo  McCarey  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Eily  Malyon,  Stanley  Clemens  and  others. 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


March  4,  1944 


"You  Can't  Ration  Love"  with  Betty  Rhodes 
and  Johnny  Johnston 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  77  min.) 
A  pretty  entertaining  program  comedy,  with  music,  suit- 
able for  the  family  trade.  The  story,  though  thin,  is  an  amus- 
ing satire  on  rationing,  offering  comedy,  music,  dancing,  and 
romance  of  the  type  to  appeal  to  most  picture-goers.  Most 
of  the  picture's  entertaining  quality  is  due  to  the  sprightly 
performances  of  the  cast.  Betty  Rhodes  and  Johnny  Johnston 
make  a  good  romantic  team,  and  both  sing  very  well.  It  is  a 
fast-moving  film,  with  enough  humorous  situations  to  keep 
audiences  chuckling  throughout.  The  musical  numbers  are 
tuneful: — 

Because  so  many  of  the  male  students  had  gone  to  war, 
the  girls  of  Adams  College  institute  a  date-rationing  plan 
for  the  remaining  men  on  the  campus,  giving  each  man  a 
point  value  commensurate  with  his  attractiveness.  Prize 
catch  of  the  campus  was  Bill  Edwards,  who  had  a  thirty 
point  value.  Betty  Rhodes,  his  girl-friend,  suspected  that 
Marjorie  Weaver,  a  campus  leader,  had  planned  the  ration- 
ing movement  to  snare  Edwards  away  from  her.  To  thwart 
Marjorie,  Betty  gets  hold  of  Johnny  Johnston,  a  studious 
young  man,  whose  two  point  value  was  the  lowest  on  the 
campus,  and  plans  to  remodel  him  from  head  to  toe  to  raise 
his  point  value;  by  selling  her  dates  with  Johnston,  Betty 
hoped  to  secure  enough  extra  points  to  have  continuous 
dates  with  Edwards.  Her  plan  backfires,  however,  when  she 
falls  in  love  with  Johnston  and,  much  to  her  dismay,  he 
becomes  the  most  sought  after  man  on  the  campus.  Johnston, 
learning  of  Betty's  original  intentions,  refuses  to  speak  to 
her.  To  dissuade  the  girls  from  chasing  after  him,  Betty 
slyly  hints  that  she  and  Johnston  had  been  married  secretly, 
and  that  she  was  going  to  have  a  baby.  Marjorie,  becoming 
sympathetic,  persuades  the  other  girls  to  avoid  Johnston. 
Learning  of  Betty's  statement,  and  angry  because  the  stu- 
dents believed  her,  Johnston  decides  to  leave  school.  The 
girls,  however,  forcibly  stop  him  from  deserting  his  "bride." 
Meanwhile  Marjorie,  suspicious,  confronts  Betty  with  the 
local  justice  of  the  peace,  by  whom  Betty  had  supposedly 
been  married.  When  Betty  confesses  the  hoax,  the  girls  start 
chasing  Johnston  once  again.  To  save  himself  from  the  man- 
hungry  co-eds,  Johnston  arranges  with  the  justice  of  the 
peace  to  perform  an  immediate  ceremony  for  Betty  and 
himself. 

Val  Burton  and  Hal  Fimberg  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Michael  Kraike  produced  it,  and  Lester  Fuller  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Marie  Wilson,  Johnny  "Scat"  Davis  and 
others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Hour  Before  the  Dawn"  with 
Franchot  Tone  and  Veronica  Lake 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  73  min.) 

A  fairly  interesting  drama,  with  a  spy  angle,  but  no  bet- 
ter than  program  fare.  It  may  do  better  than  average  business 
because  of  the  leading  players'  marquee  value.  The  story, 
which  is  based  on  W.  Somerset  Maugham's  novel,  revolves 
around  the  transformation  of  a  young  British  aristocrat  from 
a  conscientious  objector  to  an  R.A.F.  pilot  when  he  learns 
that  his  refugee  wife  was  a  Nazi  agent.  The  story  unfolds  in 
so  obvious  a  manner  that  it  lacks  the  element  of  surprise. 
Moreover,  the  action  for  the  most  part  is  slow.  While  the 
work  of  the  supporting  cast  is  commendable,  not  much  can 
be  said  for  the  performances  of  the  leading  players: — 

Franchot  Tone  abhors  guns  and  killings,  because,  as  a 
youth,  he  had  accidentally  shot  and  killed  his  dog.  He  de- 
clines to  go  hunting  with  Henry  Stephenson,  his  father,  who 
was  a  retired  general,  and  John  Sutton,  his  brother,  a  flight 
commander  in  the  R.A.F.  Binnie  Barnes,  Sutton's  wife,  tries 
to  encourage  Tone's  marriage  to  Veronica  Lake,  an  Austrian 
refugee,  who  was  governess  to  her  young  son.  Tone  loved 


Veronica,  but  she  hesitated  to  marry  him.  Actually,  she  was 
a  secret  Nazi  agent.  With  the  outbreak  of  war.  Tone,  a 
pacifist,  declares  himself  a  conscientious  objector.  He  is 
deferred  from  service  and  ordered  to  find  employment  on  a 
farm.  Veronica's  plan  to  guide  the  Luftwaffe  to  a  secret  air- 
field nearby  is  thwarted  when  an  order  is  issued  calling  for 
the  evacuation  of  all  aliens  from  the  area.  She  averts  the 
evacuation  by  marrying  Tone,  and  goes  to  live  with  him  in 
a  cottage  near  the  airfield.  Meanwhile  Nils  Asther,  one  of 
Veronica's  confederates,  poses  as  a  Dutch  pacifist  and  tries 
to  involve  Tone  in  a  scheme  for  a  negotiated  peace.  Tone's 
suspicions  are  aroused  when  several  incidents  indicate  that 
Veronica  was  associated  with  Asther.  She  manages  to  allay 
his  suspicions,  however,  and  makes  immediate  plans  to 
carry  out  her  mission  and  to  escape.  While  Tone  is  away 
late  one  night,  she  sets  fire  to  a  haystack  to  guide  the  Luft- 
waffe to  the  airfield.  Binnie's  young  6on,  having  seen  Ver- 
onica set  the  fire,  rushes  to  Tone  with  the  news.  Tone  makes 
his  way  through  the  air  raid  to  the  cottage,  and  finds 
Veronica  about  to  leave.  She  threatens  to  shoot  him.  Realiz- 
ing that  killing  is  sometimes  necessary,  Tone  strangles  her. 
His  pacifist  views  abandoned,  Tone  joins  the  R.A.F. 

Michael  Hogan  wrote  the  screen  play,  William  Dozier 
produced  it,  and  Frank  Tuttle  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Philip  Merivale,  David  Leland  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Navy  Way"  with  Robert  Lowery, 
Jean  Parker  and  Bill  Henry 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  74  mm.) 

Just  a  mildly  entertaining  program  service  melodrama. 
The  story  is  trite,  the  action  slow,  and  the  dialogue  stilted. 
Although  it  has  a  naval  background,  it  does  not  go  in  for 
war  action,  but  centers  instead  on  the  activities  of  a  group 
of  recruits,  who  are  taught  the  spirit  of  the  Navy  while 
training  at  the  Great  Lakes  Naval  Station.  Since  there  is 
nothing  unusual  about  the  story,  or  its  depiction  of  naval 
training  methods,  one's  attention  lags  considerably.  A  ro- 
mance has  been  worked  into  the  plot: — 

Bitter  because  his  induction  had  interfered  with  his  chance 
at  the  championship  title,  as  well  as  with  the  chance  of 
helping  his  poor  parents,  Robert  Lowery,  a  prizefighter,  gets 
off  to  a  bad  start  with  Chief  Petty  Officer  Robert  Arm- 
strong. His  arrogance  and  cockiness  make  him  unpopular 
with  his  mates,  but  they  soon  learn  to  understand  him  and 
help  him  to  attain  graduation.  Meanwhile  Lowery  had 
fallen  in  love  with  Jean  Parker,  a  WAVE.  Given  leave  be- 
fore starting  boot  training,  Lowery  and  his  mates  celebrate 
at  the  Chicago  home  of  Bill  Henry,  a  wealthy  young  man, 
who  was  a  member  of  Lowery's  company.  All  agree  to  meet 
again  at  Henry's  home  the  day  before  they  go  back  to  the 
station  at  the  end  of  their  leave.  While  Lowery  is  away 
visiting  his  parents,  Henry  escorts  Jean  about  Chicago.  Both 
fall  in  love.  When  Lowery  returns  to  Henry's  home  for  the 
reunion,  he  discovers  Jean  and  Henry  in  an  embrace.  Em- 
bittered, he  refuses  to  listen  to  their  explanation  and  heads 
for  a  saloon,  which  was  out  of  bounds.  Henry  hurries  after 
Lowery  to  stop  him  from  going  AWOL.  Lowery,  drunk, 
starts  a  fight  with  Henry,  and  both  are  arrested  by  a  shore 
patrol.  Both  are  brought  before  the  commandant  on  charges, 
but  Lowery  absolves  Henry  of  any  blame.  The  captain  in- 
forms Lowery  that  his  offense  is  punishable  by  dishonorable 
discharge  and  takes  his  case  under  advisement.  Lowery's 
parents,  called  by  Henry,  come  to  the  station  to  plead  with 
the  commandant  for  leniency.  Meanwhile  Lowery,  seeing  the 
error  of  his  ways,  bares  his  heart  to  Chaplain  Joseph  Gre- 
han.  The  commandant,  convinced  that  Lowery  had  learned 
what  the  Navy  meant,  allows  him  to  rejoin  his  company. 

Maxwell  Shane  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  William  Pine 
and  William  Thomas  produced  it.  William  Berke  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Roscoe  Karns,  Mary  Treen  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  MARCH  11,  1944  No.  11 


Heads  I  Win  —  Tails  You  Lose 


For  twenty-five  years  I  have  been  making  my  living  put- 
ting words  together  to  express  thoughts;  for  this  reason  I 
ought  to  be  able  in  some  measure  to  understand  what  a 
fellow  may  say  with  words.  But  I'll  be  darned  if  I  can  make 
out  what  the  following  means:  it  is  Clause  "A"  in  the  new 
Columbia  contract: 

"There  are  licensed  for  exhibition  hereunder  all  of  the 
sound  photoplays  of  feature  length  (exclusive  of  the  so- 
called  Western  group  of  photoplays  hereinafter  referred  to 
and  exclusive  of  any  productions,  (not  exceeding  however 
four  productions)  to  be  selected  and  designated  by  Dis- 
tributor, which  are  generally  licensed  in  accordance  with 
Distributor's  general  sales  policy  separate  and  apart  from 
licenses  embracing  Distributor's  Special  Feature  Attractions 
hereinafter  referred  to)  or  such  or  so  many  of  them  as  may 
be  specified  hereunder  under  the  heading  'Special  Feature 
Attractions,'  embraced  in  the  Distributor's  group  of  pic- 
tures to  be  known  as  'H-4,'  not  less  than  thirty  (30)  and 
not  more  than  forty-four  (44),  which  shall  be  generally  re- 
leased by  the  Distributor  for  distribution  to  motion  picture 
theatres  in  the  United  States  during  the  period  commencing 
September  1,  1944,  and  ending  September  30,  1945,  and 
embraced  in  said  'H-4'  (except  such  photoplays  as  Dis- 
tributor is  required  by  contract  to  obtain  the  consent  or 
approval  of  the  producer  or  director  thereof  or  other  party 
to  the  terms  and  conditions  of  licensing  the  exhibition  there- 
of) and  identified  by  designation  numbers  running  from 
6001  to  6044  " 

Are  you  confused  by  the  parenthesis  within  a  paren- 
thesis? You  shouldn't  be,  for  the  whole  clause  is  one  grand 
confusion  of  thought.  It  is  evident  that  the  persons  who 
drafted  it,  either  were  confused,  or  set  out  to  confuse  their 
company's  exhibitor  customers  so  that  the  home  office  might 
be  able  to  twist  the  meaning  for  its  own  benefit. 

After  the  first  hour  of  studying  the  clause,  I  thought  it 
meant  the  following: 

1.  Columbia  licenses  to  the  exhibitor  all  its  1944-45 
pictures. 

2.  From  these  pictures  it  excludes  its  Westerns  and  any 
features  (not  exceeding  four)  that  it  would  pull  out  and 
make  specials  out  of  them.  These  (four  or  fewer)  excluded 
features,  Columbia  intends  to  license  in  accordance  with 
its  general  sales  policy  of  selecting  certain  pictures  to  be 
sold  "separate  and  apart  from  licenses  embracing  Distrib- 
utor's Special  Feature  Attractions"  referred  to  in  the  con- 
tract. Excluded  from  the  contract  are  also  pictures  that  are 
classified  as  "Special  Feature  Attractions,"  which  are  desig- 
nated in  the  contract  as  "Group  H-4,"  not  fewer  than 
thirty  and  not  more  than  forty-four,  bearing  numbers  run- 
ning from  6001  to  6044,  to  be  released  between  September 
1,  1944  and  September  30,  1945. 

Despite  the  "parsing"  of  the  clause,  however,  I  could  not 
for  the  life  of  me  determine  whether  the  pictures  of  the 
"H-4"  group,  by  which  the  "Special  Feature  Attractions" 
(numbered  beginning  with  the  number  6001)  are  desig- 
nated, are  part  of  the  regular  1944-45  program  or  an  addi- 
tion to  it.  I  presume  that  they  are  the  1944-45  pictures. 
But  this  is  only  a  guess;  I  cannot  make  it  out  from  the 
text. 


After  struggling  with  the  clause  for  another  hour,  I 
seemed  to  make  out  a  different  meaning: 

1.  Columbia  licenses  to  the  exhibitor  all  its  1944-45  fea- 
ture-length pictures.  These  will  be  the  pictures  that  Colum- 
bia will  release  generally  during  the  period  beginning  Sep- 
tember 1,  1944  and  ending  September  30,  1945,  bearing 
the  numbers  6001  to  6044.  They  are  listed,  by  number,  in 
the  schedule  as  "Special  Feature  Attractions,"  and  are 
designated  as  "Group  H-4." 

If  the  exhibitor,  instead  of  buying  the  forty-four  pictures, 
should  buy  only  (for  example)  twenty,  it  is  assumed  that 
they  will  be  specified  in  the  schedule  as  beginning  with 
the  number  6001  and  ending  with  the  number  6020,  al- 
though the  clause  doesn't  says  so. 

2.  From  the  features  specified  in  the  schedule  of  "Special 
Feature  Attractions."  Columbia  reserves  the  right  to  pull 
out  a  maximum  of  four  pictures  and  to  sell  them  as  specials, 
separately — apart  from  the  regular  contract. 

In  regards  to  those  who  may  buy  only  twenty  pictures 
of  the  "H-4"  group,  the  question  now  is:  when  Columbia 
pulls  out  four  pictures,  will  it  deliver  to  such  contract-holder 
only  sixteen  pictures,  or  will  it  deliver  twenty,  replacing 
those  that  it  has  pulled  out  with  four  other  pictures?  And, 
will  the  replacements  be  the  pictures  numbered  6021,  6022, 
6023,  6024,  or  will  Columbia  use  as  replacements  any  four 
pictures  it  may  choose  at  any  time  during  the  life  of  the 
contract? 

With  regard  to  those  who  will  buy  the  entire  program 
consisting  of  a  maximum  of  forty-four  pictures,  will  Colum- 
bia give  them  only  forty  pictures,  or  will  it  produce  and 
deliver  to  its  customers  four  extra  pictures  so  as  to  keep  the 
total  number  intact? 

Columbia,  is  acting  like  the  "wise"  farmer  who  sells  you 
a  box  of  apples  and  tells  you  that  he  is  going  to  choose  out 
of  the  box  a  number  of  the  best  apples  to  sell  them  for 
more  money,  but  he  does  not  offer  to  reduce  the  price  of 
the  remaining  poor  apples. 

But  no  matter  which  way  you  interpret  the  aforemen- 
tioned clause,  you  only  guess  what  it  means — you  are  never 
sure. 

•  •  * 

Is  there  any  necessity  for  confusion?  Not  unless  a  com- 
pany wants  to  create  confusion;  there  are  so  many  words  in 
the  English  dictionary  that  no  writer  can  find  it  difficult  to 
express  his  thoughts  on  paper,  particularly  when  dealing  in 
the  sale  of  commodities. 

If  you  should  decide  to  buy  Columbia's  1944-45  pictures, 
regulars,  specials  or  otherwise,  insist  that  the  home  office 
interpret  this  clause  for  you.  There  will  be  less  misunder- 
standing between  you  and  Columbia  if  they  should  go  to 
the  necessary  trouble  of  making  clear  your  rights  in  the 
contract. 

*  *  * 

When  I  wrote,  "If  you  should  decide  to  buy  Columbia's 
1944-45  pictures,"  I  was  reminded  of  a  piece  of  information 
pertinent  to  this  matter,  I  was  informed  that  recently  an 
exhibitor  organization  held  a  membership  meeting  at  which 
more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  theatres  were  represented. 
The  Chairman  asked  those  present:  "How  many  of  you 
{Continued  on  last  page) 


42 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


March  11,  1944 


"Shine  on  Harvest  Moon"  with 
Ann  Sheridan  and  Dennis  Morgan 

(Warner  Bros.,  April  8;  time,  112  min.) 

Based  on  the  life  and  career  of  Nora  Bayes,  this  is  a 
fair  romantic  drama  with  music.  The  individual  perform- 
ances are  good,  but  the  story,  even  if  it  follows  Miss  Bayes' 
career  faithfully,  has  been  done  many  times  and  presents 
nothing  novel.  Moreover,  the  action  lags  considerably  in 
spots.  In  contrast  with  most  musicals,  however,  it  has  human 
interest,  awakened  by  the  affection  between  Ann  Sheridan 
and  Dennis  Morgan,  and  by  their  efforts  to  help  each  other. 
Miss  Sheridan,  as  Nora  Bayes,  docs  well;  her  singing  voice 
has  a  sympathetic,  throaty  quality,  which  is  reminiscent  of 
Miss  Bayes'  voice.  The  action  takes  place  during  1906,  and 
a  number  of  the  songs  are  the  popular  tunes  of  that  era. 
The  finish  is  a  lavish  production  number,  in  Technicolor,  of 
"Shine  on  Harvest  Moon,"  the  song  Miss  Bayes  immortal- 
ized. S.  Z.  Sakall,  as  a  blustering  vaudeville  booker,  and 
Jack  Carson,  as  a  magician,  provoke  some  laughs  by  their 
antics,  but  for  the  most  part  the  film  lacks  a  good  comedy 
punch: — 

Jack  Norworth  (Dennis  Morgan),  song  writer  and  vaude- 
ville star,  goes  to  a  dance  palace  to  hear  Nora  Bayes,  an 
unknown,  sing  one  of  his  songs.  Impressed  by  her  voice, 
Norworth  offers  to  help  get  her  into  vaudeville.  Because  of 
his  attentions,  she  is  fired  by  Don  Costcllo  (Robert  Shayne), 
owner  of  the  place.  With  the  aide  of  Georgctti  (Jack  Car- 
son), a  magician,  and  Margie  (Marie  Wilson),  his  assistant, 
Norworth  persuades  a  theatre  manager  to  give  Nora  a  trial. 
Costcllo,  however,  arranges  for  his  henchmen  to  boo  her  off 
the  stage.  Norworth  arranges  for  Nora  to  team  up  with 
Blanche  Mallory  (Irene  Manning)  in  a  sister  act,  but  on 
opening  night,  Irene,  jealous  of  Norworth's  attentions  to 
Nora,  quits  in  a  huff.  Norworth  himself  teams  up  with  Nora, 
and  marries  her.  They  gain  fame  as  a  vaudeville  team  and 
are  on  the  verge  of  signing  a  big  contract  when  Costello, 
now  head  of  a  powerful  theatre  chain,  sees  that  they  are 
blacklisted  at  every  theatre.  Despite  their  disappointments, 
Norworth  and  Nora  remain  devoted  to  each  other.  Norworth 
interests  a  music  publisher  in  one  of  his  songs,  but  the  pur- 
chase of  the  song  hinges  upon  approval  by  Blanche,  now  a 
top  vaudeville  star,  who  demands  that  Norworth  leave 
Nora  and  team  up  with  her.  Norworth  declines.  Nora  learns 
of  the  incident  through  Marie's  chattering.  She  leaves  him, 
thinking  it  best  for  his  career.  Heartbroken,  Norworth  ac- 
cepts work  in  cheap  burlesque  houses.  Poppa  Karl  (S.  Z. 
Sakall),  a  mutual  friend,  determines  to  bring  the  pair  to- 
gether again.  He  locates  Nora  in  Atlantic  City  plugging 
songs  in  a  dime  store,  and  brings  her  to  New  York  to  attend 
one  of  Norworth's  performances.  Seeing  her  sitting  in  a 
box,  Norworth  invites  her  to  sing  with  him.  A  talent  scout, 
impressed  with  their  singing,  signs  them  for  the  Ziegfeld 
Follies. 

Sam  Hellman,  Richard  Weil,  Francis  Swann,  and  James 
Kern  wrote  the  screen  play.  William  Jacobs  produced  it,  and 
David  Butler  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Hot  Rhythm"  with  Robert  Lowery, 
Irene  Ryan  and  Tim  Ryan 

(Monogram,  April  7;  time,  79  min.) 

A  typical  program  comedy  with  popular  music,  which 
should  get  by  in  theatres  that  cater  to  the  followers  of  this 
type  of  entertainment.  The  story  is  somewhat  inane,  and 
most  of  the  comedy  is  ineffective  because  it  is  forced,  but  the 
action  moves  along  at  a  fast  pace  and  it  manages  to  be  fairly 
amusing.  Irene  Ryan,  as  a  scatter-brain  secretary,  provokes 
most  of  the  laughs,  making  more  of  the  material  than  what 
it  really  offers.  The  music  is  tuneful: — 


Robert  Lowery  and  Sidney  Miller,  song  writers  for  a 
recording  company  owned  by  Tim  Ryan,  meet  Donna  Drake, 
a  singer,  who  wanted  to  become  a  soloist  with  a  band.  To 
put  her  over,  the  boys,  using  a  recording  of  Jerry  Cooper's 
orchestra,  trick  Donna  into  making  a  record,  synchronizing 
her  voice  with  Cooper's  music.  Through  an  error,  thousands 
of  pressings  are  made  of  the  record,  which  is  distributed  by 
Ryan's  company.  Ryan  is  compelled  to  buy  back  the  records 
from  the  dealers  when  Robert  Kent,  Cooper's  manager, 
threatens  to  sue  him.  Meanwhile  Cooper,  intrigued  by  the 
girl's  voice,  instructs  Kent  to  find  her  and  sign  her  to  a 
contract.  No  one,  however,  knew  Donna's  identity,  for 
Lowery  and  Miller  had  kept  it  a  secret,  lest  Ryan  learn  that 
they  were  responsible  for  the  mix-up.  Through  a  misunder- 
standing Kent,  believing  that  Irene  Ryan,  Ryan's  secretary, 
is  the  mystery  singer,  signs  her  to  a  contract.  Ryan  eventu- 
ally learns  that  Lowery  and  Miller  were  responsible  for  his 
troubles;  he  discharges  them.  The  boys,  however,  get  new 
jobs,  and  succeed  in  obtaining  a  contract  for  Donna  with 
Cooper'6  band.  Kent  finds  himself  with  Irene  under  con- 
tract, but  doesn't  realize  that  she,  too,  is  a  singing  sensation. 
Knowing  Irene's  true  value,  Ryan  buys  her  contract  from 
Kent,  on  the  condition  that  he  drop  the  law  6uit  against  him. 

Tim  Ryan  and  Charles  Marion  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Lindslcy  Parsons  produced  it,  and  William  Beaudine  di- 
rected it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Hi,  Good  Lookin'  "  with  Harriet  Hilliard, 
Kirby  Grant  and  Eddie  Quillan 

(Universal.  March  24;  time,  62  min.) 

A  moderately  amusing  program  comedy  with  music,  suit- 
able as  a  supporting  feature  in  spots  where  comedy  relief  is 
needed  to  round  out  a  double-bill.  The  story  is  thin  and 
quite  far-fetched,  but  it  has  enough  comedy  situations  and 
laughs  to  satisfy  those  who  are  not  too  discriminating.  The 
action  is  not  exciting,  but  it  is  breezy  and  moves  along  at  a 
steady  pace.  The  music,  which  is  of  the  popular  variety,  is 
sung  pleasantly  by  Harriet  Hilliard  and  Kirby  Grant: — 

Harriet  Hilliard  arrives  in  Hollywood  to  meet  Eddie 
Quillan,  who  had  led  her  to  believe  that  he  was  a  radio 
executive,  and  that  he  would  put  her  on  the  air  as  a  singer. 
She  is  disillusioned  and  peeved  to  find  that  Quillan  is  no 
more  than  a  guide  at  the  studios.  Through  an  exchange  of 
suitcases  in  a  hotel  lobby,  Harriet  makes  the  acquaintance  of 
Kirby  Grant,  a  famous  radio  singer,  who  falls  in  love  with 
her  immediately.  Quillan,  sensing  an  opportunity,  informs 
Grant  of  Harriet's  singing  ambitions  and  induces  him  to 
arrange  for  her  to  be  given  a  trial  on  an  all-night  broadcast. 
Fuzzy  Knight,  owner  of  the  radio  station,  insists  that  Grant 
sing  with  Harriet,  but  agrees  to  keep  his  identity  a  secret. 
Grant's  singing  with  Harriet  creates  a  sensation,  but  his  own 
program  suffers  because  of  his  lack  of  sleep.  Grant's  sponsors 
decide  to  discharge  him  and  to  hire  Harriet  and  her  mystery 
tenor.  The  sponsors  contact  Quillan,  who,  unaware  that 
they  were  Grant's  employers,  arranges  for  them  to  meet 
Harriet  and  her  unknown  partner  at  a  night-club.  There 
Grant,  without  revealing  that  he  was  Harriet's  partner, 
learns  that  his  sponsors  sought  to  oust  him.  Milburn  Stone, 
a  columnist,  attempts  to  expose  Grant  as  the  mystery  singer, 
but  Grant  prevents  him  from  doing  so  by  starting  a  fight. 
The  sponsors  discharge  Grant  and  agree  to  try  Harriet  for 
one  broadcast.  On  the  night  of  her  debut,  Grant  reveals 
himself  as  the  mystery  tenor.  The  broadcast  is  a  huge  suc- 
cess, and  the  sponsors  sign  the  young  couple  to  a  lengthy 
contract. 

Frank  Gross  produced  it,  and  Edward  Lilley  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Roscoe  Karns,  Betty  Kean  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


March  11, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


43 


"The  White  Cliffs"  with  Irene  Dunne, 
Alan  Marshal  and  Roddy  McDowall 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  127  min.) 

Combining  romance,  light  comedy,  and  tragedy,  this  is 
a  strong  human  interest  drama,  with  a  particular  appeal 
for  women,  because  the  story,  which  deals  with  the  anguish 
suffered  by  a  wife  and  mother  in  war-time,  reflects  the  heart- 
aches most  of  them  are  undergoing  in  these  days.  The  pro- 
duction, direction,  and  acting  are  of  the  highest  order.  And 
the  personal  charm  and  popularity  of  Irene  Dunne  should, 
in  itself,  bring  patrons  to  the  box-office.  Miss  Dunne  wins 
the  spectator's  sympathy  at  the  very  beginning  and  retains 
it  throughout.  One  feels  deeply  the  tragedy  that  befalls  her 
when  her  husband  loses  his  life  in  the  first  World  War, 
shortly  after  their  marriage,  and  when  her  son  meets  a 
similar  fate  in  the  present  conflict.  While  there  are  many 
situations  that  will  draw  tears,  the  action  is  by  no  means 
all  tragic.  There  is  a  delightful  romance  between  Miss 
Dunne  and  Alan  Marshal,  and  a  number  of  amusing  situ- 
ations handled  capably  by  both  Frank  Morgan  and  C. 
Aubrey  Smith.  Roddy  McDowall,  as  Miss  Dunne's  son,  as 
a  boy,  is  very  appealing: — 

Irene  Dunne,  an  American  girl,  visits  England  with  her 
father  (Frank  Morgan),  a  small-town  newspaper  publisher, 
prior  to  World  War  I.  There  she  falls  in  love  with  Alan 
Marshal,  a  young  nobleman,  and  marries  him  after  a  whirl- 
wind courtship.  Their  honeymoon  is  interrupted  when 
war  is  declared  and  Marshal  leaves  for  France.  Both  manage 
to  see  each  other  in  Dieppe  during  one  of  Marshal's  fur- 
loughs. On  Armistice  Day,  Irene  receives  word  of  Marshal's 
death.  She  decides  to  remain  in  England  to  rear  her  son, 
whom  Marshal  had  never  seen.  Years  later,  Irene's  father, 
fearing  a  new  war,  urges  her  to  return  to  America  with  her 
boy  (Roddy  McDowall).  When  Marshal's  mother  (Gladys 
Cooper)  dies,  and  Irene  finds  Roddy  and  herself  alone  on 
the  estate,  she  decides  to  accept  her  father's  advice.  But 
Roddy,  reminding  her  that  his  father  would  have  liked 
him  to  carry  on  the  family's  traditions,  influences  her  to 
remain,  despite  her  fears  that  he,  too,  may  one  day  meet 
her  husband's  fate.  The  year  1942  finds  Irene,  a  Red  Cross 
Commandant  in  a  London  hospital,  anxiously  awaiting  the 
return  of  wounded  soldiers  from  a  raid  on  Dieppe.  Among 
those  brought  to  the  hospital  is  her  son  (Peter  Lawford), 
mortally  wounded.  Informed  that  her  boy  had  but  four 
hours  to  live,  Irene  comforts  him  in  his  last  moments.  He 
dies  as  she  stands  before  an  open  window,  describing  to 
him  a  parade  of  American  soldiers,  the  first  contingent  to 
land  in  England,  who,  like  their  fathers  before  them,  had 
come  to  fight  for  a  "peace  that  will  stick." 

Claudine  West,  Jan  Lustig,  and  George  Froeschel  wrote 
the  screen  play,  based  on  the  poem  by  Alice  Duer  Miller. 
Sidney  Franklin  produced  it,  and  Clarence  Brown  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Van  Johnson,  Dame  Mae  Whitty,  John 
Warburton  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Hat  Check  Honey"  with  Grace  McDonald 
and  Richard  Davis 

(Universal,  March  10;  time,  69  mm.) 

A  pleasing  program  picture,  even  though  the  story  is 
formula,  revolving  around  a  hero  who  gets  a  swell  head  be- 
cause of  success,  eventually  coming  to  his  senses.  Both 
Richard  Davis  and  Grace  McDonald  having  pleasing  per- 
sonalities. The  part  played  by  Leon  Errol,  who  is  presented 
as  an  ill  mannered  vaudevillian,  is  highly  exaggerated  and 
unbelievable,  but  his  antics  should  provoke  laughter,  par- 
ticularly in  crowded  houses.  Freddy  Slack  and  his  orchestra, 
Ted  Weems  and  his  orchestra,  and  Harry  Owens  and  his 
Royal  Hawaiians,  contribute  considerably  to  the  entertain- 
ment values.  The  photography  is  pleasing  to  the  eye: — 

Richard  Davis,  son  of  Leon  Errol,  pushed  out  of  their 
act  by  his  father,  who  felt  that  he  was  a  drag  on  his  son, 


obtains  a  minor  job  in  a  swanky  nightclub  and,  through  the 
efforts  of  Grace  McDonald,  hat-check  girl,  who  had  taken 
an  interest  in  him,  he  gains  recognition  as  a  singer.  In  time, 
Richard  has  his  own  band.  Ramsay  Ames,  a  popular  movie 
actress,  becomes  attracted  to  him,  and  Richard  eventually 
lands  in  Hollywood,  engaged  to  play  opposite  Ramsay. 
Leon  sends  West  Grace,  who  loved  Richard;  she  also  had 
literary  ambitions.  When  she  reaches  the  studio,  a  high- 
pressure  producer  gives  her  a  job  as  a  messenger  girl.  Leon 
comes  West,  bringing  along  his  bad  manners  of  loud  talking 
and  acting  rowdy.  Walter  Catlett,  Richard's  high-pressure 
manager,  makes  Richard  understand  that  his  father's  pres- 
ence does  him  no  good.  Success  goes  to  Richard's  head. 
Eventually  he  becomes  so  muddled  that  he  breaks  his  con- 
tract and  returns  East.  Grace  writes  a  story,  which  Milburn 
Stone,  the  producer,  accepts,  but  Grace  refuses  to  sell  it 
unless  Richard  and  Leon  appear  in  it.  This  brings  father 
and  son  West.  Richard,  now  sobered  up,  realizes  how  much 
Grace  meant  to  him. 

Maurice  Leo  and  Stanley  Davis  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Will  Cowan  produced  it,  and  Edward  F.  Cline  directed  it. 

Not  harmful  to  children. 


"Cover  Girl"  with  Rita  Hayworth 
and  Gene  Kelly 

(Columbia,  Apri!  6;  time,  107  mm.) 

This  musical  should  please  the  masses  pretty  well.  Photo- 
graphed in  Technicolor,  the  settings  are  lavish  and  the  music 
and  dance  routines  good.  The  story,  however,  is  of  the 
typical  backstage  variety,  following  a  formula;  it  has  not 
been  given  any  novel  twists.  Before  the  first  half  is  over, 
one  knows  just  what  is  going  to  happen.  But  if  the  specta- 
tors overlook  the  triteness  of  the  plot,  they  should  find  many 
entertaining  features — tuneful  music,  bright  comedy,  ro- 
mance, and  excellent  dancing  by  Rita  Hayworth  and  Gene 
Kelly.  The  sequence  in  which  Kelly  dances  with  what  might 
be  called  his  "sub-conscious  self,"  is  a  superb  dance  routine 
and  a  most  ingenious  bit  of  trick  photography.  Rita  Hay- 
worth gives  a  vibrant  performance,  scoring  in  each  of  the 
numbers  she  appears,  whether  it  be  singing  or  dancing. 
Phil  Silvers  and  Eve  Arden  do  well  with  the  comedy: — 

Rita  Hayworth,  chorus  girl  in  a  nondescript  Brooklyn 
night-club  operated  by  Gene  Kelly,  her  sweetheart,  enters 
a  "Cover  Girl"  contest  sponsored  by  a  national  magazine. 
Otto  Kruger,  the  publisher,  takes  an  interest  in  Rita,  be- 
cause she  was  the  image  of  a  girl  with  whom  he  had  been 
in  love  years  previously.  Later,  he  learns  that  Rita  was  the 
grand-daughter  of  that  woman.  Under  Kruger's  guidance, 
Rita  becomes  famous  nationally,  but  takes  her  success  in 
level-headed  fashion,  not  allowing  it  to  interfere  with  her 
love  for  Kelly.  When  Lee  Bowman,  a  Broadway  producer, 
importunes  Rita  to  leave  Kelly's  night-club  and  to  become 
his  new  star,  Kelly,  refusing  to  stand  in  the  way  of  her 
future,  deliberately  breaks  with  Rita.  Bewildered  and  hurt, 
Rita  leaves  him  angrily  and  goes  to  Bowman.  Despite  her 
continued  success  and  numerous  marriage  proposals  from 
Bowman,  Rita  retains  her  love  for  Kelly.  She  returns  to 
Brooklyn  after  many  months,  only  to  find  the  night-club 
closed  and  Kelly  gone.  Miserable  and  disappointed  at 
Kelly's  disappearance,  she  agrees  to  marry  Bowman.  News 
of  her  pending  marriage  depresses  Kelly.  Realizing  that  Rita 
and  Kelly  loved  each  other  deeply,  Phil  Silvers,  a  mutual 
friend,  visits  Kruger  and  asks  him  to  intercede.  On  the  day 
of  the  wedding,  as  Rita  begins  the  processional  on  the  arm 
of  Kruger,  the  publisher  induces  her  to  leave  Bowman  at 
the  altar  and  to  return  to  Kelly. 

Virginia  Van  Upp  wrote  the  screen  play,  Arthur  Schwartz 
produced  it,  and  Charles  Vidor  directed  it.  Jerome  Kern 
wrote  the  music  and  Ira  Gershwin  the  lyrics.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Jinx  Falkenburg,  Leslie  Brooks,  Jess  Barker,  Ed 
Brophy  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


44 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


March  11,  1944 


bought  Columbia's  1942-43  pictures?"  All  but  two  raised 
their  hands.  When  they  were  asked:  "How  many  of  you 
bought  the  1943-44  pictures  of  this  company?"  only  two 
exhibitors  raised  their  hands.  One  of  them  stated  that  he 
had  made  his  contract  in  June  and  had  no  way  of  getting 
out  of  it;  the  other,  that  pictures  were  so  scarce  in  his 
locality  that  he  had  to  have  this  company's  product. 

In  publicizing  its  annual  sales  drive,  which  has  been 
labeled  "Dates  To  Win,"  Columbia  is  stressing  the  close 
relationship  that  exists  between  the  exhibitors  and  its  sales 
organization.  The  aforementioned  incident  should  give  you 
a  pretty  good  idea  of  just  how  deep  is  really  that  relationship. 

What  Columbia  should  really  do  is  to  have  a  sales  drive 
labeled  "A  Square  Deal  for  the  Exhibitor,"  supported  by 
a  new  policy  under  which  the  exhibitor  actually  gets  a 
square  deal.  This  would  bring  about  a  closer  relationship 
between  the  distributor  and  its  customers  than  all  the  words 
and  mouthings  and  parentheses  that  Columbia  has  used  in 
the  past  three  years. 


AN  ANSWER  TO  A  QUESTION  ABOUT 
"THE  SONG  OF  BERNADETTE" 

This  office  has  received  the  following  letter  from  a 
prominent  Allied  leader: 

"I  have  a  question  which  you  might  develop  editorially 
for  the  benefit  of  your  subscribers  and  the  prestige  of 
Harrison's  Reports,  if  it  appeals  to  you. 

"I  do  not  know,  and  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  here, 
the  exact  conditions  of  the  Academy  awards.  However,  I 
had  supposed  that  the  only  pictures  or  performances  eligible 
for  the  competition  were  pictures  or  performances  in  pic- 
tures that  had  been  released. 

"It  seems  to  me  to  be  very  strange  that  an  award  should 
be  made  for  a  picture  or  a  performance  which  the  public  has 
never  had  the  opportunity  to  see. 

"Looking  at  the  release  chart  in  the  current  (March  4) 
issue  of  Motion  Picture  Herald  (the  only  paper  immediately 
at  hand)  I  find  that  'The  Song  of  Bernadctte'  not  only 
has  not  been  released  but  that  the  release  date  has  not  been 
set. 

"The  wildest  rumors  are  current  as  to  the  terms  which 
20th  Century-Fox  will  demand  for  the  picture;  some  to  the 
effect  that  the  company  will  demand  the  same  terms  that 
Metro  demanded  for  'Gone  With  the  Wind,'  or  Paramount 
demanded  for  'For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls.' 

"If  the  rules  have  been  changed  or  by-passed  for  this 
picture,  that  fact  should  be  exposed.  If  the  picture  was 
eligible  under  the  rules,  then  the  rules  are  subject  to 
criticism. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  the  Academy  award  for  a  picture  or 
a  performance  (in  this  case  the  performance  of  Jennifer 
Jones)  should  not  be  given  prior  to  general  release  and  the 
announcement  of  terms.  Even  though  the  voting  may  have 
been  conducted  without  regard  to  commercial  considera- 
tions, still  the  exhibitors  and  the  public  are  going  to  suspect 
that  the  purpose  was  to  lay  the  foundation  for  demanding 
exorbitant  terms  and  piling  up  enormous  profits. 

"I  very  much  hope  you  will  see  fit  to  go  into  this  matter." 

The  conditions  under  which  a  picture  may  be  entered  for 
the  Academy  Award,  given  to  the  outstanding  picture  of 
the  year  at  the  meeting  held  in  Hollywood  late  in  February 
or  early  in  March,  are  that  it  be  exhibited  in  the  Los 
Angeles  district  prior  to  January  1. 

Awards  are  made  also  for  the  following:  (1)  Best  per- 
formances by  a  leading  actor;  (2)  best  performance  by  a 
leading  actress;  (3)  best  performance  by  a  supporting  actor; 
(4)  best  performance  by  a  supporting  actress;  (?)  best 
direction;  (6)  best  screen  play;  (7)  best  original  screen 
play;  (8)  best  original  story,  written  specially  for  the 
screen;  (9)  best  art  direction;  (10)  best  photography;  (11) 
best  sound  recording;  (12)  best  film  editing;  (13)  best 
special  effects;  (14)  best  short  subjects  of  1000  feet,  3000 
feet,  and  cartoons;  (15)  best  scoring  of  (a)  musical  picture, 
(b)  dramatic  picture,  (c)  comedy  picture,  (d)  original 
song  written  for  the  screen. 


In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  voting  is  done  only  by  studio 
personnel,  neither  a  picture's  national  release  date,  nor  its 
performance  at  the  box-office,  is  taken  into  consideration 
when  the  awards  are  made,  in  accordance  with  the  rules 
of  the  Academy.  These  rules  are  made  by  the  members  of 
the  Academy,  and  may  be  changed  only  by  its  membership. 

Nominations  arc  made  by  the  Class  "A"  members  of  the 
different  guilds. 

The  awards  given  to  Paul  Lukas,  Jennifer  Jones,  Charles 
Coburn  and  Katina  Paxinou,  so  far  as  acting  is  concerned, 
seem  to  have  won  the  approval  of  every  critic  as  justifiable, 
but  much  politics  is  played  by  the  studios,  which  prize  these 
awards  highly.  In  former  years  there  were  complaints  that 
the  selections  were  the  result  of  high  pressure,  and  even  of 
deals. 

This  paper  cannot  ascertain  whether  Twentieth  Century- 
Fox  will  use  the  fact  of  Jennifer  Jones'  award  to  demand 
of  the  exhibitors  higher  rentals.  It  can,  however,  and  does 
recommend  to  the  Academy  that  the  rules  be  changed  so 
that  the  only  pictures  eligible  for  awards  be  those  pictures 
in  general  release  at  least  thirty  days  before  the  end  of 
the  year. 


WHAT  IS  THE  PICTURE  INDUSTRY 
DOING  FOR  ITSELF? 

Greta  Palmer  went  to  Hollywood  with  the  idea  of  writing 
a  story  for  Liberty  magazine,  panning  the  daylights  out  of 
Hollywood,  but  came  away  with  a  different  impression; 
and  in  the  February  19  issue  she  wrote  a  story  that  presented 
Hollywood  as  it  is — hard-working,  level-headed,  spending 
money  lavishly  but  not  unwisely,  and  with  one  thought 
in  mind,  to  make  pictures  that  will  be  a  credit  to  it,  as  well 
as  to  the  entire  nation. 

"Hollywood,"  Miss  Palmer  said,  "hasn't  the  faintest  ap- 
preciation of  its  own  value."  She  closes  her  article  as  fol- 
lows: "Ladies  and  Gentlemen!  Hollywood  is  collosal.  Col- 
losal?  Hell,  it's  good!" 

Another  writer,  Bosley  Crowther,  of  the  New  York 
Times,  has  written  expressing  a  real  appreciation  of  what 
the  industry  is  doing  for  the  American  public.  In  the  Sun- 
day, March  5,  issue,  he  said  partly: 

"Probably  you  haven't  stopped  to  notice  .  .  .  how  much 
motion  pictures  have  come  along  in  the  past  couple  of 
years  as  a  means  of  communication  between  the  public  and 
those  who  have  thoughts  to  transmit.  .  .  . 

"With  the  war  and  the  sense  of  the  peril  .  .  .,  the  screen 
has  emerged  as  a  real  and  effective  medium  for  the  spread- 
ing of  pertinent  facts.  Government  information  services 
(not  only  of  our  own  but  those  of  other  nations  as  well,) 
the  military  forces,  institutions — all  have  aimed  to  reach  the 
masses  through  the  screen.  ...  As  a  consequence,  the 
motion  picture  industry,  which  is  essentially  a  commercial 
enterprise,  has  been  moved  to  accept  a  relation  to  the  public 
which  it  but  vaguely  acknowledged  in  the  past — that  of  a 
public  service  charged  with  an  educational  job.  .  .  ." 

At  the  recent  trade-press  interview  of  Nate  Blumberg, 
president  of  Universal,  I  asked  Mr.  Blumberg  why  the 
industry  has  not  resorted  to  institutional  advertising  to  keep 
the  public  informed  of  the  services  the  picture  industry  has 
rendered  and  is  rendering,  not  only  to  the  public,  but  also 
to  the  nation,  and  I  was  encouraged  by  him.  He  stated  that 
the  present  feeling  of  the  industry's  leaders  is  to  resort  to 
institutional  advertising. 

When  I  read  the  well-written,  beautifully  illustrated  ad- 
vertisements that  are  inserted  in  newspapers,  magazines 
and  other  media  by  the  different  industries,  such  as  the 
motor  industry,  the  oil  industry,  the  aeroplane  industry, 
which  expect  no  profits  from  the  public  right  now  on  ac- 
count of  the  fact  that  they  cannot  deliver  to  it  any  of  their 
products,  I  feel  keenly  the  lack  of  advertising  designed  to 
win  the  good  will  of  the  public  for  our  industry.  The  motion 
picture  industry  has  rendered  as  great  a  service  to  the 
nation  as  any  of  the  other  industries.  And  yet  the  other 
industries  are  spending  money  to  gain  the  public's  good  will 
whereas  our  industry  has  gone  to  sleep. 

There  is  still  time;  let's  wake  up! 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


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Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

OreatBrfta^'  **** It'll  A  Moti°n  PiCtUre  Reviewine  Service   

Y  ™  -NT  ""^'Wa'  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 
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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  MARCH  18,  1944  No.  12 


PARAMOUNT'S  JUGGLING 

Neil  Agnew,  general  sales  manager  of  Paramount, 
has  just  announced  that  "Going  My  Way,"  with 
Bing  Crosby,  originally  scheduled  for  release  in  this 
season's  fourth  block,  has  been  withdrawn  and  will 
be  released  later  in  the  season. 

The  reason  for  this  withdrawal  is  given  as  "the 
tremendous  success"  "Lady  in  the  Dark,"  "The 
Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek,"  "The  Uninvited  Guest," 
and  "Standing  Room  Only"  have  made,  getting  a 
"large  number  of  play-dates  and  extended  playing 
time." 

Mr.  Agnew  announced  also  that  "The  Hitler 
Gang"  is  scheduled  for  release.  Although  he  did  not 
say  when  he  will  release  it,  I  have  been  informed  that 
it  will  be  included  in  the  fourth  block. 

This  is  not  the  first  time  that  Paramount  announced 
a  picture  in  one  block  and  later  withdrew  it.  They 
did  so  with  a  picture  in  the  second  block — "The 
Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek."  They  sent  out  engraved 
invitations  in  this  area  informing  the  trade  that  the 
picture  would  be  shown  at  the  Normandie  Theatre 
and,  just  before  the  picture  went  on,  a.  Paramount 
employee  appeared  on  the  stage  and  announced  to 
those  present,  reviewers  as  well  as  exhibitors,  that  they 
would  show  "Riding  High,"  which  was  part  of  the 
second  block,  instead  of  "The  Miracle  of  Morgan's 
Creek."  He  gave  as  a  reason  the  fact  that  the  picture 
was  sent  back  to  Hollywood  for  re-editing  and  for 
shooting  new  scenes. 

One  month  afterwards,  the  picture  was  tradeshown 
in  England.  This  indicates  that  "re-editing"  and 
"shooting  new  scenes"  were  not  the  reasons  for  the 
withdrawal,  for  if  those  were  the  reasons  it  would 
have  taken  at  least  six  months  before  the  picture  could 
have  been  tradeshown  in  that  country. 

The  other  pictures  of  the  fourth  block  are  "You 
Can't  Ration  Love,"  with  Betty  Rhodes  and  Johnny 
Johnston;  "The  Navy  Way"  with  Robert  Lowery 
and  Jean  Parker;  and  "The  Hour  Before  the  Dawn" 
with  Franchot  Tone  and  Veronica  Lake.  All  these 
are  of  program  grade,  so  far  as  the  quality  goes,  even 
though  the  third  picture  has  two  popular  stars.  The 
picture  Paramount  now  intends  to  put  in  the  place  of 
the  Bing  Crosby  picture  is  "The  Hitler  Gang,"  with 
Bobby  Watson  and  Martin  £osleck. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  picture  has  not  yet  been 
tradeshown,  I  cannot  say  how  good  or  bad  it  is,  but 
the  star  values  are  nil. 

Perhaps  Paramount  is  entitled  to  make  these 
changes  legally,  but  I  doubt  whether  it  is  entitled  to 
do  so  on  moral  grounds. 

That  the  juggling  of  pictures  in  the  manner  of 
Paramount  is  considered  by  the  exhibitors  as  an  abuse 


may  be  evidenced  by  the  fact  that,  among  the  recom- 
mendations made  to  the  Department  of  Justice  by  the 
independent  exhibitors'  conference,  held  in  Chicago 
on  January  31  and  February  1,  was  the  following 
recommendation : 

"  (Announced  groups.  The  conference  recommends 
the  insertion  in  the  decree  of  the  following  in  order  to 
prevent  the  inequities  resulting  from  the  practice  of 
the  distributors  in  shifting  pictures  from  one  an- 
nounced group  to  another,  solely  in  their  own  interests : 

"  'An  announced  group  of  features  shall  be  the 
same  throughout  the  United  States  and  a  group  once 
announced  shall  not  thereafter  be  changed;  provided, 
that  nothing  herein  shall  prevent  variations  resulting 
from  the  roadshowing  of  a  picture  in  one  territory  and 
not  in  another,  or  shall  prevent  the  licensing  of  such 
lesser  number  of  features  as  the  distributor  and  ex' 
hibitor  may  agree  upon.'  " 


ARE  THE  EXHIBITORS  TO  BE  LEFT 
HANGING  IN  MID-AIR  ONCE  AGAIN? 

The  trade  papers  report  that  Tom  Clark,  Assistant 
Attorney  General  in  charge  of  the  Government's  suit 
against  the  five  major  companies,  plans  to  resign  soon 
to  return  to  private  law  practice. 

That  is  one  of  the  chief  troubles  that  prevent  the 
exhibitors  from  knowing  where  they  stand  so  far  as 
the  producer  practices  that  have  been  condemned  by 
the  Department  of  Justice  are  concerned.  Every  one 
of  either  the  Assistant  Attorney  Generals  or  of  sub- 
ordinates having  charge  of  the  Government's  suit  has 
resigned  and  left  his  work  incomplete.  This  has  been 
going  on  since  the  early  days. 

The  same  thing  happened  even  with  the  Federal 
Trade  Commission:  No  sooner  did  either  a  counsel 
or  an  important  subordinate  of  the  Commission  fa- 
miliarize himself  with  the  details  than  he  resigned  to 
resume  private  law  practice. 

It  seems  as  if  all  the  work  that  Allied  and  other 
truly  independent  exhibitor  organizations  have  done 
to  obtain  relief  will  again  have  been  wasted. 


FACTS  ABOUT  THE  NEW  TAX  RATE 

Pete  Wood,  business  manager  of  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio,  never  lets  an  opportunity 
go  by  to  familiarize  himself  with  tax  matters  so  that 
he  may  pass  to  the  members  of  his  organization  cor- 
rect tax  information. 

The  last  few  bulletins  issued  by  Wood  are  devoted 
mainly  to  the  pending  tax  increase,  as  voted  by  Con- 
gress, to  take  effect  April  I,  1944. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


46 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


March  18,  1944 


"Four  Jills  in  a  Jeep"  with  Kay  Francis, 
Martha  Raye,  Carole  Landis 
and  Mitzi  Mayfair 

(20th  Century-Fox;  March;  time,  89  min.) 
Good  light  entertainment,  suitable  as  a  top  feature  on  a 
double-bill.  Based  on  the  actual  experiences  of  Kay  Francis, 
Carole  Landis,  Martha  Raye,  and  Mitzi  Mayfair,  the  film, 
in  terms  of  fact  and  fiction,  traces  the  adventures  the  girls 
had  in  1942-43,  during  their  six  months'  entertainment  tour 
of  army  camps  in  England  and  North  Africa.  Although  the 
story  itself  is  lightweight  and  serves  merely  as  a  framework 
for  the  specialty  numbers  performed  by  the  different  play- 
ers, it  is  a  pleasant  combination  of  music,  comedy,  and  danc- 
ing, with  a  bit  of  romantic  interest  woven  through  the 
proceedings.  An  added  attraction  is  the  appearance  of  Betty 
Grable,  Alice  Faye,  and  Carmen  Miranda  as  guest  stars  on 
a  radio  broadcast  to  soldiers  overseas.  Each  sings  a  popular 
song  which  they  have  been  identified  with.  The  music  of 
Jimmy  Dorsey  and  his  orchestra  should  help  lure  the  young- 
sters to  the  box-office.  Mitzi  Mayfair  docs  some  expert  dance 
routines,  and  Martha  Raye  and  Phil  Silvers  provoke  numer- 
ous laughs  by  their  clowning.  The  film  introduces  Dick 
Haymes,  who  apparently  is  Twentieth-Century  Fox's  entry 
in  the  crooner  sweepstakes.  His  voice  should  please  those 
who  find  that  type  of  singing  pleasurable.  George  Jessel  is  in 
for  a  brief  bit  as  a  master  of  ceremonies. : — 

Having  received  permission  from  Washington  to  form  an 
entertainment  unit  for  service  overseas,  Kay  Francis  selects 
Carole  Landis,  Mitzi  Mayfair,  and  Martha  Raye,  who  volun- 
teer to  go.  An  army  bomber  takes  the  girls  to  England, 
where  they  are  met  by  Sergeant  Phil  Silvers,  who  had  been 
assigned  as  liaison  man  to  accompany  the  girls  throughout 
their  tour.  The  girls  soon  adapt  themselves  to  the  rigors  of 
army  life,  entertaining  at  one  camp  after  another.  Carole 
falls  in  love  with  Captain  John  Harvey,  a  flier,  and,  after  a 
brief  courtship,  marries  him.  Their  honeymoon,  however,  is 
interrupted  when  the  girls  receive  orders  to  leave  immedi- 
ately for  North  Africa.  Their  plane  is  forced  down  on  the 
Algerian  desert,  and  the  girls  are  rescued  by  a  camel  patrol, 
which  brings  them  to  a  village  near  the  front  lines.  There, 
they  volunteer  as  nurses  to  aid  the  wounded.  Though  tired 
at  the  end  of  the  day,  the  girls  cheerfully  put  on  a  show  for 
the  soldiers.  The  show  is  interrupted  by  a  Nazi  bombard- 
ment, which  causes  the  girls  to  take  cover  in  fox  holes.  The 
attack  over,  the  girls  prepare  to  visit  other  camps. 

Robert  Ellis,  Helen  Logan,  and  Snag  Werns  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Irving  Starr  produced  it,  and  William  A.  Seiter 
directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"The  Lady  and  the  Monster"  with 
Eric  Von  Stroheim,  Richard  Arlen 
and  Vera  Hruba  Ralston 

(Republic,  no  release  date  set;  time,  87  min.) 

An  interesting  mystery  melodrama.  It  should  prove  satis- 
fying to  most  audiences;  the  story,  though  fantastic  and 
morbid,  is  different  and  holds  one  in  suspense.  In  certain 
sequences  there  is  a  tendency  to  lag,  but  on  the  whole  the 
picture  has  been  handled  and  directed  well.  The  production 
tone  is  very  good,  and  the  spectator  will  be  gripped  by  its 
mysterious  atmosphere.  Eric  Von  Stroheim,  as  a  diabolical, 
self-centered  scientist,  gives  his  usual  skillful  performance. 
Richard  Arlen  does  well  in  a  difficult  role: — 

Having  invented  a  machine  that  recorded  the  existence  of 
life  in  the  brain  after  death,  Von  Stroheim  and  Richard 
Arlen,  his  assistant,  experiment  with  the  brains  of  dead 
animals.  Both  were  assisted  by  Vera  Hruba  Ralston,  who 
remained  at  the  weird,  castle-like  mansion,  which  was  the 
home  and  laboratory  of  Von  Stroheim,  only  because  of  her 
love  for  Arlen.  When  an  airplane  crashes  nearby,  killing 
two  men,  Von  Stroheim  decides  to  experiment  upon  a 
human  brain,  which  he  steals  from  one  of  the  bodies. 
Arlen,  though  realizing  that  the  experiment  was  unethical, 
devotes  himself  to  it.  Later,  they  learn  that  the  brain  be- 


longed to  a  famous  financier.  Helen  Vinson,  the  dead  man's 
widow,  and  Sidney  Blackmer,  her  lawyer,  discover  that  the 
brain  had  been  stolen,  but  say  nothing  in  the  hope  that  the 
experiment  will  reveal  the  financier's  missing  fortune.  Hav- 
ing satisfied  himself  that  the  brain  remained  alive  after 
death,  Arlen  submerges  his  own  personality  to  make  himself 
receptive  to  messages  from  the  brain  through  mental  telepa- 
thy. Gradually  the  brain  strengthens  and  dominates  Arlen. 
Under  its  mflucncc,  Arlen  takes  a  trip  to  Los  Angeles,  where 
he  becomes  involved  in  an  attempt  to  prove  the  innocence 
of  Bill  Henry,  who  had  been  convicted  of  murder.  The  brain 
directs  Arlen  to  huge  sums  of  money,  which  he  uses  to  pay 
Blackmer  to  re-open  Henry's  case.  Arlen  becomes  so  com- 
pletely dominated  by  the  brain  that  he  assumes  the  dead 
man's  ruthless  personality.  Meanwhile,  back  at  the  mansion, 
Vera  clashes  with  Von  Stroheim  after  an  unsuccessful  at- 
tempt to  destroy  the  brain  to  bring  Arlen  back  to  normalcy. 
After  a  series  of  events,  in  which  Arlen  almost  commits 
two  murders  because  of  his  desire  to  free  Henry,  he  becomes 
his  old  self  when  the  brain  falls  asleep  under  the  influence 
of  morphine.  Arlen  rushes  back  to  the  laboratory  and,  after 
a  death  struggle  with  Von  Stroheim,  destroys  the  brain  and 
frees  himself,  from  its  domination.  Later  he  helps  prove 
Henry's  innocence,  and  is  himself  obliged  to  serve  a  short 
prison  term  because  of  his  part  in  the  illegal  brain  experi- 
ment. 

Dane  Lussier  and  Frederick  Kohner  wrote  the  screen 
play,  based  on  the  novel,  "Donovan's  Brain,"  by  Curt 
Siodmak.  George  Sherman  produced  and  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Mary  Nash,  Juanita  Quigley  and  others. 

Too  morbid  for  children. 


"The  Chinese  Cat"  with  Sidney  Toler 

(Monogram,  May  20;  time,  66  min.) 

As  the  second  in  Monogram's  series  of  "Charlie  Chan" 
murder-mystery  melodramas,  this  shapes  up  as  a  suitable 
supporting  feature  for  small-town  and  neighborhood  thea- 
tres. The  story,  which  is  filled  with  implausibilities,  follows 
a  usual  pattern  in  which  Sidney  Toler,  as  the  famous  Chi- 
nese detective,  unravels  with  the  greatest  of  ease  a  crime 
that  had  baffled  the  police  and,  in  the  process,  quickly  dis- 
poses of  the  attendant  complications.  Like  the  first  picture, 
this,  too,  has  a  fair  share  of  comedy,  the  laughs  being  pro- 
voked by  "Chan's"  son  and  a  colored  chauffeur,  who  help 
him  to  solve  the  crime: — 

Learning  that  Charlie  Chan  (Sidney  Toler)  was  in  Wash- 
ington on  Government  business,  Joan  Woodbury  asks  him 
to  solve  the  murder  of  her  father,  who  had  been  killed  six 
months  previously.  Chan  agrees  to  enter  the  case.  Aided  by 
Benson  Fong,  his  son,  and  Manton  Moreland,  a  colored 
taxicab  driver,  Chan  learns  that  Joan  was  in  love  with 
Weldon  Heyburn,  a  young  detective,  who  had  been  demoted 
because  of  his  inability  to  solve  her  father's  murder.  Chan 
ferrets  out  the  different  clues  and  discovers  that  Joan's 
father  had  been  dealing  with  a  gang  of  jewel  smugglers, 
and  that  Cy  Kendall,  his  partner,  was  involved  in  the  deals. 
Additional  clues  lead  Chan  to  a  funhouse  on  an  abandoned 
amusement  pier,  where  the  gang  had  its  hideout.  On  the 
last  evening  of  his  stay  in  Washington,  Chan  leaves  a  mes- 
sage for  Joan  that  he  was  going  to  the  funhouse  with  his 
son  and  Moreland.  There  he  finds  Kendall  murdered,  and 
also  encounters  the  members  of  the  gang.  Knowing  that 
Chan  had  found  a  huge  uncut  diamond  among  the  personal 
effects  of  Joan's  father,  the  gang  captures  Chan  and  his  son 
and  tries  to  force  them  into  revealing  where  the  diamond  is. 
With  the  inadvertent  assistance  of  Moreland,  however,  they 
manage  to  escape  and  hide  in  the  caverns  of  the  funhouse. 
Meanwhile  Joan,  alarmed  at  Chan's  failure  to  return  from 
the  funhouse,  notifies  the  police.  They  arrive  in  time  to  save 
Chan  and  apprehend  the  gang.  Chan  proves  that  Joan's 
father  had  been  killed  by  Kendall,  who  had  in  turn  been 
killed  by  the  gang. 

George  Callahan  wrote  the  screen  play,  Philip  N.  Krasne 
and  James  S.  Burkitt  produced  it,  and  Phil  Rosen  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


March  18,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


47 


"My  Best  Gal"  with  Jane  Withers 
and  Jimmy  Lydon 

(Republic,  March  28;  time,  67  min.) 

A  routine  program  musical  entertainment,  the  sort  that 
should  appeal  mainly  to  the  younger  set.  Most  of  the  action 
revolves  around  a  group  of  talented  adolescents  who  break 
into  song  and  dance  at  the  slightest  provocation.  The  story 
follows  a  cut-and-dried  formula,  and  little  imagination  has 
been  used  in  its  presentation.  It  has,  however,  enough  youth' 
ful  romance,  light  comedy,  and  tuneful  music  to  satisfy  as  a 
supporting  feature  on  a  mid-week  double  bill:  — 

Together  with  Frank  Craven,  her  grandfather,  who  was 
an  old  vaudevillian,  Jane  Withers  works  behind  a  soda 
fountain  in  a  drugstore,  which  was  a  gathering  place  for 
youngsters  who  dreamt  of  success  on  Broadway,  Jimmy 
Lydon,  a  young  playwright,  who  had  written  a  musical  show 
built  around  the  youngsters,  seeks  to  interest  a  producer  in 
the  play.  Jane,  in  love  with  Jimmy,  arranges  with  George 
Cleveland,  an  eccentric  Broadway  producer  who  was  one 
of  her  customers,  to  read  the  play.  Cleveland,  whose  phobia 
was  astrology  and  who  guided  his  business  by  the  stars,  likes 
the  script  and  makes  an  appointment  with  Jimmy  to  buy  it. 
Expecting  that  Cleveland  will  accept  the  youngsters  along 
with  the  play,  Jimmy  and  Jane,  aided  by  Craven,  put  the 
kids  through  an  all-night  rehearsal  so  that  they  will  be  at 
their  best  when  Cleveland  auditions  them.  The  rehearsal 
proves  a  bit  too  strenuous  for  Craven,  who  becomes  dan- 
gerously ill.  The  following  day  Cleveland  offers  Jimmy 
$1500  for  the  play,  but  refuses  to  accept  the  youngsters  as 
part  of  the  deal.  Jimmy,  rather  than  disappoint  his  friends, 
refuses  the  offer.  Later,  when  he  learns  of  Craven's  illness, 
and  that  the  old  man  needs  costly  medical  care,  Jimmy 
accepts  Cleveland's  offer  and  secretly  pays  for  Craven's 
medical  needs.  Jane  and  the  youngsters,  not  knowing  the 
truth,  condemn  Jimmy  for  letting  them  down.  As  Jimmy 
departs  for  army  duty,  they  learn  the  truth.  All  rush  to  the 
station  to  see  him  off.  Cleveland,  having  satisfied  himself 
that  the  youngsters  are  talented,  sends  them  on  a  tour  of 
army  camps. 

Olive  Cooper  and  Earl  Felton  wrote  the  ' screen  play, 
Harry  Grey  produced  it,  and  Anthony  Mann  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Franklin  Pangborn,  Fortunio  Bonanova, 
Mary  Newton  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Buffalo  Bill"  with  Joel  McCrea, 
Maureen  O'Hara  and  Thomas  Mitchell 

(20th  Century-Fox,  April;  time,  90  min.) 

Biographical  of  the  life  of  Colonel  William  Frederick 
Cody,  more  popularly  known  as  "Buffalo  Bill,"  this  is  a 
spectacular  super-western  melodrama,  photographed  in 
Technicolor  amid  scenes  of  pictorial  beauty.  It  should  do 
good  business,  for  the  fame  of  "Buffalo  Bill"  and  his  ex- 
ploits are  well  known  to  most  Americans.  Although  the 
script  fails  to  take  full  advantage  of  the  material  Cody's  life 
offered,  dwelling  a  bit  too  long  on  the  incidents  concerned 
with  his  romance  and  marriage,  it  holds  one's  interest 
throughout.  There  is  one  sequence  that,  for  breath-taking 
action,  has  not  been  surpassed  in  pictures  for  a  long  time. 
It  is  where  Cody  leads  to  victory  U.  S.  Cavalry  troops  in 
a  head-on  battle  with  Cheyenne  Indians  at  War  Bonnet 
Gorge.  The  fierceness  of  the  hand-to-hand  combat,  and  the 
tumbling  of  men  from  horses  thrown  to  the  ground,  will 
thrill  the  spectator  no  end.  Joel  McCrea,  as  Cody,  gives  a 
good  performance,  winning  one's  admiration  because  of  his 
courage  in  defending  others  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  and 
also  because  of  his  ideals: — 

Cody,  a  frontiersman,  saves  the  lives  of  Senator  Frederici 
(Moroni  Olson)  and  of  his  daughter,  Louisa  (Maureen 
O'Hara)  when  they  are  attacked  by  drunken  Indians  while 
en  route  to  Fort  Clark.  Maureen  invites  Cody  to  dinner  at 
her  home,  where  he  meets  Ned  Buntlinc  (Thomas  Mitchell), 
a  New  York  journalist,  and  Scyler  Vandervere  (George 
Lessey),  a  railroad  magnate.  He  learns  that  the  men  had 


come  to  the  frontier  to  seek  the  aid  of  the  army  in  com- 
pelling the  Cheyenne  Indians  to  allow  Vandervere's  rail- 
road interests  to  extend  further  West.  The  Indians  resist  the 
attempts  to  oust  them,  and  capture  the  Senator  as  hostage, 
in  order  to  obtain  a  favorable  peace.  Cody,  risking  his  life, 
saves  the  Senator  and  helps  to  conclude  a  satisfactory  peace 
with  the  Indians.  Louisa  and  Cody  fall  in  love  and  marry. 
They  live  happily  on  the  frontier,  and  a  son  is  born  to  them. 
Soon  after,  when  Eastern  hunters  come  West  and  slaughter 
buffalo,  the  Indians,  dependant  on  the  buffalo  for  food  and 
clothing,  declare  war  on  the  white  man.  Cody  volunteers  as 
a  scout  for  the  army,  despite  the  protests  of  Louisa,  who 
leaves  him  and  returns  to  Washington.  After  leading  the 
army  to  a  decisive  victory  over  the  Indians,  Cody  is  sum- 
moned to  Washington  to  receive  the  Congressional  Medal 
of  Honor.  He  arrives  there  on  the  day  his  son  dies  of 
diptheria.  The  boy's  death  widens  the  rift  between  Maureen 
and  himself.  He  becomes  embittered  against  civilization, 
and  his  outspoken  assaults  on  Eastern  methods  results  in  a 
campaign  aimed  at  discrediting  him.  As  a  result,  he  is 
branded  a  fraud.  Penniless  and  despondent,  he  becomes  an 
attraction  in  a  shooting  gallery.  Eventually,  however,  he 
becomes  reconciled  with  Louisa  and,  with  the  aid  of  Bunt- 
line,  his  staunch  newspaperman  friend,  organizes  his  first 
Wild  West  show.  In  the  ensuing  years,  he  wins  back  suc- 
cess and  fame. 

Aeneas  MacKenzie,  Clements  Ripley,  and  Cecile  Kramer 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Harry  A.  Sherman  produced  it,  and 
William  A.  Wellman  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Linda 
Darnell,  Edgar  Buchanan,  Anthony  Quinn,  Sidney  Black- 
mer  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Jam  Session"  with  Ann  Miller 
and  Jess  Barker 

(Columbia,  April  13;  time,  78  min.) 
A  fair  program  musical  of  its  kind.  As  indicated  by  the 
title,  it  is  the  sort  of  entertainment  that  will  appeal  chiefly 
to  the  "jitter-bug"  trade,  for  which  the  film  has  obviously 
been  designed.  The  story,  which  treats  lightly  of  the  trials 
and  tribulations  of  a  small-town  girl  trying  to  make  her  mark 
in  Hollywood,  is  of  no  consequence,  serving  merely  as  a 
respite  from  the  blaring  "swing"  music  of  six  popular 
orchestras  headed  by  Charlie  Barnett,  Louis  Armstrong, 
Alvino  Rey,  Glen  Gray,  Jan  Garber,  and  Teddy  Powell. 
In  addition,  there  is  the  singing  of  Nan  Wynn  and  the 
Pied  Pipers.  Ann  Miller,  who  is  a  better  dancer  than  an 
actress,  is  not  given  much  opportunity  to  display  her  danc- 
ing talent  until  the  picture's  finale: — 

Ann  Miller,  winner  of  a  dance  contest  in  a  small-town, 
arrives  in  Hollywood  with  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Charles 
D.  Brown,  head  of  Superba  Studios.  Her  efforts  to  see 
Brown  are  unavailing,  and  she  returns  to  her  boarding 
house  in  a  dejected  frame  of  mind.  There,  she  overhears 
Jess  Barker,  a  writer  who  had  been  engaged  by  Brown, 
telephone  the  studio  and  request  that  a  stenographer  be 
assigned  to  him  that  afternoon.  As  Barker  leaves  the  tele- 
phone, Ann  calls  the  studio  and  cancels  his  request,  explain- 
ing that  he  had  found  his  own  secretary.  She  arranges  for  a 
pass  to  be  left  at  the  gate  for  her.  Barker,  unaware  of  Ann's 
ruse,  accepts  her  as  the  secretary  assigned  by  the  studio. 
When  he  starts  dictating  a  story  to  her,  Ann,  unable  to 
take  shorthand  or  to  type,  tries  to  memorize  everything  he 
says.  Later,  she  employs  a  public  stenographer  and,  from 
memory,  redictates  Barker's  story.  When  Brown  reads  the 
story,  it  is  so  badly  done  that  he  discharges  Barker.  Ann 
confesses  to  Barker,  but  the  young  man  cannot  convince 
Brown.  After  a  series  of  incidents,  in  which  Ann  is  tossed 
out  of  the  studio  and  lands  in  jail,  because  of  her  attempts 
to  square  Barker  with  Brown,  it  all  ends  with  Ann  given  an 
opportunity  to  dance  in  a  picture.  Barker  regains  his  job 
and  wins  Ann. 

Manny  Seff  wrote  the  screen  play,  Irving  Briskin  pro- 
duced it,  and  Charles  Barton  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


48  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  March  18,  1944 


In  view  of  the  fact  that,  what  is  true  of  the  State 
of  Ohio  in  matters  concerning  the  Federal  tax,  is  true 
of  every  other  state  in  the  Union,  it  will,  I  believe, 
help  every  exhibitor  in  the  country  if  I  printed  in 
Harrison's  Reports  whatever  tax  information  is  of 
interest  to  exhibitors  nationally. 

In  his  March  6  bulletin,  Mr.  Wood  advises  his 
members  that  the  Ohio  Tax  Commission  has  ordered 
that  : 

"All  persons  and  firms  engaged  in  the  use  or  rental, 
distribution  or  exhibition  of  motion  picture  films  in 
Ohio  preserve  all  books  and  records  pertaining  to 
such  motion  picture  films  and  the  use  or  rental  thereof 
in  Ohio  since  the  27th  day  of  January,  1935."  (Edi- 
tor's note:  Substitute  any  other  state  for  Ohio.) 

There  is  no  tax  on  tickets  sold  to  men  and  women 
in  the  uniform  of  the  U.  S.  armed  forces. 

In  his  March  1 1  bulletin,  Pete  says  that  there  is  no 
way  by  which  an  exhibitor  can  save  combined  admis- 
sion prices  (admission  price  with  tax)  such  as,  15c, 
45c,  75c  and  the  like,  because  on  March  10,  D.  S. 
Bliss,  Deputy  Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue,  of 
Washington,  issued  the  following  ruling: 

"It  is  not  permissible  to  fix  admission  at  13c  with 
3c  tax,  and  reduce  price  to  15c,  because  the  pur- 
chaser would  be  paying  12c  for  admission  on  which 
the  tax  is  2c." 

By  this,  the  Deputy  Commissioner  indicated  that 
the  exhibitor  would  be  collecting  3c  tax  whereas  the 
Government  would  be  entitled  only  to  2c. 

In  order  to  make  this  clear  to  every  exhibitor, 
Harrison's  Reports  takes  the  liberty  of  calling  the 
attention  to  its  readers  to  a  paragraph  in  an  editorial 
that  was  printed  in  its  January  22  issue,  on  page  16, 
under  the  heading,  "The  Admission  Tax  Situation"; 
it  reads  as  follows: 

"On  Tuesday,  January  18,  .  .  .  the  Senate  adopted 
an  amendment  offered  by  Senator  Walter  F.  George, 
Chairman  of  the  Senate  Finance  Committee,  in  be- 
half of  Senator  Wilson,  providing  for  the  tax  to  be 
imposed  at  the  rate  of  one  cent  on  each  five  cents  or 
major  fraction  thereof,  instead  of  one  cent  on  each 
five  cents  or  any  fraction  thereof." 

This  amendment  means  that  no  additional  tax  is 
charged  when,  to  the  basic  admission  price  of,  for 
example,  5c,  10c,  15c,  20c,  and  so  on,  is  added  2c. 
In  other  words,  the  tax  on  5c,  6c,  or  7c  is  lc,  making 
the  combined  price  6c,  7c,  or  8c,  as  the  case  may  be; 
the  tax  on  10c,  1  lc,  or  12c  is  2c,  making  the  combined 
price  11c,  12c,  or  13c,  as  the  case  may  be;  the  tax  on 
15  c,  16c,  or  17c  is  3  c,  making  the  combined  price 
18c,  19c,  or  20c,  as  the  case  may  be.  Likewise  the  tax 
on  75c,  76c,  or  77c  admission  is  15c,  making  the  com- 
bined price  90c,  91c,  or  92c,  the  final  charge  depend- 
ing on  whether  you  charge,  75c,  76c,  or  77c  for  a  basic 
admission  price. 

Deputy  Commissioner  Bliss  says  that  you  cannot 
make  your  basic  admission  price  13c,  add  to  it  3c  for 
the  tax,  and  then  reduce  your  admission  price  to  15c 
because,  as  already  explained,  when  you  deduct  the 
3c  of  the  tax  from  the  15c  of  the  combined  admission 
price,  the  admission  price  is  left  at  12c,  for  which  the 
tax  is  only  2c  instead  of  3c.  In  other  words,  in  case  you 
fix  your  admission  price  at  15  c,  the  Government  will 


be  entitled  to  only  2c  tax,  instead  of  three,  and  you 
will  be  collecting  3c  for  the  Government,  and  the 
Government  will  not  accept  any  tax  that  it  is  not  en- 
titled to,  and  it  will  not  become  a  party  to  an  over- 
charge to  the  public.  Besides,  the  tax  must  be  shown  on 
the  ticket,  and  you  cannot  justify  a  3c  tax  on  a  fifteen 
cent  ticket;  the  Government  requires  that  the  ticket 
show  12c  admission  and  2c  tax,  totalling  14c. 

What  is  true  of  the  combined  15c  charge  is  true 
also  of  the  reduced  combined  45c  charge.  The  tax  on 
40c  is  8c,  or  a  combined  charge  of  48c.  When  you 
reduce  the  price  to  45c  and  pay  the  Government  8c 
for  the  tax,  the  public  pays  37c  for  the  basic  admission 
price.  On  37c,  the  tax  is,  not  8c,  but  7c,  making  a 
combined  admission  price  of  44c.  If  you  should  charge 
45c  with  the  intent  on  of  giving  the  Government  8c 
for  tax,  the  Government  will  not  accept  it,  for  it  will 
be  entitled  only  to  7c.  Besides,  the  tax  facts  must  be 
shown  on  the  tickets  and  you  cannot  print  on  the 
ticket  37c  admission  price  plus  8c  for  tax;  you  must 
print  37c  admission  price  plus  7c  for  tax,  or  a  total 
of  44c. 

The  present  25c  combined  charge  (22c  admission 
and  3c  tax)  cannot  be  maintained  under  the  new  tax 
system  either,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the  Federal 
Tax  is  4c.  Consequently,  the  exhibitor  must  charge 
21c  for  admission  and  4c  for  tax.  He  will  thus  absorb 
the  loss  of  lc  himself.  But  he  can  charge  26c  as  a 
combined  admission  charge. 

I  hope  that  I  have  made  the  matter  clear  to  you.  If 
I  have  not,  write  me.  You  may  write  me  also  if  you 
have  any  new  thoughts  that  will,  you  believe,  benefit 
the  exhibitors  if  they  were  brought  to  their  attention. 


SUCCESS  OF  THE  FOURTH  WAR  LOAN 
DRIVE  A  CREDIT  TO  THE  ENTIRE 
INDUSTRY 

Arthur  Ungar,  editor  of  Daily  Variety,  of  Holly- 
wood, in  the  March  6  issue,  printed  a  warm  tribute  to 
Charlie  Skouras,  industry  Chairman  of  the  Fourth 
War  Loan  Drive,  for  guiding  the  drive  to  a  success- 
ful completion.  The  Loan  was  over-subscribed  by  more 
than  one  billion  dollars. 

Those  who  know  Charlie  personally  share  in 
Arthur  Ungar's  feelings.  It  is  a  tribute  he  deserves 
well. 

Arthur  does  not  neglect  Charlie's  aides,  Frank 
(Rick)  Ricketson  and  B.  V.  Sturdivant,  whom 
Charlie  had  taken  out  of  his  organization  to  aid  him 
in  the  Drive,  and  states  that,  had  they  fallen  down  on 
their  jobs,  the  discredit  would  have  fallen  mostly  on 
Charlie.  But  the  Drive  was  a  success.  And  that  speaks 
well  of  his  aides. 

Let  it  not  be  forgotten  that,  by  making  the  Fourth 
War  Loan  Drive  a  success,  Charlie  Skouras  has 
brought  honor  upon  the  entire  industry.  More  now 
than  ever  can  the  motion  picture  industry  tell  the 
Government  of  what  help  it  has  been  all  along  in  the 
nation's  war  effort,  not  to  mention  the  fact  that  never 
has  the  industry  failed  to  come  forward  whenever  it 
was  required  to  perform  a  public  service. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  glad  to  join  Arthur  Ungar 
in  this  richly  deserved  tribute  to  Charlie  Skouras. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  MARCH  25,  1944  No.  13 


Abusive  Tactics  in  Trade  Screenings 


In  its  March  1 5  issue,  weekly  Variety  states  that  "the 
growing  habit  on  the  part  of  some  distributors  to  throw 
shorts  or  newsreels  in  with  tradeshowings  of  features  for 
exhibitor-buyers  and  the  press,  is  not  only  causing  com- 
plaints but,  in  the  opinion  of  sources,  may  further  discourage 
attendance  at  such  screenings." 

Variety  points  out  that  these  shorts  and  newsreels  are 
generally  put  on  to  await  the  arrival  of  late-comers,  usually 
an  important  circuit  head  or  buyer,  who  had  phoned  that  he 
had  been  detained,  thus  compelling  those  who  had  arrived 
on  time  to  wait  impatiently. 

Without  giving  names,  Variety  tells  of  a  few  recent  New 
York  area  tradeshowings,  where  offenses  were  committed. 
Two  of  the  screenings  mentioned  were  Paramount  trade- 
showings, at  which  I  was  present  and,  I  might  add,  riled,  for 
both  times  I  was  compelled  to  change  my  day's  schedule  be- 
cause of  Paramount's  utter  disregard  for  its  announced 
screening  time  and  order  in  which  the  features  were  to  have 
been  shown.  I  can  readily  understand,  therefore,  how  the 
exhibitors  felt,  for,  as  Variety  points  out,  ".  .  .  when  this  is 
done,  their  appointments,  train  schedules  or  other  plans  are 
interfered  with.  This  forces  some  to  walk  out  on  the  picture 
before  it's  over." 

At  one  of  these  tradeshowings,  that  of  "Going  My  Way," 
a  two-reel  subject  was  screened  first,  delaying  the  showing 
of  the  feature  for  more  than  twenty-five  minutes.  This  prac- 
tice has  been  followed  consistently  by  Paramount  ever  since 
tradeshowings  were  instituted.  A  few  of  the  other  major 
distributors  practiced  at  times  a  similar  abuse. 

Another  screening  mentioned  by  Variety,  which  was  also 
one  of  Paramount's,  concerns  the  New  York  tradeshowing 
on  February  24  of,  "You  Can't  Ration  Love,"  which  was  set 
for  10: 15  A.M.,  and  "The  Navy  Way,"  which  was  set  for 
11:30  A.M.  Paramount  reversed  the  order  and  screened 
"The  Navy  Way"  at  10:15  A.M.,  because,  according  to 
Variety,  an  important  buyer  had  arrived  early  and  wanted 
to  see  only  that  picture.  Accordingly,  those  who  came  early 
with  the  idea  of  seeing  "You  Can't  Ration  Love"  were  com- 
pelled to  sit  through  "The  Navy  Way,"  and  those  who  ar- 
rived  at  11:30  A.M.  to  see  "The  Navy  Way,"  found  that 
it  had  already  been  shown.  Is  it  any  wonder,  then,  that  ex- 
hibitors become  discouraged  with  tradeshows? 

The  distributors  have  often  complained  that  tradeshow- 
ings are  attended  by  the  exhibitors  sparsely,  unless  it  is  an 
important  picture,  and  certain  of  them  have  advocated  the 
elimination  of  tradeshows.  The  distributors'  methods  in  their 
handling  of  tradeshows  is  notoriously  had,  however,  and  one 
cannot  blame  the  exhibitors  for  their  thin  attendance. 

Ever  since  tradeshowings  were  instituted  by  the  Consent 
Decree,  the  consenting  distributors  have  had  little  regard 
for  the  exhibitor  concerning  the  arrangement  of  dates  and 
screening  times,  so  that  he  might  get  the  most  benefit  out  of 
tradeshowings  and  at  the  same  time  not  have  them  interfere 
too  much  with  the  business  of  operating  his  theatre. 

The  abuses  of  some  of  the  tradeshowings  held  nationally 
in  recent  months  are  typical  of  what  the  exhibitor  has  had  to 


contend  with  since  they  were  first  started.  Let  us  review 
them: 

On  January  21,  of  this  year,  tradeshowings  were  held  of 
RKO's  "Up  In  Arms,"  Warner  Brothers'  "Passage  to  Mar- 
seille," and  MGM's  "See  Here  Private  Hargrove."  The 
screening  time  varied  in  the  different  exchanges  with  these 
results : 

Out  of  thirty-one  exchange  cities,  the  screenings  conflicted 
in  twenty-six.  In  twenty-one  of  these  twenty-six  exchanges, 
the  exhibitor  could  see  only  two  out  of  three  features,  and, 
in  five  exchanges,  one  out  of  three.  In  certain  exchanges, 
where  the  screening  time  did  not  conflict  on  two  pictures, 
the  exhibitor  had  just  about  enough  time  to  grab  his  hat 
and  run  for  the  next  screening.  In  other  exchanges,  where 
the  time  did  not  conflict  on  any  of  the  three  pictures,  the 
same  thing  happened,  with  the  exhibitor  dashing  around 
without  as  much  as  a  cup  of  coffee. 

On  January  4,  of  this  year,  tradeshowings  were  held  of 
20th  Century-Fox's  "The  Lodger,"  and  Paramount's 
"Timber  Queen"  and  "The  Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek." 
This  is  what  happened: 

Out  of  thirty  exchange  cities,  the  screenings  conflicted  in 
twenty-seven  and,  in  each  of  these  exchanges,  the  exhibitor 
had  to  choose  between  "The  Lodger"  and  "The  Miracle  of 
Morgan's  Creek."  In  twelve  of  the  exchanges,  those  who 
selected  "The  Lodger"  were  compelled  to  skip  both  Para- 
mount pictures,  for  the  screening  time  of  the  Fox  picture 
conflicted  with  the  screening  time  of  the  other  two  features. 

On  November  5,  1943,  tradeshowings  were  held  of 
Paramount's  "Minesweeper"  and  "No  Time  for  Love,"  and 
MGM's  "Lost  Angel"  and  "Cry  Havoc!"  This  is  what 
happened : 

Out  of  thirty  exchanges,  twenty-three  had  conflicting 
screenings.  In  ten  of  the  twenty-three  exchanges  the  ex- 
hibitor had  to  choose  either  the  Paramount  or  the  MGM 
features.  In  the  remaining  thirteen  exchanges  the  exhibitor 
had  to  forego  seeing  one  of  the  four  pictures.  In  some  of 
the  cities,  such  as  Indianapolis  and  New  Haven,  an  exhibitor 
could  manage  to  see  all  four  pictures  provided  the  screenings 
started  on  time  and  he  was  capable  of  running  one  hundred 
yards  in  ten  seconds  flat.  And,  at  that,  he  had  to  remain  in 
a  projection  room  from  10  A.M.  until  after  5  P.M. — and  no 
time  out  for  lunch.  Those  who  withstood  that  punishment 
probably  didn't  have  enough  strength  to  sit  down  and  eat 
dinner. 

Most  of  the  aforementioned  abuses  are  true  of  the  trade- 
showings held  on  November  4,  1943,  for  Paramount's 
"Henry  Aldrich  Haunts  a  House"  and  "Riding  High," 
RKO's  "The  Falcon  and  the  Co-Eds,"  and  MGM's  "Lost 
Angel"  and  "Cry  Havoc!"  which  were  shown  only  in  Boston, 
Philadelphia  and  New  York  but  which  conflicted  with  the 
screening  times  of  the  other  companies. 

I  could  cite  any  number  of  other  tradeshowings,  but  the 
ones  I  have  cited  are  enough  to  prove  that  some  kind  of 
system  must  be  adopted  by  the  distributors  to  avoid  conflict. 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


50 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


March  25,  1944 


"Up  in  Mabel's  Room"  with  Marjorie 
Reynolds,  Dennis  O'Keefe,  Gail  Patrick 
and  Mischa  Auer 

(United  Artists,  April  7;  time,  75  min.) 
A  breezy,  sophisticated  farce-comedy,  the  kind  that 
keeps  audiences  laughing  from  beginning  to  end. 
Producers  Distributing  Corporation  made  the  story 
once  before  in  1926,  and  except  for  some  minor 
changes  the  plot  remains  substantially  the  same.  Most 
of  the  comedy  is  caused  by  the  hero's  efforts  to  keep 
secret  from  his  wife  the  fact  that,  prior  to  their  mar- 
riage, he  had  presented  another  woman  with  an  in- 
scribed piece  of  lingerie.  His  attempts  to  regain  the 
lingerie  at  a  week-end  house  party  result  in  a  series 
of  bedroom  mix-ups  that  provoke  hearty  laughter. 
The  bedroom  scenes  have  been  handled  in  an  inoffen- 
sive manner.  The  performances  and  the  direction  are 
good : — 

Dennis  O'Keefe  finds  himself  in  a  dilemna  when 
Gail  Patrick,  fiance  of  Lee  Bowman,  his  business 
associate,  insists  that  he  tell  both  Marjorie  Reynolds, 
his  jealous  wife,  and  Bowman,  about  an  inscribed 
pink  slip  he  had  given  her  prior  to  his  marriage.  Gail, 
who  wished  to  avoid  any  misunderstanding  after  her 
marriage  to  Bowman,  suggests  to  O'Keefe  that  he  re- 
veal the  secret  at  a  week-end  party  at  Bowman's 
home.  O'Keefe,  to  avoid  rousing  his  wife's  jealousy, 
arranges  with  Mischa  Auer,  Bowman's  butler,  to  steal 
the  slip  from  Gail's  room  and  to  destroy  it.  Other 
guests  at  the  party  included  John  Hubbard  and 
Binnie  Barnes,  a  young  married  couple,  and  Charlotte 
Greenwood,  Bowman's  spinster  sister.  When  Auer 
makes  several  unsuccessful  attempts  to  recover  the 
slip,  O'Keefe  decides  to  help  him.  They  prowl  about 
the  house  together,  hiding  under  beds  and  dashing 
in  and  out  of  bedroom  windows  to  escape  detection. 
As  a  result,  things  become  thoroughly  complicated: 
Hubbard  accuses  histwife  of  having  an  affair  with 
O'Keefe,  Bowman  suspects  the  same  of  Gail,  and 
Marjorie  threatens  to  divorce  O'Keefe.  It  soon  be- 
comes apparent  to  all  that  Gail  and  O'Keefe  had 
once  been  very  friendly.  Matters  become  even  more 
complicated  when  Gail,  who  had  agreed  to  mind  a 
friend's  baby,  slyly  permits  the  others  to  believe  that 
she  and  O'Keefe  were  the  child's  parents.  O'Keefe 
eventually  makes  a  clean  breast  of  things  to  Marjorie, 
and  all  three  couples  become  reconciled. 

Tom  Reed  wrote  the  screen  play,  based  on  the  stage 
play  by  Otto  Harrach  and  Wilson  Collison.  Edward 
Small  produced  it,  and  Allan  Dwan  directed  it. 

There  are  no  objectionable  situations. 

"It  Happened  Tomorrow"  with  Dick  Powell, 
Linda  Darnell  and  Jack  Oakie 

(United  Artists,  Feb.  25;  time,  85  min.) 
A  good  entertainment.  It  has  some  unusually  good 
comedy  situations,  a  novel  plot,  and  engaging  per- 
formances. The  story,  which  is  a  cleverly  contrived 
fantasy,  revolves  around  a  young  newspaperman,  who 
manages  to  obtain  a  copy  of  tomorrow's  newspaper 
today,  thus  enabling  him  to  know  in  advance  the 
events  that  are  going  to  happen  on  the  following  day. 
His  attempts  to  capitalize  on  this  accurate  guide  to 
the  future  involve  him  in  a  series  of  highly  amusing 
and,  at  times,  exciting  escapades.  A  humorous  angle 
to  the  story  is  the  fact  that,  in  learning  of  forthcoming 
events,  he  learns  also  of  his  pending  death.  The  ac- 
curacy of  that  prediction  gives  the  film  a  surprise 
climax.  Dick  Powell,  as  the  reporter,  and  Linda 


Darnell,  as  his  sweetheart,  handle  the  romantic  situa- 
tions in  a  humorous  and  pleasant  way.  Jack  Oakie, 
as  a  clairvoyant,  provokes  considerable  laughter.  The 
action  takes  place  in  1890: — 

At  a  party  celebrating  Dick  Powell's  promotion 
from  obituary  writer  to  full-fledged  reporter,  John 
Philliber,  aged  employee  on  the  Evening  News,  philo- 
sophically tells  Powell  that  tomorrow's  news  is  no 
greater  mystery  than  today's  news.  Later  that  evening 
Powell  visits  a  night  spot,  where  Jack  Oakie,  a  clair- 
voyant, and  Linda  Darnell,  his  niece,  entertain  the 
patrons  by  making  predictions.  Powell  flirts  with 
Linda  and  succeeds  in  making  a  date  with  her  for  the 
following  day.  On  the  way  home,  he  meets  Philliber, 
who  hands  him  a  copy  of  the  next  day's  newspaper, 
containing  news  reports  of  events  that  had  not  yet 
happened.  The  following  morning,  when  certain  of 
the  events  reported  come  true,  Powell  realizes  that  he 
can  become  a  great  reporter  by  writing  in  advance 
news  stories  of  forthcoming  events.  Reading  in  the 
paper  about  a  holdup  at  the  local  opera  house,  Powell 
prepares  his  story,  hands  it  to  George  Cleveland,  his 
editor,  and  rushes  to  the  scene  with  Linda  in  time  to 
see  the  robbery  occur.  Cleveland,  amazed  at  Powell's 
uncanny  ability,  gives  him  a  raise,  but  the  police, 
suspicious  that  he  had  a  hand  in  the  robbery,  arrest 
him.  When  Philliber  appears  at  the  jail  window  with 
another  copy  of  "tomorrow's"  newspaper,  which  tells 
where  the  bandits  will  be  captured,  Powell  informs 
the  police  and  gains  his  release.  After  a  series  of  ro- 
mantic complications,  Powell  and  Linda  marry.  He 
obtains  another  "tomorrow's"  newspaper  from  Phil- 
liber, and  is  terrified  when  he  reads  a  prediction  of 
his  own  death  on  the  following  day.  He  decides  to 
win  lots  of  money  for  Linda  before  he  dies,  by  betting 
on  the  races,  the  results  of  which  were  predicted  in 
the  paper.  He  wins  sixty  thousand  dollars,  but  the 
losing  bookmaker  steals  his  wallet  and  flees.  In  the 
ensuing  chase,  the  bandit  is  killed  and  is  erroneously 
identified  as  Powell,  because  of  the  wallet  found  on 
his  person.  Hence,  the  story  of  Powell's  death  appears 
in  that  day's  newspaper  as  predicted.  Powell  returns 
to  his  newspaper  office  and,  asking  for  Philliber,  is 
astounded  to  learn  that  he  had  died  three  days  pre- 
viously. 

Dudley  Nichols  and  Rene  Clair  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Arnold  Pressburger  produced  it,  and  Mr.  Clair 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Edgar  Kennedy,  Sig 
Ruman,  Edward  Brophy  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Lady  in  the  Death  House"  with 
Jean  Parker  and  Lionel  Atwill 

(PRC,  March  15;  time,  59  min.) 

A  fair  program  murder-mystery-melodrama.  Al- 
though the  story  is  hackneyed,  it  should  satisfy  the 
followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment,  for  it  keeps 
the  spectator  in  suspense  and  the  identity  of  the 
murderer  is  not  made  known  until  the  very  end. 
There  is  some  excitement  towards  the  finish,  where  a 
mad  search  is  made  for  the  Governor  in  an  effort  to 
halt  the  execution  of  the  heroine,  but  for  the  most 
part  the  action  is  slow-moving.  There  is  some  human 
interest  awakened  by  the  sympathy  one  feels  for  Jean 
Parker,  who  is  accused  of  the  murder  unjustly.  The 
production  values  are  fairly  good: — 

Lionel  Atwill,  a  criminologist,  and  Douglas  Fowley, 
a  state  executioner,  rescue  Jean  Parker  when  her 
dress  catches  fire  in  a  cafe.  The  three  became  fast 


March  25,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


51 


friends.  Fowley  falls  in  love  with  Jean,  but  she  de- 
clines to  marry  him  because  of  his  odious  position. 
Unknown  to  Fowley  and  Atwill,  Jean  was  troubled 
by  a  racketeer,  who  blackmailed  her  to  keep  her 
father's  past  a  secret,  and  by  Marcia  Mae  Jones,  her 
younger  sister,  who  was  having  an  affair  with  John 
Maxwell,  a  dubious  character.  On  one  of  the  rack- 
eteer's visits  to  Jean's  apartment,  he  is  slain  myste- 
riously. Circumstantial  evidence  points  to  Jean  as  the 
murderess,  and  she  is  tried  and  convicted  of  the  crime. 
Atwill,  believing  Jean  innocent,  investigates  and  finds 
a  car  key  on  the  floor  of  her  apartment.  Various  clues 
lead  him  to  believe  that  the  key  belonged  to  Marcia's 
boy-friend.  He  makes  Marcia  realize  the  plight  of 
her  sister,  and  she  admits  that  the  key  belonged  to 
Maxwell.  Atwill,  aided  by  Marcia,  captures  Max- 
well and  compells  him  to  confess  that  he  had  visited 
the  apartment  in  search  of  Marcia  and,  finding  the 
racketeer  counting  a  roll  of  bills,  had  murdered  him 
for  the  money.  The  confession  comes  a  few  minutes 
before  the  hour  set  for  Jean's  execution,  and  the 
warden,  unable  to  locate  the  Governor,  orders  Fowley, 
the  executioner,  to  throw  the  switch.  Jean's  life  is 
spared  when  Fowley  barricades  himself  in  a  panel 
room  containing  the  switch,  holding  up  the  execution 
in  time  for  the  Governor  to  grant  her  a  last  minute 
reprieve. 

Harry  O.  Hoyt  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jack  Schwarz 
produced  it,  and  Steve  Sekely  directed  it. 
Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Ladies  Courageous"  with  Loretta  Young 
and  Geraldine  Fitzgerald 

(Universal,  March  17;  time,  88  min.) 
A  routine  war  melodrama,  of  program  grade.  Ac- 
cording to  the  credits,  the  film  has  been  sanctioned 
by  the  U.  S.  Army  Air  Force  as  the  official  motion 
picture  story  of  the  WASPS  (Women's  Air  Force 
Service  Pilots) .  If  so,  I  am  inclined  to  feel  that  some- 
one in  the  Air  Force  has  little  regard  for  the  WASPS, 
for  the  film  is  far  from  a  complimentary  tribute.  The 
story,  which  is  told  in  a  series  of  thinly  related  flash- 
backs, revolves  around  a  group  of  volunteer  women 
flyers,  who  ferry  planes  for  the  Air  Force,  and  who 
give  the  spectator  the  impression  that  they  are  the 
last  persons  that  one  would  entrust  with  valuable  air- 
craft, because  of  their  emotional  instability.  For  ex- 
ample, one  girl  commits  suicide  by  crashing  her  plane, 
because  another  girl  has  designs  on  her  husband;  a 
second  girl,  to  draw  attention  to  herself,  disobeys 
orders  not  to  land  on  a  flying  field  and  deliberately 
smashes  her  plane;  a  third  girl,  a  moronic  "jitterbug" 
type,  runs  around  like  an  idiot  in  a  vain  attempt  at 
comedy.  No  fault  can  be  found  with  the  players; 
they  are  handicapped  by  a  mediocre  script,  sorely 
lacking  in  dramatic  power.  The  backgrounds  are 
authentic,  and  one  or  two  flying  sequences  mildly 
exciting : — 

In  the  midst  of  Loretta  Young's  efforts  to  have 
the  WASPS  militarized  as  part  of  the  U.  S.  Army 
instead  of  continuing  as  a  civilian  unit  attached  to  the 
Air  Force,  Lois  Collier,  a  member  of  the  WASPS, 
commits  suicide  when  she  learns  that  Diana  Barry- 
more,  another  WASP,  had  been  carrying  on  an  affair 
with  her  husband.  The  incident  dashes  Loretta's 
hopes  for  militarization.  Complications  increase  when 
Geraldine  Fitzgerald,  Loretta's  sister,  who  was  con- 
tinuously in  trouble  because  of  stunt  flying,  ignores 
orders  and  damages  her  plane.  Assuming  responsibil- 


ity for  the  adverse  events,  Loretta  tenders  her  resigna- 
tion to  Col.  Richard  Fraser.  Added  to  Loretta's  grief 
was  the  fact  that  Philip  Terry,  her  husband,  had 
been  reported  missing  in  action  in  India.  Geraldine, 
returning  to  the  base  after  her  latest  mishap,  learns 
that  she  had  been  "washed  out"  and  that  Loretta  had 
resigned.  She  steals  a  plane  in  a  fit  of  temper  and 
crashes  before  she  can  take  off.  As  Loretta  comforts 
Geraldine  in  the  base  hospital,  Colonel  Fraser  informs 
her  that  the  WASPS  had  been  made  a  part  of  the 
Army,  and  that  he  had  withheld  her  resignation. 
Loretta's  joy  is  complete  when  her  husband  arrives 
safe  and  sound  just  as  she  prepares  to  lead  the  women 
pilots  on  their  first  overseas  flight. 

Norman  Reilly  Raines  and  Doris  Gilbert  wrote 
the  screen  play,  Walter  Wanger  produced  it,  and 
John  Rawlins  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Anne 
Gwynne,  Evelyn  Ankers,  June  Vincent,  Frank  Jenks, 
David  Bruce,  Samuel  S.  Hinds  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Rosie,  the  Riveter"  with  Jane  Frazee, 
Frank  Albertson,  and  Vera  Vague 

(Republic,  April  9;  time,  75  min.) 

An  amusing  program  comedy  with  music.  The 
story,  which  has  a  farcical  flavor,  revolves  around  two 
girls,  day-workers  in  a  defense  plant,  who,  because 
of  the  housing  shortage,  are  compelled  to  share  one 
room  with  two  men,  workers  on  the  night  shift. 
Though  there  is  nothing  novel  in  the  plot  nor  in  the 
characterizations,  the  witty  dialogue,  comical  situa- 
tions, and  Jane  Frazee's  very  pleasant  singing,  man- 
age to  keep  one  consistently  entertained.  Most  of  the 
comedy  is  provoked  by  the  constant  feuding  between 
the  girls  and  the  men,  and  the  tricks  they  play  on 
each  other  to  gain  sole  possession  of  the  room.  The 
romantic  interest  is  routine : — 

Jane  Frazee,  Vera  Vague,  Frank  Albertson,  and 
Frank  Jenks,  defense  workers,  arrive  simultaneously 
at  Maude  Eburne's  rooming  house  to  rent  the  one 
available  room  in  town.  After  much  arguing,  the  girls 
agree  to  share  the  room  with  the  men,  occupying  it 
in  shifts.  The  other  occupants  in  the  house  were  Carl 
"Alfalfa"  Switzer  and  Louise  Erickson,  Miss  Eburne's 
grandchildren,  who  gave  the  new  roomers  little  pri- 
vacy, and  Ellen  Lowe,  Miss  Eburne's  middle-aged 
daughter,  who  constantly  quarreled  with  Lloyd  Cor- 
rigan,  her  shiftless  husband.  Worried  lest  Frank 
Fenton,  her  conservative  fiance  and  plant  personnel 
manager,  learn  of  her  sharing  a  room  with  men,  Jane 
conceals  the  set-up  from  him.  Jane  and  Albertson 
continuously  feud  over  how  long  each  occupies  the 
room.  The  tricks  they  play  on  each  other  eventually 
lands  them  in  a  police  station,  where  the  judge,  be- 
lieving them  to  be  man  and  wife,  offers  to  release 
them  if  they  will  kiss  and  make  up.  Both  take  advan- 
tage of  the  offer,  and  a  news  photographer  snaps  their 
picture  as  they  embrace.  Fenton,  seeing  the  photo  in 
a  newspaper,  breaks  his  engagement  to  Jane.  Albert- 
son,  feeling  responsible  for  the  break,  calls  on  Fenton 
and  persuades  him  to  seek  a  reconciliation  with  Jane. 
But  Jane,  touched  by  Albertson's  consideration, 
realizes  her  love  for  him  and  dismisses  Fenton.  Both 
are  reunited  at  a  gala  party  to  celebrate  the  plant's 
"E"  award. 

Jack  Townley  and  Alccn  Leslie  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Armand  Schaefer  produced  it,  and  Joseph 
Stanley  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


52 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


March  25,  1944 


So  long  as  the  consenting  distributors  arc  permitted  to  set 
tradeshowing  dates  and  screening  times  that  conflict  with 
each  other's  pictures,  to  disregard  announced  screening  times 
and  the  order  in  which  pictures  will  be  shown,  and  to  screen 
on  one  day  an  excessive  number  of  features,  tending  to  keep 
an  exhibitor  away  from  his  theatre  for  too  long  a  time,  the 
intent  and  purpose  of  the  tradeshowing  provision  will  be 
defeated,  for,  under  such  conditions,  an  exhibitor  can  be 
discouraged  from  attending  screenings,  and  the  distributors' 
right  to  complain  that  tradeshowings  are  a  waste  of  time 
will  be  false. 

The  tradeshowing  of  features  before  they  may  be  licensed 
for  exhibition  was  put  into  the  Consent  Decree  at  the  in- 
sistence of  the  Department  of  Justice,  out  of  a  feeling  that 
the  purchaser  should  be  given  an  opportunity  to  see  what 
he  is  buying.  If  the  Department  would  give  that  opportunity 
to  the  exhibitor  in  the  full  sense,  it  should  insist  that  the 
aforementioned  abuses  be  brought  to  an  end,  and  it  should 
provide  for  their  elimination  in  the  amended  decree,  if  any. 


CORRECTION  OF  TYPOGRAPHICAL 
ERROR  IN  LAST  WEEK'S 
TAX  EDITORIAL 

In  the  distance  between  this  office  and  the  printer,  a  word 
dropped  out  of  a  line  in  one  of  the  paragraphs  of  last  week's 
editorial,  headed,  "Facts  About  the  New  Tax  Rate,"  altering 
its  meaning.  The  line  to  which  I  refer  is  in  the  fourth  para- 
graph, first  column,  on  page  48;  it  reads  as  follows: 

"There  is  no  tax  on  tickets  sold  to  men  and  women  in  the 
uniform  of  the  U.  S.  armed  forces."  The  lost  word  is 
"change,"  and  its  location  is  after  the  word  "tax."  The  para- 
graph should  have  read : 

"There  is  no  tax  change  on  tickets  sold  to  men  and  women 
in  the  uniform  of  the  U.  S.  armed  forces." 

In  order  to  make  matters  clearer  to  the  readers  of  this 
publication,  let  me  expand  the  interpretation  of  that  part 
of  the  tax  law:  If  your  basic  admission  charge  to  adults  is 
52c  (making  62c  with  the  tax)  and  you  wish  to  reduce 
it  for  members  of  the  U.  S.  armed  forces  to  (for  example) 
22c,  the  tax  you  will  have  to  collect  is,  not  10c,  (as  would 
be  the  case  if  the  reduction  applied  to  any  other  class  of 
patrons),  but  only  4c.  In  other  words,  the  tax  you  will  have 
to  charge  to  members  of  the  U.  S.  armed  forces  will  be  based, 
not  on  the  full-rate  ticket,  but  on  the  price  you  charge  them. 
If  you  should  admit  them  free,  you  make  no  charge  for  tax 
whatever. 

I  wish  that  you  would  insert  the  word  "change,"  with  pen 
and  ink,  over  a  caret  ("A"),  after  the  word  "tax"  in  your 
copy  of  last  week's  Harrison's  Reports  so  that  those  ex- 
hibitors who  may  read  that  editorial  but  may  miss  this  cor- 
rection will  not  be  under  a  misunderstanding  as  to  the  tax 
they  should  charge. 

Another  typographical  error,  a  slight  one,  occurred  also 
in  the  seventh  line,  tenth  paragraph,  in  the  same  column. 
The  line  reads:  "price  11c,  12c,  or  13c,  as  the  case  may 
be;  .  .  ."  It  should  have  read:  "price  12c,  13c,  or  14c  .  .  ." 
This  error  becomes  self-evident  when  read  along  with  the 
preceeding  line:  "the  tax  on  10c,  11c,  or  12c  is  2c,  .  .  ." 

Incidentally,  Pete  Wood,  business  manager  of  the  Ohio 
exhibitor  organization,  in  his  March  17  bulletin,  advises 
the  members  of  his  organization  that,  on  reduced  price 
tickets  to  students,  they  should  have  special  tickets  printed 
for  the  purpose.  The  same  holds  true  on  the  tickets  sold  to 
the  members  of  the  U.  S.  armed  forces. 

What  is  true  of  the  exhibitors  of  Ohio  is  true  of  exhibitors 
everywhere  in  the  United  States. 


GIVE  COLUMBIA  CREDIT 
FOR  TELLING  THE  TRUTH! 

Columbia  has  at  last  come  forward  to  give  the  facts  in  at 
least  one  instance — in  its  business  relationship  with  Rosalind 
Russell.  In  an  advertisement  that  it  placed  in  last  week's 
trade  papers,  Columbia  asks: 

"Who  says  we  lost  Rosalind  Russell? 

"Miss  Russell's  contract  with  Columbia  for  the  next  three 
years  provides  that  each  year  she  will  appear  in  two  motion 
pictures  made  by  this  company." 

At  the  foot  of  the  page  the  advertisement  carries  the 
Columbia  seal,  and  at  the  left-hand  side  of  the  page  is  a 
picture  of  beautiful  Rosalind.  It  is  an  impressive  advertise- 
ment, and  the  exhibitors  should  feel  grateful  to  Columbia 
for  having  taken  them  into  its  confidence  and  assured  them 
that  Rosalind  Russell  is  still  with  Columbia,  occupying  part 
ol  the  Columbia  constellation. 

But  here  is  something  that  the  exhibitors  would  want,  1 
am  sure,  to  know  about,  regardless  of  whether  they  are 
buying  Columbia  pictures  or  not:  When  the  salesmen  sold 
to  the  exhibitors  "Ten  Percent  Woman"  in  the  1942-43 
season,  Columbia  had  Miss  Russell  under  contract.  Why, 
then,  didn't  Columbia  deliver  that  picture  to  the  1942-43 
contract-holders,  instead  of  holding  it  back  and  selling  it, 
under  the  title,  "What  a  Woman!"  for  harsher  terms!  No 
doubt  many  of  those  who  had  that  picture  under  contract 
in  the  1942-43  season  were  asked  to  buy  it  in  the  1943-44 
season  on  terms  less  advantageous. 

Is  that  the  only  picture  Columbia  withheld  during  that 
season? 

This  matter  has  been  treated  so  often  in  Harrison's 
Reports  that  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  print  the  information 
that  it  has  printed  before.  All  it  wants  to  say  now  is  that 
Columbia  withheld  eight  pictures  from  that  season.  And  yet 
this  company  has  the  effrontery  to  appeal  to  you  all  for  sup- 
port in  making  its  "Dates  to  Win"  sales  campaign  successful! 

But  you  are  answering  that  appeal  very  nobly:  as  stated 
in  last  week's  Harrison's  Reports,  of  exhibitors  represent- 
ing one  hundred  and  fifty  theatres  in  a  recent  exhibitor 
meeting,  only  two  had  stated  that  they  had  bought  Columbia 
pictures.  Of  these  two  exhibitors,  one  had  bought  Columbia 
pictures  early  in  the  season  and  could  not  get  out  of  his 
contract,  and  the  other  had  to  have  that  product  because  of 
competition. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  increase  of  a  star's  popularity 
depends  on  full  exhibition  coverage  of  the  pictures  in  which 
she  appears,  I  am  sure  that  it  will  be  interesting  to  Miss 
Russell's  agent,  Mr.  Frank  Vincent,  whose  address  is  9441 
Wilshire  Blvd.,  Beverly  Hills,  Calif.,  if  you  should  write  to 
tell  him  whether  you  are  or  are  not  showing  Rosalind  Russell 
pictures,  and  if  not  why  not. 


ANOTHER  EXHIBITOR  GONE  WRONG 

Max  Fellerman,  for  years  buyer  and  booker  for  the  RKO 
theatre  circuit,  resigned  recently  from  that  position  and  has 
become  a  distributor,  now  handling  Banner  Productions, 
which  are  being  released  through  Monogram. 

The  pictures  produced  by  Banner  include  "Spotlight 
Scandals,"  with  Billy  Gilbert  and  Frank  Fay;  the  East  Side 
Kid  pictures,  with  Leo  Gorcey  and  Huntz  Hall;  and  the 
Bela  Lugosi  thrillers,  featuring  Bela  Lugosi,  John  Carradine, 
and  George  Zucco. 

As  a  buyer  and  booker,  Mr.  Fellerman  has  been  popular 
among  the  distributors  because  of  his  fairness  and  straight 
dealing. 

This  paper  wishes  Mr.  Fellerman  the  best  of  success. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  RonmlRI?  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  i\uuiu  1014  Publisher 

Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain           16.50  A  MoUon  picture  Reviewing  Service   

oreat  Britain  . ...........  ±o.<o  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

Australia,  New  Zealand,     

India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      Ug  Editorial  Policy.  No  pr0blem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

35c  a  Copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  APRIL  1,  1944  No.  14 


LET  US  TELL  THE  PUBLIC  ABOUT  IT! 

"Once  again,"  says  Tom  Pryor  in  his  column  that  appeared 
in  the  J^ew  Yor\  Times  of  Sunday,  March  19,  "the  motion 
picture  industry  has  rolled  up  its  sleeves  and  stands  poised 
to  do  another  war  service.  This  time  it  is  out  to  help  in  every 
way  to  put  over  the  top  the  1944  Red  Cross  Drive  for  $200,- 
000,000  .  .  . 

"Smarting  under  reports,  both  from  correspondents  on  the 
spot  and  returning  travellers,  that  our  frontline  men  are  not 
getting  the  best  and  latest  in  film  entertainment,  the  indus- 
try's War  Activities  Committee  is  preparing  a  campaign  to 
tell  the  public,  and  service  men,  too,  all  about  the  industry's 
efforts.  And  the  War  Activities  Committee  has  a  good  story 
to  tell,  having  to  date  contributed,  without  cost  to  the  Army 
Overseas  Motion  Picture  Service,  11,782  prints  of  feature 
pictures  and  17,624  prints  of  short  subjects  for  free  showing 
to  troops  in  combat  areas,  Red  Cross  hospitals  and  isolated 
outposts  .  .  ." 

As  stated  in  the  March  11  issue  of  Harrison's  Reports, 
Mr.  Nate  Blumberg,  president  of  Universal  Pictures  Corpora- 
tion, assured  this  writer  that  the  industry  leaders  will  soon 
resort  to  institutional  advertising  to  tell  the  public  what  the 
motion  picture  industry  has  done  and  is  doing  to  further  the 
nation's  war  efforts  and  to  promote  public  welfare.  Now 
comes  also  Mr.  Pryor  and  informs  us  that  it  will  be  done. 

But  when?  Valuable  time  is  being  wasted  by  procrastina- 
tion, while  other  industries  are  stealing  the  motion  picture 
industry's  thunder. 

To  repeat  what  has  been  said  in  these  columns  before:  the 
other  industries  are  spending  millions  of  dollars,  not  to  sell 
goods — most  of  them  cannot  produce  for  civilian  consump- 
tion— but  merely  to  keep  their  names  before  the  public  and 
to  gain  its  good  will. 

Take,  for  instance,  White  or  Dodge  trucks;  the  manufac- 
turers of  them  cannot  sell  trucks  to  any  one  else  but  the 
United  States  Government  or  to  those  who  have  its  blessing. 
The  Chevrolet  ad  cannot  sell  a  single  car  to  the  public.  The 
Pullman  ad?  You  know  that  in  most  instances  you  have  to 
wait  a  month  before  you  can  get  reservations.  General  Motors 
cannot  sell  a  single  car  of  any  of  its  brands — Oldsmobile, 
Pontiac,  Buick  or  any  other,  because  they  are  manufacturing 
war  goods.  The  stunningly  beautiful  Goodyear  Aircraft  ad 
— will  that  sell  a  single  Goodyear  plane  or  a  single  Goodyear 
tire  to  a  civilian?  And  how  about  the  Allison  engine?  Can 
General  Motors  manufacture  these  engines  fast  enough  for 
the  Government? 

Take  another  firm — the  firm  that  manufactures  Hoover 
vacuum  cleaners:  Can  any  civilian  buy  a  single  Hoover 
vacuum  cleaner?  What  good  will  the  Studebaker  ad  do  to 
the  company's  car-sales  now?  Can  the  Martin  Aircraft  sell 
a  single  plane  to  the  public  by  means  of  its  impressive  ad? 
Or  Remington  Rand?  Or  the  Fngidaire  Division  of  General 
Motors? 

But  they  have  an  effect,  as  said — that  of  keeping  the  manu- 
factuers'  names  before  the  public,  gaining  their  good  will. 
And  the  money  to  pay  for  these  ads  comes  not  from  the  per- 


centage of  profits  that  is  allowed  by  the  Government  to  manu- 
facturers of  war  goods. 

There  is  so  much  that  the  industry  could  tell  the  public 
by  means  of  institutional  ads!  Take,  for  instance,  Mr. 
Pryor's  statement  that  the  War  Activities  Committee  is  pre- 
paring to  tell  the  public  how  many  feature  films  the  industry 
has  contributed  to  the  nation's  armed  forces  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  the  men,  no  matter  in  how  remote  spots  they  are. 
An  ad  writer  with  imagination  could  bring  tears  to  the 
mother,  father,  wife,  sweetheart,  brother,  sister  and  friends, 
as  well  as  other  relatives  who  might  read  the  ads,  of  every 
man  in  the  armed  forces  of  the  nation. 

Is  selfishness  preventing  the  industry  leaders  from  resort- 
ing to  institutional  advertising?  Perhaps  the  head  of  each 
company  wants  to  have  the  name  of  his  own  company  em- 
blazoned on  the  pages  of  the  national  publications.  If  not, 
why  are  they  letting  a  marvelous  opportunity  to  gain  the 
public's  good  will  go  by?  Institutional  advertising  resorted 
to  after  the  war  will  not  have  anywhere  near  the  effect  that 
it  will  have  now.  When  the  war  is  over,  the  public  will  no 
longer  be  as  amenable  to  emotional  appeal  as  it  is  today. 

The  fruit  of  public  good  will  is  ripe  and  plentiful.  If  the 
industry  leaders  do  nothing  about  picking  it,  because  each 
one  is  planning  on  how  to  get  the  biggest  plum,  they  may 
find  very  soon  that  the  fruit  has  become  over-ripe  and  useless. 


IS  THE  TAIL  WAGGING  THE  DOG? 

There  was  a  time  when  the  picture  industry  was  draining 
the  stage  of  stars.  Picture  producers  would  pay  any  price 
to  get  a  stage  celebrity  to  take  the  path  that  led  to  Hollywood. 
But  today  conditions  have  reversed  themselves,  and  we  see 
many  screen  stars  take  the  path  that  leads  to  the  New  York 
stage. 

In  an  article  that  appeared  in  the  March  issue  of  Motion 
Picture,  under  the  heading,  "But  They  Still  Love  Holly- 
wood," Paul  Denis,  the  J^ew  Yor\  Evening  Post  columnist, 
formerly  with  Billboard,  gives  a  list  of  the  Hollywood  celeb- 
rities that  either  are  appearing  or  have  appeared  on  the 
New  York  stage  in  recent  months. 

"For  years,"  says  Mr.  Denis,  "Hollywood  players  have 
been  singing  the  Jimmy  Durante  ditty,  'I  Can  Do  Without 
Broadway,'  but  this  season,  the  tune  is  passe.  Scores  of  Holly- 
woodites  are  now  on  Broadway,  planning  to  go  to  Broadway, 
or  just  closed  on  Broadway  .  .  . 

"Margaret  Sullavan,  Melville  Cooper,  Henry  Daniell, 
Mary  Martin,  Margaret  Lindsay,  Ralph  Bellamy,  Bert 
Wheeler,  and  Marta  Eggerth  won  fine  critics'  notices  .  .  . 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  a  stellar  role  in  a  Broadway  stage 
hit  practically  guarantees  a  Hollywood  comeback.  John 
Boles  put  it  neatly:  'If  a  movie  actor  does  a  fine  job  in  a  hit 
show,  he  can  go  back  to  Hollywood  on  his  own  terms.  If  he 
is  a  flop,  he'll  have  to  sneak  back  to  Hollywood  because  bad 
news  travels  fast.  A  Broadway  show  is  a  risky  thing  for  a 
movie  actor;  the  odds  arc  against  you.'  Boles  is  a  feature  of 
the  hit  musical,  'One  Touch  of  Venus'  .  .  . 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


54 


|  HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  1,  1944 


"Jamboree"  with  Ruth  Terry 
and  George  Byron 

(Republic,  May  5;  time,  72  min.) 

Pleasant  program  fare.  It  is  another  one  of  those 
comedies  with  rural  music,  featuring  popular  radio 
entertainers,  the  sort  that  Republic  specializes  in.  The 
picture  is  well  suited  for  the  family  trade,  and  should, 
for  that  reason,  fare  best  in  small-town  and  neighbor' 
hood  theatres.  The  story,  which  revolves  around  two 
bands  that  impersonate  each  other  in  a  scheme  to  win 
a  radio  contract,  is  thin  but  amusing.  The  music  is 
tuneful,  and  the  comedy  situations  fairly  good.  Among 
the  better  known  radio  entertainers  who  take  part  in 
the  action  arc  Don  Wilson,  the  radio  announcer;  Rufe 
Davis;  the  Music  Maids;  Isabel  Randolph,  better 
known  to  radio  fans  as  "Mrs.  Uppington";  Freddie 
Fisher  and  his  Schnikelfritz  Band;  and  Ernest  Tubb 
and  his  Texas  Troubadors : — 

George  Byron,  agent  for  Freddie  Fisher's  band, 
overhears  Paul  Harvey,  head  of  a  food  firm,  instruct 
Don  Wilson,  his  assistant,  to  engage  Ernest  Tubb's 
band  for  a  radio  show.  Hoping  to  become  Tubb's 
agent,  Byron  hurries  to  Greenfield,  where  Tubb  and 
his  band  worked  on  a  farm  operated  by  Ruth  Terry, 
her  four  sisters,  and  their  aunt.  He  arrives  soon  after 
Tubb's  band  quit  their  jobs  and  leave  for  the  city. 
Hitting  upon  a  scheme,  Byron  persuades  Ruth  to  hire 
Fisher's  band  to  harvest  the  crops.  Byron  teaches 
Fisher's  band  to  play  in  the  rural  style  of  Tubb's  band; 
by  impersonating  them,  Byron  hoped  to  trick  Wilson 
into  signing  Fisher's  band  to  a  contract.  The  scheme 
is  successful.  The  boys  prepare  to  quit  the  farm,  but 
Ruth,  needing  their  help,  refuses  to  give  them  cer- 
tificates of  availability,  compelling  them  to  remain. 
Meanwhile,  in  the  city,  Harvey,  angered  at  the 
failure  of  the  band  to  show  up  for  rehearsals,  instructs 
Wilson  to  engage  Fisher's  band  as  a  substitute.  Wil- 
son, unaware  that  he  had  made  a  deal  with  Fisher's 
band,  and  seeking  to  placate  Harvey,  engages  Tubb's 
band,  without  knowing  their  identity,  and  arranges 
with  them  to  impersonate  Fisher's  band.  Back  on  the 
farm,  the  boys  finish  harvesting  the  crops  and  receive 
their  certificates  from  Ruth.  En  route  to  the  city,  they 
hear  Tubb's  band  impersonating  them  on  the  radio 
show.  They  rush  to  the  auditorium  where  the  pro- 
gram was  being  held  and,  after  a  series  of  mix-ups, 
establish  their  identity.  Harvey  settles  the  argument 
by  engaging  both  bands. 

Jack  Townley  wrote  the  screen  play,  Armand 
Schaefer  produced  it,  and  Joseph  Santley  directed  it. 

"Follow  the  Boys"  with 
an  all-star  cast 

(Universal,  April  7;  time,  120  min.) 
"Follow  the  Boys,"  which  pays  tribute  to  the  part 
show  business  is  playing  in  bringing  relaxation  to  the 
men  and  women  in  the  armed  forces  at  home  and 
abroad,  has  turned  out  to  be  a  glorified  two-hour 
vaudeville  show,  the  sort  that  should  easily  meet  with 
the  approval  of  most  audiences.  It  should  do  well  at 
the  box-office,  because  of  the  players'  marquee  value. 
As  a  stirring  entertainment,  however,  it  misses  its 
mark;  it  lacks  a  dramatic  punch.  The  story  is  extreme- 
ly thin  and  trite,  serving  merely  as  a  respite  between 
the  specialty  numbers  of  the  different  stars.  High- 
lights of  the  film  are  singing  by  Jeanette  MacDonald, 
Sophie  Tucker,  and  Dinah  Shore;  a  "jitterbug"'  song 
and  dance  routine,  with  Peggy  Ryan  and  Donald 
O'Connor;  harmonising  by  the  Andrews  Sisters  and 


the  Delta  Rhythm  Boys;  a  magic  show,  with  Orson 
Welles  and  Marlene  Dietrich;  W.  C.  Fields  in  his 
familiar  but  amusing  pool  table  skit;  Arthur  Rubin- 
stein, celebrated  pianist,  in  a  piano  recital;  Carmen 
Amaya's  flamingo  dancing;  Leonard  Cautier's  Brick- 
layers, a  clever  dog  act;  and  music  by  the  orchestras 
of  Ted  Lewis,  Freddie  Slack,  Charlie  Spivack,  and 
Djuis  Jordan.  Others  appearing  in  brief  bits  are 
Martha  O'Driscoll,  Maxie  Rosenbloom,  and  Charles 
Butterworth.  Numerous  other  stars  appear  briefly  in 
a  Hollyw(X)d  Victory  Committee  sequence.  The  music 
is  a  pleasing  assortment  of  old  and  new  tunes: — 

Soon  after  the  decline  of  vaudeville,  George  Raft, 
a  dancer,  tries  burlesque  and  fails.  He  goes  to  Holly- 
wood, determined  to  make  good  in  pictures.  He  makes 
the  acquaintance  of  Vera  Zorina,  a  dancing  star,  and 
convinces  her  that  she  needs  a  dancing  partner.  She 
accepts  Raft  as  her  partner  and,  together,  they  become 
the  rage  of  the  screen.  They  fall  in  love  with  each 
other  and  marry.  When  the  Japs  attack  Pearl  Harbor, 
Raft  tries  to  enlist  but  is  rejected  because  of  a  bad 
knee.  Learning  that  the  soldiers  in  camp  need  enter- 
tainment, Raft  organizes  a  company  of  movie  stars 
and  puts  on  a  show  at  one  of  the  camps.  The  success 
of  the  show  pleases  Raft,  and  he  becomes  instrumental 
in  forming  the  Hollywood  Victory  Committee,  which, 
together  with  the  U.S.O.  Camp  Shows,  arranges  for 
entertainment  units  to  visit  the  camps  at  home  and 
abroad.  Unaware  that  Vera  was  to  become  a  mother, 
Raft  quarrels  with  her  over  her  failure  to  cooperate 
in  the  program.  He  leaves  her  without  learning  the 
truth.  Vera  informs  Grace  McDonald,  Raft's  sister, 
of  her  condition,  but  makes  her  promise  to  keep  it 
from  Raft;  she  wanted  Raft  to  return  to  her  because 
he  loved  her,  and  not  because  of  the  baby.  Raft  de- 
parts for  Australia  with  a  camp  show  without  bidding 
Vera  goodbye.  At  sea,  Grace  breaks  her  promise  and 
informs  him  of  Vera's  condition.  Raft  is  elated.  As 
he  stages  a  show  aboard  ship,  a  Jap  torpedo  strikes. 
Most  of  the  entertainers  are  rescued,  but  Raft  loses 
his  life.  Vera,  after  giving  birth  to  her  baby,  de- 
termines to  carry  on  Raft's  fine  work. 

Lou  Breslow  and  Gertrude  Purcell  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Charles  K.  Feldman  produced  it,  and  Eddie 
Sutherland  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Whistler"  with  Richard  Dix 
and  J.  Carrol  Naish 

(Columbia,  March  30;  time  61  min.) 

Although  it  is  a  cheerless  entertainment,  this  is  a 
fairly  interesting  psychological  program  melodrama, 
based  on  the  radio  mystery  series  of  the  same  title. 
The  popularity  enjoyed  by  the  radio  program  may 
be  of  help  at  the  box-office.  The  action,  which  revolves 
around  a  ruthless  murderer  who  seeks  to  kill  a  man 
by  instilling  in  him  a  fear  of  death,  unfolds  in  an 
interesting  manner  and  holds  one  in  suspense.  One 
feels  sympathetic  towards  Richard  Dix,  because  of 
the  mental  tortures  he  suffers  in  trying  to  escape 
death,  after  arranging  to  have  himself  murdered. 
J.  Carrol  Naish,  as  the  killer,  does  well  with  the  part. 
There  is  no  comedy  to  relieve  the  tension,  and  the 
romantic  interest  is  slight  and  unimportant: — 

Remorseful  over  the  drowning  of  his  wife  in  a 
shipwreck,  and  dejected  because  he  felt  that  his 
friends  suspected  him  of  letting  her  die  while  he 
saved  others,  Richard  Dix,  through  Don  Costello,  a 
gangster,  hires  an  unknown  assassin  to  kill  him  (Dix) . 


April  1,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


55 


Costello,  shortly  after  he  arranges  with  J.  Carrol 
Naish  to  commit  the  murder,  loses  his  life  in  an  alter- 
cation  with  the  police.  Dix,  unaware  of  the  identity 
of  the  man  assigned  to  kill  him,  settles  his  private  and 
business  affairs  in  preparation  for  his  death.  After  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  on  Dix's  life,  Naish,  a  student 
of  necrophobia  (fear  of  death),  decides  to  achieve 
Dix's  death  through  fear.  Dix's  motive  for  his  self' 
imposed  death  is  eliminated  when  he  receives  word 
that  his  wife  had  been  rescued,  but  that  the  Japanese 
held  her  prisoner.  He  sets  out  on  a  frantic  search  for 
his  potential  murderer,  whose  identity  he  did  not 
know.  Naish  makes  his  trailing  of  Dix  evident,  en- 
deavoring to  instill  in  him  a  fear  of  death.  Aware  that 
Naish  was  continuously  following  him,  Dix  confronts 
him  but  is  unable  to  convince  him  that  he  was  the 
instigator  of  his  own  potential  murder.  Dix,  dis- 
traught  and  weary,  tires  frantically  to  shake  off  Naish. 
The  chase  leads  to  the  waterfront,  where  a  kindly 
watchman  takes  the  weary  man  in  hand.  Recognizing 
Dix  as  a  prominent  business  man  who  had  been  re- 
ported  missing,  the  watchman  notifies  the  police. 
Naish,  realizing  that  his  experiment  had  failed,  and  to 
prevent  Dix  from  identifying  him  to  the  police,  fires 
through  a  window  in  an  attempt  to  kill  him.  The 
gunfire  is  returned  by  a  detective,  and  Naish  falls 
dead. 

Eric  Taylor  wrote  the  screen  play,  Rudolph  C. 
Flothow  produced  it,  and  William  Castle  directed  it. 
Adult  entertainment. 


"Tampico"  with  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
Lynn  Bari  and  Victor  McLaglen 

(20th  Century-Fox,  April;  time,  75  min.) 

A  moderately  interesting  program  melodrama,  com- 
bining espionage  and  war  action.  It  lacks  a  plausible 
plot,  yet  it  has  plentiful  action  of  the  type  to  hold  one 
in  suspense  and  should,  therefore,  prove  acceptable 
to  the  action  fans  who  are  not  too  exacting  in  their 
demands.  It  has  some  human  appeal,  comedy,  and  a 
mild  romance.  The  closing  scenes  are  the  most  excit- 
ing, for  it  is  there  that  Robinson  rounds  up  a  Nazi 
spy  ring  and  clears  his  wife  of  suspicion  as  a  spy. 
Another  exciting  sequence  is  the  one  in  which  the 
survivors  of  a  torpedoed  tanker  swim  through  flaming 
oil  to  reach  the  safety  of  a  lifeboat.  The  production 
values  are  good : — 

Edward  G.  Robinson,  captain  of  a  tanker,  rescues 
the  survivors  of  a  torpedoed  ship,  among  whom  is 
Lynn  Bari,  a  show  girl.  Reaching  Tampico,  the  tanker 
is  boarded  by  immigration  inspectors  who  examine 
the  survivors'  passports.  Lynn,  claiming  that  she  had 
lost  her  identification  papers,  is  ordered  interned  until 
her  story  can  be  checked.  Robinson,  however,  vouches 
for  her  and  gains  her  release,  much  to  the  disgust  of 
Victor  McLaglen,  his  close  friend  and  first  mate,  who 
openly  distrusts  Lynn.  Ashore,  Lynn  and  Robinson 
marry  after  a  whirlwind  courtship.  Lynn  learns  of 
Robinson's  secret  orders  to  sail  on  the  following  night, 
and  is  warned  by  him  to  keep  it  quiet.  At  sea,  the 
ship  is  followed  by  a  Nazi  submarine  and  sunk.  Robin- 
son is  rescued,  but  McLaglen,  who  favored  surrender, 
was  among  those  missing.  Returning  to  Tampico, 
Robinson  learns  from  Naval  authorities  that  Lynn's 
story  about  her  lost  identification  papers  was  false, 
and  that  they  suspected  her  of  having  something  to 
do  with  the  sinking  of  his  ship.  He  questions  Lynn 
and  refuses  to  believe  her  when  she  tells  him  that  she 
had  been  a  stowaway.  Angered,  he  leaves  her.  To 


help  uncover  a  spy  ring  known  to  exist  in  Tampico, 
Robinson,  working  with  the  authorities,  leads  every- 
one to  believe  that  he  had  been  beached.  His  treason- 
able remarks  eventually  bring  him  in  contact  with 
Tonio  Selwart,  leader  of  the  ring,  who  offers  to  pay 
him  well  for  vital  information  about  ship  movements. 
After  satisfying  himself  that  Lynn  was  in  no  way 
connected  with  the  ring,  Robinson,  aided  by  the 
authorities,  captures  the  spies  and  discovers  McLag- 
len, his  pal,  working  with  them.  He  kills  McLaglen 
in  a  fight.  His  task  finished,  Robinson  effects  a  re- 
conciliation with  Lynn. 

Kenneth  Garnet,  Fred  Niblo,  Jr.,  and  Richard 
Macaulay  wrote  the  screen  play,  Robert  Bassler  pro- 
duced it,  and  Lothar  Mendes  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


NEW  YORK  EXHIBITORS  ENDORSE 
CHICAGO  CONFERENCE  DECISIONS 

It  seems  as  if  efforts  are  being  made  to  sabotage  the 
work  of  the  Chicago  Conference  of  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors by  claims  to  the  effect  that  independent 
exhibitors  are  not  in  accord  with  the  decisions  of  the 
Conference  and  the  report  made  to  the  Department 
of  Justice  by  the  committee  of  five  appointed  by  the 
Conference. 

To  spike  this  propaganda,  the  Unaffiliated  Inde- 
pendent Exhibitors,  a  Greater  New  York  organiza- 
tion, at  a  special  meeting  held  on  Thursday,  March 
23,  passed  unanimously  a  resolution  making  known 
to  the  industry  that  they  are  fully  in  accord  with  the 
work  of  the  Conference. 

Another  resolution  was  passed  authorizing  Mr. 
Jesse  L.  Stern,  president,  Mr.  Julius  Charnow,  vice- 
president,  and  Mr.  Jacob  Leff,  counsel,  to  represent 
the  organization  in  any  negotiations  or  matters  con- 
cerned with  the  Department  of  Justice. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  not  in  a  position  to  know 
exactly  how  many  independent  exhibitors  are  not  in 
accord  with  the  action  taken  by  the  Conference.  But 
as  many  as  there  may  be,  they  are  definitely  an  in- 
significant minority,  for  in  attendance  at  the  Chicago 
conference  were  representatives  of  twenty- two  na- 
tional and  regional  independent  exhibitor  organiza- 
tions, comprising  a  large  majority  of  the  organized 
independent  exhibitors.  All  approved  unanimously 
the  action  taken  by  the  Conference. 

The  independent  exhibitors  are  more  united  now 
than  ever.  So  don't  be  misled  by  those  who  try  to  tell 
you  otherwise. 


GET  A  COPY  OF  THE  REPORT  ON  ALL 
PERCENTAGE  PICTURES  YOU  PLAY 

It  seems  to  be  unbelievable,  but  careful  investiga- 
tion proves  it  to  be  true,  that  checkers  often  refuse  to 
leave  with  the  exhibitor  a  copy  of  the  report  of  the 
receipts. 

Harrison's  Reports  suggests  that,  unless  the 
checker  prepares  a  copy  for  you,  you  refuse  to  sign  the 
report. 

After  signing  the  report,  keep  a  copy  before  de- 
livering the  remaining  copies  to  the  checker. 

Of  course,  the  checkers  do  not  resort  to  such  an 
unfair  practice  with  the  circuits,  either  affiliated  or 
unaffiliated;  they  resort  to  it  only  with  small  exhibi- 
tors, who  in  many  instances  are  not  fully  informed  as 
to  their  rights,  being  away  from  the  center  of  distri- 
bution. 


56 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  1,  1944 


"In  accepting  stage  roles,  some  Hollywood  players  seek 
to  prove  to  movie  producers  that  they  are  still  good  box- 
office;  some  hope  the  publicity  will  stimulate  interest  in  their 
screen  comeback;  some  insist  they  just  had  to  get  away  from 
those  awful  cameras  and,  for  a  change,  work  before  live 
audiences;  and  others  want  to  achieve  poise  and  learn  acting 
through  the  stage.  In  many  cases,  it  was  just  plain  business: 
the  player  had  no  movie  offers  and  was  glad  to  take  a  stage 
role.  After  all,  even  movie  actors  have  to  eat  .  .  ." 

That  a  stage  appearance  of  a  screen  player  teaches  much 
to  him  no  one  can  doubt;  and  very  often  such  an  appearance 
brings  a  player  back  in  glory.  Can  we  forget  Kathcrine 
Hepburn?  She  was  washed-out,  according  to  Harry  Brandt, 
the  New  York  exhibitor — she  had  become  box-office  poison. 
Her  appearance  in  the  "Philadelphia  Story"  was  so  success- 
ful that  Metro  took  her  back  to  Hollywood  and  had  her 
appear  in  her  own  stage  success.  The  results  are  history. 

A  player's  appearance  in  a  stage  play,  even  if  it  is  a  flop, 
can  do  that  player  no  harm,  even  if  he  or  she  had  been 
ignored  in  Hollywood.  Very  often  a  talent  scout  will  see 
something  in  that  player  and  will  make  his  report  to  the 
studio  accordingly,  with  the  result  that  the  player  is  called 
back  for  a  part.  In  these  days  of  talent  shortage,  the  Holly- 
wood producers  should  welcome  back  into  the  fold  a  player 
who  has  had  experience  on  the  stage  as  well  as  on  the  screen. 


LET  THE  SAVINGS  BE  PASSED 
TO  THE  CUSTOMERS 

The  exhibitors  of  the  country  are  indebted  to  Billy 
Wilkerson,  of  The  Hollywood  Reporter,  for  informing  them 
of  the  low  cost  of  "Cover  Girl,"  the  Columbia  Technicolor 
musical.  Writes  Bill  Wilkerson: 

"We  have  no  idea  of  the  cost  of  Columbia's  'Cover  Girl.' 
We  asked,  and  were  given  some  double  talk  for  an  answer. 
However,  we  feel  certain  that,  whatever  the  cost,  it  totaled 
about  50  percent  less  than  any  of  our  other  majors  would 
be  compelled  to  put  into  such  an  extravagantly  mounted  pro- 
duction, because  that's  the  careful  way  Mr.  Harry  Cohn 
runs  his  plant  .  .  ." 

When  Columbia  salesmen  demanded  high  rentals  for  their 
big  pictures,  they  were  giving  as  an  excuse  the  high  cost  of 
production.  Since  they  cannot  put  forward  such  excuses  on 
"Cover  Girl,"  Harrison's  Reports  hopes  that  they  will  let 
the  exhibitors  have  this  picture  at  one-half  the  film  rentals 
of  the  other  big  Columbia  pictures. 

Let  the  savings  be  passed  to  the  customers! 


WISE  WORDS  FROM  BILL  RODGERS 

In  a  speech  that  William  F.  Rodgers,  vice-president  and 
general  sales  manager  of  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,  made  to  his 
sales  forces  at  their  recent  sales  meeting  in  Chicago,  he  said 
partly  the  following: 

"We  believe  that  our  success  will  continue  to  be  based 
upon  the  success  of  our  customers.  Such  security  to  both, 
forms  a  permanent  structure,  built  upon  a  solid  foundation. 
The  time  is  fast  approaching  when  film-rental  terms  will  be 
calculated  only  after  the  operating  expense  of  a  theatre  is 
taken  into  consideration. 

"The  average  theatre  owner  expects,  we  believe,  only  a 
fair  deal,  and  it  is  only  fair  to  give  consideration  to  his  prob- 
lems among  which  house  expenses  are,  of  course,  of  first 
importance  .  .  . 

"We  believe  that  a  frank  approach  to  this  problem  will 
eliminate  much  of  the  debate  too  many  times  involved  in 
the  writing  of  a  deal. 

"The  success  of  our  company  is  not  predicated  on  the 
losses  of  our  customers;  on  the  contrary,  on  their  success  .  .  . 

"Through  the  sliding  scale  we  have  made  adjustments 
automatic,  eliminating  the  necessity  of  any  exhibitor  feeling 
that  he  is  humbling  himself  to  get  that  to  which  he  is  justly 
entitled  .  .  ." 

In  his  speech,  Mr.  Rodgers  announced  also  that,  because 
his  salesmen  are  closer  to  the  problems  of  the  exhibitors  than 


are  the  home  office  executives,  he  has  granted  them  the  right 
to  make  proper  designations  and  reclassifications  without 
referring  the  matter  to  the  home  office. 

Ever  since  Bill  Rodgers  became  head  of  the  Metro-Gold- 
wyn-Maycr  distribution  department  his  one  aim  has  been 
to  gain  the  good  will  of  the  exhibitors.  His  statements  in  his 
Chicago  speech  indicate  that  he  has  not  changed  his  original 
policy. 

Does  it  pay  a  distributor  to  gain  the  good  will  of  its 
customers? 

There  was  a  time  around  19  J 1  when  you  could  have  shot 
a  cannonball  into  any  of  the  exchanges  of  a  certain  company 
and  you  would  not  have  hit  an  exhibitor,  because  when  its 
salesmen,  having  good  product,  were  "king  pins"  in  the 
previous  years,  they  treated  the  exhibitors  ruthlessly;  when 
the  quality  of  its  product  deteriorated,  the  exhibitors  retali- 
ated by  refusing  to  support  it.  This  company  learned  a  good 
lesson,  and  they  are  now  acting  differently. 

Harrison's  Reports  hopes  that  Bill  Rodgers'  spirit  will 
permeate  every  executive  and  salesman  in  the  distribution 
end;  this  will  be  a  much  happier  industry  if  it  does. 


A  MEMBERSHIP  IN  AN  EXHIBITOR 
ORGANIZATION  PAYS  DIVIDENDS 

Writes  Mr.  Leo  F.  Wolcott,  president  of  Allied-Independ- 
ent Theatre  Owners  of  Iowa-Nebraska,  in  his  March  20 
bulletin : 

"The  flood  of  memberships  which  came  in  following  our 
recent  membership  call  makes  a  man  feel  good;  that  his  work 
these  past  years  has  not  been  in  vain.  Thanks  a  million!  .  .  . 
Your  dues  are  a  legitimate  expense  chargeable  off  in  your 
books  just  like  advertising  or  any  other  expenses  .  .  .* 

Instead  of  Mr.  Wolcott's  thanking  the  new  members,  the 
new  members  should  thank  Mr.  Wolcott,  not  once  but  every 
day,  for  were  it  not  for  him  and  the  likes  of  him  tolerating 
indifference  and  neglect  of  exhibitors,  and  at  times  abuse 
from  them,  there  would  have  been  no  organizations,  and  the 
exhibitors  would  have  no  guidance  whatever  in  these  troubled 
times. 

The  views  of  this  paper  in  regards  to  exhibitor  organiza- 
tions are  too  well  known  to  need  reiteration:  Harrison's 
Reports  has  always  felt  that  a  membership  in  an  exhibitor 
organization  is,  not  an  expense,  but  an  investment.  It  is  an 
insurance. 

If  any  exhibitor,  not  a  subscriber  to  Harrison's  Reports, 
should  happen  to  read  this  editorial  and  wants  to  find  out 
just  what  benefits  an  exhibitor  who  becomes  a  member  of  an 
organization  receives,  let  him  write  to  this  office  and  I  shall 
be  glad  to  send  him  a  copy  of  the  January  8  issue  so  that  he 
may  read  the  editorial  headed,  "The  Value  of  Organization"; 
then  he  will  know! 


MANPOWER  SHORTAGE  AN 
INDUSTRY  PROBLEM 

According  to  the  news  from  Hollywood,  more  hundreds 
will  be  lost  by  the  industry  to  the  draft  because  of  the  tighten- 
ing up  of  Selective  Service  regulations. 

The  continued  loss  of  Hollywood  talent  cannot  help  affect- 
ing the  producers  seriously.  If  last  year  it  was  difficult  to  cast 
a  picture  and  to  obtain  the  necessary  technicians,  it  will  be 
much  more  difficult  in  the  future,  with  the  result  that  the 
quality  of  pictures,  not  only  from  the  emotional  point  of 
view,  but  also  from  that  of  the  physical,  will  suffer  greatly. 

Few  exhibitors  realize  the  importance  of  the  assistant 
directors,  production  managers,  paint  men,  green  men  (those 
who  supply  imitation  grass,  trees,  and  the  like),  not  to  say 
of  supporting  actors.  It  is  really  these  who  make  it  possible 
for  the  director  to  put  the  screen  play  on  the  raw  film  effi- 
ciently. Inferior  technical  personnel  cannot  help  having  an 
effect  upon  the  quality  of  a  picture.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
the  quality  of  pictures  other  than  of  the  big  ones  has  deterio- 
rated to  so  great  a  degree  lately. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  TWO 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI 

NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  APRIL  1,  1944 

No.  14 

(Partial  Index  No.  2 — Pages  29  to  52  Incl.) 

Titles  of  Pictures  Reviewed  on  Page 

Action  in  Arabia — RKO  (76  min.)   30 

Buffalo  Bill— 20th  Century-Fox  (90  min.)   47 

Chinese  Cat,  The — Monogram  (66  min.)   46 

Chip  Off  the  Old  Block— Universal  (79  min.)   30 

Cover  Girl — Columbia  (107  min.)   43 

Cowboy  and  the  Senorita — Republic(78  min.)  .not  reviewed 

Curse  of  the  Cat  People,  The— RKO  (70  min.)   30 

Falcon  Out  West,  The— RKO  (65  min.)   38 

Four  Jills  in  a  Jeep — 20th  Century-Fox  (89  min.)   46 

Frontier  Outlaw — PRC  (58  min.)  not  reviewed 

Going  My  Way — Paramount  (127  min.)   39 

Hat  Check  Honey — Universal  (69  min.)   43 

Hidden  Valley  Outlaws — Republic  (56  min.) .  not  reviewed 

Hi,  Good  Lookin' — Universal  (62  min.)   42 

Hot  Rhythm — Monogram  (79  min.)   42 

Hour  Before  the  Dawn,  The — Paramount  (73  min.)  ...  40 
It  Happened  Tomorrow — United  Artists  (85  min.). . .  50 

Jam  Session — Columbia  (78  min.)   47 

Knickerbocker  Holiday — United  Artists  (85  min.) ....  38 

Ladies  Courageous — Universal  (88  min.)   51 

Lady  and  the  Monster,  The — Republic  (87  min.)   46 

Lady  in  the  Death  House — PRC  (59  min.)   50 

Lady,  Let's  Dance — Monogram  (88  min.)   30 

Laramie  Trail,  The — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

My  Best  Gal — Republic  (67  min.)   47 

Navy  Way,  The — Paramount  (74  min.)   40 

Nine  Girls — Columbia  (79  min.)   36 

Outlaws  of  Sante  Fe — Republic  (56  min.) .  . .  .not  reviewed 

Passage  to  Marseille — Warner  Bros.  (110  min.)   31 

Purple  Heart,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (99  min.)   36 

Rosie,  the  Riveter — Republic  (75  min.)   51 

Sailor's  Holiday — Columbia  (60  min.)   39 

See  Here,  Private  Hargrove — MGM  (100  min.)   36 

Shine  on  Harvest  Moon — Warner  Bros.  (112  min.)  ...  42 
Texas  Masquerade — United  Artists  (59  min.)  .not  reviewed 
Thundering  Gun  Slingers — PRC  (60  min.) . .  .not  reviewed 

Two-Man  Submarine — Columbia  (64  min.)   39 

Up  in  Mabel's  Room — United  Artists  (75  min.)   50 

Voice  in  the  Wind — United  Artists  (85  min.)   38 

White  Cliffs,  The— MGM  (127  min.)   43 

White  Cliffs  of  Dover,  The  (see  "White  Cliffs")   43 

You  Can't  Ration  Love — Paramount  (77  min.)   40 

RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 
Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 

5036  The  Racket  Man — Neal-Bates  Jan.  18 

5020  Swing  Out  the  Blues — Haymes-Merrick  Jan!  20 

5022  Beautiful  But  Broke — Davis-Frazee  Jan.  28 

5006  None  Shall  Escape — Hunt-Knox  Feb  3 

5204  The  Vigilantes  Ride— Hayden  (56  m.)  Feb.  3 

5220  Cowboy  Canteen — Starrett-Frazee  (72  m.) . .  .Feb.  18 
5042  The  Ghost  that  Walks  Alone — Lake-Carter.  .Feb.  10 
5018  Nine  Girls — Harding-Keyes  Feb.  17 

5038  Sailor's  Holiday — Lake-Lawrence  Feb!  24 

5013  Hey,  Rookie — Miller-Parks  Mar!  9 

5039  Two-Man  Submarine — Savage-Neal  Mar!  16 

5205  Sundown  Valley — Starrett  (55  m.)  Mar.  23 

The  Whistler — Dix-Stuart  Mar.  30 

Cover  Girl — Hayworth-Kelly  Apr!  6 

5015  Jam  Session — Ann  Miller  Apr!  13 

Girl  in  the  Case — Carter-Lowe  Apr  20 

Wyoming  Hurricane— Russell-Hayden  '.Apr.  20 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Features 

(1540  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  Y.) 
Block  6 

413  Thousands  Cheer — Grayson-Kelly  January 

414  Cross  of  Lorraine — Aumont-Kelly  January 

415  Lost  Angel — O'Brien-Craig  January 

417  Cry  "Havoc" — Sullivan-Sothern  February 

422  Song  of  Russia — Taylor-Peters  February 

490  Madame  Curie — Garson-Pidgeon  February 

416  A  Guy  Named  Joe — Tracy-Dunne  March 

418  Rationing — Beery-Main  March 

419  Broadway  Rhythm — Murphy-Simms  March 

420  See  Here,  Private  Hargrove  March 

421  Heavenly  Body — Powell-Lamarr  April 

423  Swing  Fever — Kay  Kyser  April 

Block  7 

424  Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble — Rooney  not  set 

425  Gaslight — Boyer-Bergman-Cotten   not  set 

426  Meet  the  People — Ball-Powell  not  set 

427  Three  Men  in  White — Barrymore  not  set 

428  Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor — James-Durante  not  set 

Special 

466  Tunisian  Victory — Documentary  April  28 


Monogram  Features 

(630  Hinth  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 

303  Women  in  Bondage — Patrick-Kelly  Jan.  10 

302  Where  Are  Your  Children? — Storm-Cooper.  .Jan.  17 

362  Westward  Bound — Trail  Blazers  (54  m.)  . . . . Jan.  17 
888  The  Sultan's  Daughter — Corio-Butterworth.  .  .Jan.  24 

352  Raiders  of  the  Border — J.  M.  Brown  (53  m.) .  .Jan.  31 

317  Charlie  Chan  in  Secret  Service — Toler  Feb.  14 

318  Voodoo  Man — Lugosi-Carradine  Feb.  21 

311  Million  Dollar  Kid— East  Side  Kids  Feb.  28 

321  Sweethearts  of  the  U.S.A. — Merkel-Novis(re)  .Mar.  18 

363  Arizona  Whirlwind — Trail  Blazers  (59  m.)..Mar.  18 

353  Partners  of  the  Trail — J.  M.  Brown  (55  m.)  .  .Apr.  1 

301  Lady  Let's  Dance — Belita  (reset)  Apr.  15 

314  Hot  Rhythm — Lowery-Drake  (reset)  Apr.  22 

364  Outlaw  Trail — Trail  Blazers  Apr.  29 

354  Law  Men — J.  M.  Brown  May  6 

Detective  Kitty  O'Day — Jean  Parker  May  13 

320  The  Chinese  Cat— Sidney  Toler  May  20 


4311 
4312 
4313 
4314 
4315 

4316 
4317 
4318 


4338 
4336 
4337 


Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  18,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  3 

Henry  Aldrich,  Boy  Scout — Lydon  

Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek- — Hutton-Bracken  

Timber  Queen — Arlen-Hughes  

Standing  Room  Only — Goddard-MacMurray  

The  Uninvited — Milland-Hussey  

Block  4 

The  Navy  Way — Lowery-Parker  

The  Hour  Before  the  Dawn — Lake-Tone  

You  Can't  Ration  Love — Johnston-Rhodes  

(Going  My  Way"  and  "The  Hitler  Gang,"  originally 
included  in  BIoc^  4,  have  been  withdrawn.) 
Specials 

For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls — Cooper-Bergman  

Lady  in  the  Dark — Rogers-Milland  

The  Story  of  Dr.  Wassell — Cooper-Day  


April  I,  1944 


HARRISON  S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  B 


PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave.,  Hew  Tork  22,  H  T.) 

403  Career  Girl — Langford-Norris  Jan.  11 

408  Nabonga— Crabbe-D'Orsay   Jan.  25 

454  Outlaw  Roundup — Texas  Rangers  - 

No.  4  (55  m.)  Feb.  10 

409  Men  on  Her  Mind — Hughes-Norns  Feb.  12 

462  Frontier  Outlaw — Crabbe  No.  5  (58  m.)  Mar.  4 

414  Lady  in  the  Death  House — Atwill-Parker.  . .  .Mar.  15 

463  Thundering  Gun  Slingers — 

Crabbe  No.  5  (60  m.)  Mar.  25 

413  The  Amazing  Mr.  Forrest — Kruger-Horton 

(formerly  "Gangsters'  Den")  Mar.  29 

455  Guns  of  the  Law — Texas  Rangers  No.  5  Apr.  10 

419  The  Monster  Maker — Naish-Morgan  Apr.  15 

422  Shake  Hands  with  Murder — Adrian-Jenks.  .  .  Apr.  22 

456  The  Pinto  Bandit — Texas  Rangers  No.  6  Apr.  27 

404  Minstrel  Man — Fields-George   May  10 


Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 
9002  Women  at  War — Elsie  Janis 

(reissue)  (69  m.)   Jan.  25 

333  Casanova  in  Burlesque — Brown-Havoc  Feb.  19 

3302  The  Big  Show — Autry  (reissue)  (71m.)  Mar.  1 

354  Beneath  Western  Skies — Livingston  (56  m.)  .Mar.  3 

311  The  Fighting  Seabees — Wayne-Hayward 

(reset)   Mar.  10 

377  The  Mojave  Firebrand — Elliott-Hayes ( 55m) . Mar.  19 

312  My  Best  Gal — Withers-Lydon  Mar.  28 

378  Hidden  Valley  Outlaws — Elliott-Hayes 

(56  m.)  Apr.  2 

355  The  Laramie  Trail — Livingston  (56  m.).  .  .  .Apr.  3 
366  Outlaws  of  Sante  Fe — Don  Barry  (56  m.)..Apr.  4 

313  Rosie,  the  Riveter — Frazee-Albertson  Apr.  9 

3303  Oh,  Susanna — Autry  (reissue)  Apr.  15 

314  Trocadero — Lance-Purcell   Apr.  24 

316  Jamboree — Ruth  Terry   May  5 

342  Cowboy  and  the  Senorita — Roy  Rogers 

(78  m.)  May  12 


315  The  Lady  and  the  Monster — Von  Stroheim .  .  not  set 


RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  20,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  3 

411  Around  the  World — Kyser-Davis  

412  The  Ghost  Ship— Richard  Dix  

413  Tarzan's  Desert  Mystery — Weissmuller-Kelly 

414  Rookies  in  Burma — Brown-Carney  

415  Higher  and  Higher — Sinatra-Haley-Morgan. 

Block  4 

416  Tender  Comrade — Rogers-Ryan   

417  Passport  to  Destiny — Lanchester-Oliver. . . . 

418  Curse  of  the  Cat  People — Simon-Smith.  .  .  . 

419  Escape  to  Danger — Portman-Dvorak  

420  Action  in  Arabia — Sanders-Bruce  

Special 

451  The  North  Star — Baxter-Huston  

452  Up  in  Arms — Kaye-Andrews-Shore  


Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 

(444  W.  56th  St.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 


Block  6 

417  The  Lodger — Sanders-Oberon  Jan.  7 

418  Uncensored — English  Cast  Jan.  21 

419  Lifeboat — Bankhead-Bendix   Jan.  28 

Block  7 

420  Jane  Eyre — Fontaine-Welles  Feb. 

421  The  Sullivans — Mitchell-Baxter   Feb. 

Block  8 

422  The  Purple  Heart — Andrews-Levene  Mar. 

423  Four  Jills  in  a  Jeep — Francis-Raye-Landis  Mar. 

Block  9 

424  Buffalo  Bill— McCrea-O'Hara  Apr. 

425  Tampico — Robinson-Bari   Apr. 

Shrine  of  Victory — Documentary  Apr. 


United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  Torl(  19,  H-  T.) 


Three  Russian  Girls — Sten-Smith  Jan.  14 

Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey — Ban-Calhern  Feb.  11 

Texas  Masquerade — Hopalong  Cassidy  (59  m.)  .  .  .  .Feb.  18 
Knickerbocker  Holiday — Eddy-Coburn  (reset)  ...Mar.  17 

It  Happened  Tomorrow — Powell-Darnell,  re)  Apr.  7 

Voice  in  the  Wind — Gurie-Ledcrer  (re)  Apr.  21 

Lumber  Jack — Hopalong  Cassidy  Apr.  28 

Song  of  the  Open  Road — Bergen-O'Neill  not  set 

Up  in  Mabel's  Room — Patrick-O'Keefe  not  set 

Strange  Confession — Sanders-Darnell  not  set 

The  Hairy  Ape — Bendix-Hayward  not  set 


Universal  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave..  Hew  York  20,  H-  T.) 

8034  Sing  a  Jingle — Allan  Jones  Jan.  7 

8003  Ali  Baba  ii  the  Forty  Thieves— Montez-Hall.  .Jan.  14 
8021  Spider  Woman — Rathbone-Sondergaard  ....Jan.  21 

8083  Marshal  of  Gunsmoke — Tex  Ritter  (58  m.).  .Jan.  21 

8014  Phantom  Lady — Tone-Raines   Jan.  28 

8020  Swingtime  Johnny — Andrews  Sisters  Feb.  4 

8066  The  Imposter— Gabin-Whorf  Feb.  11 

8029  Weekend  Pass— O'Driscoll-Beery   Feb.  18 

801 1  Chip  Off  the  Old  Block— O'Connor-Ryan.  .  .Feb.  25 
8031  Hat  Check  Honey— McDonald-Errol  Mar.  10 

8084  Oklahoma  Raiders— Tex  Ritter  (57  m.)  Mar.  17 

8065  Ladies  Courageous — Young-Fitzgerald  Mar.  17 

8044  Hi,  Good  Lookin' — Marriet  Hilliard  Mar.  24 

Follow  the  Boys — All  star  cast  Apr.  7 

8027  Weird  Woman — Chaney-Gwynne   Apr.  14 

8016  Her  Primitive  Man — Allbritton-Paige  Apr.  21 

8037  Moon  Over  Las  Vegas — Jean-Bruce  Apr.  28 

8036  Slightly  Terrific— Errol-Rooney  May  5 

Cobra  Woman — Montez-Hall  May  12 

Pardon  My  Rhythm — Jean-Knowles  May  19 


Warner-First  National  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St..  Hew  Tor^  18,  H-  T.) 

309  Destination  Tokyo — Grant-Garfield  Jan.  1 

310  The  Desert  Song — Morgan-Manning  Jan.  29 

224  This  is  the  Army — Murphy-Leslie  Feb.  15 

311  In  Our  Time — Henreid-Lupino  Feb.  19 

325  Frisco  Kid — Cagney  (reissue)  (77  m.)  Mar.  4 

312  Passage  to  Marseille — Bogart-Rains  Mar.  11 

313  Shine  on  Harvest  Moon — Sheridan-Morgan ..  Apr.  8 
Uncertain  Glory — Flynn-Lucas  Apr.  22 


SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 
Columbia — One  Reel 

5704  Polly  Wants  a  Doctor — Phantasies  (6J/2  m.).Jan.  6 

5954  Film  Vodvil  No.  4  (9  m.)  Jan.  7 

5805  Winged  Targets — Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  7 

5856  Screen  Snapshots  No.  6  (10  m.)  Jan.  14 

5903  Camera  Digest — Panoramic  (10J/2  m.)  Jan.  14 

5503  The  Herring  Murder  Mystery — Color  Rhap. 

(7  m.)   Jan.  20 

5658  Community  Sings  No.  8  (10  m.)  Jan.  28 

5705  Magic  Strength — Phantasies  (7J/2  min.)  Feb.  4 

5857  Screen  Snapshots  No.  7  (9  min.)  Feb.  18 

5806  Follow  Through  with  Sam  Byrd — Sports 

(9  m.)  Feb.  18 

5659  Community  Sings  No.  9  (9l/?  m.)  Feb.  25 

5601  Amoozin'  But  Confoozin' — Li'l  Abner 

(reset)  (8  m.)  Mar.  3 

5706  Lionel  Lion — Phantasies  (6  m.)  Mar.  3 

Why  of  Wartime  Taxes— OWI  (Free) 

(10  m.)  Mar.  9 

5660  Community  Sings  No.  10  (10  min.)  Mar.  17 

5858  Screen  Snapshots  No.  8  (8  m.)  Mar.  24 

5753  The  Dream  Kids— Fox  6f  Crow  (re)  Mar.  27 

5904  Senoritas  and  Traditions  of  Mexico — 

Panoramic  Mar.  30 

5807  Golden  Gloves — Sports  (reset)  Mar.  31 

5707  Giddy  Yapping — Phantasies   Apr.  7 

5955  Film  Vodvil  No.  5  Apr.  7 

5859  Screen  Snapshots  No.  9  Apr.  21 

5602  Sadie  Hawkin's  Day — Li'l  Abner  (reset)  ..  .May  4 

5504  Disillusioned  Bluebird — Color  Rhapsody  .  . .  .May  26 


Page  C 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


April  1,  1944 


5431 
5432 
5166 
5167 
5168 
5169 
5170 
5434 
5405 
5433 
5171 
5173 
5174 
5406 
5435 
5411 


Columbia — Two  Reels 

To  Heir  is  Human — Merkel  (16  m.)  Jan.  14 

Dr.  Feel  My  Pulse — Vera  Vagne  (18  m.) . .  .Jan.  21 
Jungle  Whispers — The  Phantom  (20  m.) .  .  .  .Jan.  21 
The  Mystery  Well— The  Phantom  (20  m.) .  .  .Jan.  28 
In  Quest  of  the  Keys — Phantom  (20  m.) .  .  .  .Feb.  4 
The  Fire  Princess — The  Phantom  (20  m.) . .  .Feb.  11 
The  Emerald  Key— The  Phantom  (20  m.) .  .  .Feb.  18 

His  Tale  is  Told— Clyde  (171/2  m.)  Mar.  4 

Crash  Goes  the  Hash — Stooges  (17  m.)  Feb.  5 

Bachelor  Daze — Summerville  (18  m.)  Feb.  17 

The  Fangs  of  the  Beast — Phantom  (20  m.)  .  .Mar.  3 

A  Lost  City— The  Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  10 

Peace  in  the  Jungle — Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  17 

Busy  Buddies — Stooges  (16J/2  m.)  Mar.  18 

Defective  Detectives — Lang-Brendel  Apr.  3 

Oh,  Baby!— Hugh  Herbert  Apr.  17 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

W-456  Innertube  Antics — Cartoon  (7  m.)  Jan.  22 

C-499  Radio  Bugs— Our  Gang  ( 1 1  m. )  Apr.  1 

(More  to  come) 

1943-  44 

T'511  Through  the  Colorado  Rockies — Traveltalk 

(10  m.)   Oct.  23 

T'512  Grand  Canyon,  Pride  of  Creation — 

Traveltalk  (9m.)  Nov.  27 

M'581  My  Tomato — Miniature  (7  m.)  Dec.  4 

M-583  No  News  is  Good  News — Miniature  (9m). Dec.  18 
M-582  Kid  in  Upper  Four — Miniature  (11  m.) .  .  .Dec.  25 
T-513  Salt  Lake  Diversions — Traveltalk  (9  m.) . .  .Dec.  25 

S-551  Practical  Joker— Pete  Smith  (11  m.)  Jan.  8 

T-514  A  Day  in  Death  Valley— Traveltalk  ( 10  m.)  .Jan.  22 
T-515  Visiting  in  St.  Louis— Traveltalk  (9  m.).  .  .Feb.  19 

S-552  Home  Maid— Pete  Smith  (9  m.)  Feb.  19 

W-531  Zoot  Cat— Cartoon  (7  m.)  Feb.  26 

T-516  Mackinac  Island — Traveltalk  (9  m.)  Mar.  18 

W-532  Screwball  Squirrel — Cartoon  (7  m.)  Apr.  1 

S'553  Groovie  Movie — Pete  Smith  (9  m.)  Apr.  8 

W-533  Batty  Baseball — Cartoon   Apr.  22 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 

1942-  43 

A-403  Shoe  Shine  Boy— Special  (15  m.)  Dec.  25 

A-404  Main  Street  Today — Special  (20  m.)  Mar.  25 

(More  to  come) 

1943-  44 

X-510  Danger  Area — Special  Release  (22  m.)....Jan.  1 


Paramount — One  Reel 

L3-2  Unusual  Occupations  No.  2  (10  m.)  Jan.  7 

R3-4  Swimcapades — Sportlight  (9  m.)  Jan.  14 

U3-3  Package  for  Jasper — Mad.  Mod.  (8  m.)  . . . .  Jan.  21 
Y3'2  In  Winter  Quarters — Speak,  of  Animals(9m)  .Jan.  28 

D3-1  Eggs  Don't  Bounce — Little  Lulu  (8m.)  Jan.  28 

J3-3  Popular  Science  No.  3  (10  m.)  Feb.  4 

R3-5  Open  Fire — Sportlight  (9  m.)  Feb.  18 

P3-2  Henpecked  Rooster — Noveltoons  (8  m.)  Feb.  18 

D3-2  Hullaba  Lulu — Little  Lulu  (8  m.)  Feb.  25 

L3-3  Unusual  Occupations  No.  3  Mar.  3 

U3-4  Say  Ah,  Jasper— Mad.  Mod.  (8  m.)  Mar.  10 

Y3-3  In  the  Newsreels — Speak,  of  Animals  Mar.  17 

R3-6  Heroes  on  the  Mend — Sportlight  Mar.  24 

P3'3  Cilly  Goose — Noveltoons  Mar.  24 

D3-3  Lulu  Gets  Her  Birdie — Little  Lulu  Mar.  31 

J3-4  Popular  Science  No.  4  Apr.  17 

E3-3  We're  on  Our  Way  to  Reno — Popeye  Apr.  21 

P3-4  Suddenly  It's  Spring — Noveltoons  Apr.  28 

R3-7  Catch  'Em  &  Eat  'Em— Sportlight  Apr.  28 

Paramount — Two  Reels 

FF3-1  Mardi  Gras— Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  Oct.  1 

FF3-2  Carribean  Romance — Musical  Parade (20m) .  Dec.  17 
FF3-3  Lucky  Cowboy — Musical  Parade  (20  m.)..Feb.  11 
FF3-4  Showboat  Serenade — Musical  Parade (20m)  .Apr.  14 


RKO — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

34114  Trombone  Trouble— Disney  (7  m.)  Feb.  18 

34115  How  to  Play  Golf — Disney  (8m.)  Mar.  10 

34116  Donald  Duck  fe?  the  Gorilla — Disney  Mar.  31 

34117  Columbia  Candor — Disney  Apr.  21 

34118  Commando  Duck — Disney  May  12 

(End  of  1942-43  Season) 

1943-  44 

44201  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  1  (9  m.)  Sept.  5 

44301  Field  Trial  Champions — Sportscope  (9m). Sept.  10 

44202  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  2  (9  m.)  Oct.  1 

44302  Joe  Kirkwood — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Oct.  8 

44203  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  3  (9  m.)  Oct.  29 

44303  Stars  and  Strikes — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Nov.  5 

44204  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  4  (9  m.)  Nov.  26 

44304  Mountain  Anglers — Sportscope  (9  m.) .  .  .  .Dec.  3 

44205  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  5  (9  m.)  Dec.  24 

44305  Co-ed  Sports — Sportscope  (8  m.)  Dec.  31 

44206  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  6  (9  m.)  Jan.  21 

44306  Basket  Wizards  Sportscope  (8  m.)  Jan.  28 

44207  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  7  (10  m.)  Feb.  18 

44307  Mallard  Flight— Sportscope  (9  m.)  Feb.  25 

44308  On  Paint — Sportscope  (8  m.)  Mar.  24 

RKO — Two  Reels 

43043  Prunes  &  Politics — Edgar  Kennedy  ( 16  m.)  .Jan.  7 

43103  New  Prisons-New  Men — This  is  America 

(17  m.)   Jan.  14 

43104  Mail  Call— This  is  America  (17  m.)  Feb.  11 

43704  Say  Uncle— Leon  Errol  (18  m.)  Feb.  18 

43404  Love  Your  Landlord — Edgar  Kennedy 

(18  m.)  Mar.  3 

43105  News  Front — This  is  America  (16  m.) .  . .  .Mar.  10 


Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 

4155  Realm  of  Royalty — Magic  Carpet  (9  m.)  Feb.  4 

4511  The  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus— Terry.  (7  m.).Feb.  11 

4202  Silver  Wings — Adventure  (9  m.)  Feb.  18 

4512  A  Day  in  June — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  Mar.  3 

4153  Steamboat  on  the  River — Magic  Carpet.  .  .  .Mar.  10 
4201  Sails  Aloft — Adventure  (9  m.)  Mar.  31 

4514  The  Frog  £s?  the  Princess — Terry.  (7  m.) . . .  .Apr.  7 

4513  The  Champion  of  Justice — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  .Mar.  17 
4303  Fun  for  All— Sports   Apr.  14 

4515  Mighty  Mouse  Meets  Jekyll  fe?  Hyde  Cat — 

Terrytoon  (6  m.)  Apr.  28 

4203  Mailman  of  Hell's  Canyon — Adventure  May  5 

4516  My  Boy,  Johnny — Terrytoon  May  12 

4351  Nymph  of  the  Southland — Sports  May  26 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 

Vol.  10  No.  5  Upbeats  in  Music — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)  Dec.  31 

Vol.  10  No.  6  Sweden's  Middle  Road — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Jan.  28 

Vol.  10  No.  7  Post  War  Jobs?— March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Feb.  25 

Vol.10  No.  8  South  American  Front — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Mar.  24 


8355 
8356 
8375 

8357 
8376 
8377 
8232 

8358 
8238 
8378 
8359 


Universal — One  Reel 

Amazing  Metropolis — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  .  . .  .Jan.  17 

Magazine  Model — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Jan.  24 

Mrs.  Lowell  Thomas,  Fur  Farmer — 

Personal  Oddities  (9  m.)  Jan.  31 

Animal  Tricks — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Feb.  21 

The  Barefoot  Judge— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Feb.  28 

Aviation  Expert — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Mar.  20 

The  Greatest  Man  in  Siam — Swing  Symphony 

(7  m.)  Mar.  27 

Hobo  News — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Mar.  27 

Barber  of  Seville — Cartune  (7  m.)  Apr.  10 

Foster's  Canary  College — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.).  .Apr.  24 
Fraud  by  Mail — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Apr.  24 


April  1,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  D 


8125 
8126 
8112 

8127 
8881 

8128 
8882 

8883 

8884 

8129 
8885 


Universal — Two  Reels 

New  Orleans  Blues — Musical  (15  m.)  Jan.  26 

Sweet  Swing — Musical  (15  m.)  Feb.  23 

With  the  Marines  at  Tarawa  (Special) 

(19  m.)  Mar.  1 

Fellow  on  a  Furlough — Musical  (15  m.)...  .Mar.  29 
Shipwrecked  Among  the  Icebergs — Great 

Alaskan  Mystery  No.  1  (20  m.)  Apr.  25 

Stars  and  Violins — Musical  (15  m.)  Apr.  26 

Thundering  Doom — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  2  (20  m.)  May  2 

Battle  in  the  Clouds — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  3  (20  m.)  May  9 

Masked  Murder — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  4  (20  m.)  May  16 

Melody  Garden— Musical  (15  m.)  May  17 

The  Bridge  of  Disaster — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  4  (20  m.)  May  23 


NEWSWEEKLY 
NEW  YORK 
RELEASE  DATES 


9503 
9305 

9403 

9504 
9701 
9605 

9306 

9702 
9505 
9721 
9404 
9703 
9307 
9607 
9506 
9704 
9705 
9308 
9722 
9405 
9608 


9507 
9706 
9508 
9309 

9707 


9109 
9103 
9110 
9105 
9111 
9005 
9104 

9004 


Vitaphone — One  Reel 

Into  the  Clouds— Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  1 

Cross  Country  Detours — Mer.  Mel. 

(reissue)  (7  m.)   Jan.  15 

Hunting  the  Devil  Cat — Varieties 

(reset)  (10  m.)  Jan.  22 

Baa  Baa  Blackshecp — Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  22 

Meatless  Fly  Day — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Jan.  29 

Ted  Wcems  Merchant  Marine  Band — 

Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  Jan.  29 

Hiawatha's  Rabbit  Hunt — Mer.  Mel. 

(reissue)  (7  m.)   Feb.  12 

Tom  Turk  fe?  Daffy— Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)  Feb.  12 

Dogie  Roundup — Sports  (10  m.)  Feb.  26 

The  Three  Bears — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Feb.  26 

Struggle  for  Life — Varieties  (10  m.)  Mar.  4 

I've  Got  Plenty  of  Mutton- — Mer.  Mel  (7m. Mar.  11 
The  Bear's  Tale — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue)  (7m). Mar.  11 
South  American  Sway — Mel.  Mas.  ( 10  in.) .  .Mar.  18 

Chinatown  Champs — Sports  (10  m.)  Mar.  18 

The  Weakly  Reporter — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)..  .Mar.  25 
Tick  Tock  Tuckered — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.) .  .  .  .Apr.  8 
Sweet  Sioux — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue)  (7  m.) . .  .Apr.  8 
Bugs  Bunny  Nips  the  Nips — Mer.  Mel. 

Jungle  Thrills — Varieties  (10  m.)  Apr.  15 

Rudy  Vallee's  Coast  Guard  Band — Mel.  Mass. 

(10  m.)  Apr.  15 

(7  m.)  Apr.  22 

Backyard  Golf — Sports  (10  m.)  Apr.  22 

The  Swooner  Crooner — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.) .  .  .May  6 
Philippine  Sports  Parade — Sports  (10  m.)..May  13 
Of  Fox  y  Hounds — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)  May  13 

Russian  Rhapsody — Mel.  Mas.  (7m.)  May  20 

Vitaphone — Two  Reels 

Gun  to  Gun — Sante  Fe  Western  (20  m.)  .  .  .  .Jan.  8 
Grandfather's  Follies — Featurette  (20  m.). .  .Feb.  5 
Roaring  Guns — Sante  Fe  Western  (20  m.).  .Feb.  19 
Nights  in  Mexico  City — Featurette  (20  m.)  .  .Mar.  25 
Wells  Fargo  Days — Sante  Fe  Western  ( 20m ) .  Apr.  1 
Winners  Circle — Special  (20  m.)  (reset)  ..  .May  6 
Our  Frontier  in  Italy — Featurette  (reset) 

(20  m.)  Apr.  29 

Devil  Boats — Special  (20  min.)  May  27 


Pathe  News 


Fox  Movietone 


45163  Sat.  (O) . 

Apr. 

l 

61 

Tucs. 

(O).. 

.Apr.  4 

45264  Wed.  (E) 

.  Apr. 

5 

62 

Thurs. 

(E)., 

.Apr.  6 

45165  Sat.  (O) . 

,  Apr. 

8 

63 

Tucs. 

(O).. 

.Apr.  11 

45266  Wed.  (E) 

.  Apr. 

12 

64 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.Apr.  13 

45167  Sat.  (O) . 

.  Apr. 

1 5 

65 

Tucs. 

(O).. 

.Apr.  18 

45268  Wed.  (E) . 

Apr. 

19 

66 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.Apr.  20 

45169  Sat.  (O) . 

.  Apr. 

22 

67 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.Apr.  25 

45270  Wed.  (E) 

.  Apr. 

26 

68 

Thurs. 

(E). 

,  .Apr.  27 

45171  Sat.  (O). 

.Apr. 

29 

69 

Tues. 

(O). 

..May  2 

45272  Wed.  (E) 

.  May 

3 

70 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .May  4 

45173  Sat.  (O). 

.May 

6 

71 

Tues. 

(O). 

..May  9 

45274  Wed.  (E) 

.May  10 

72 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .May  11 

45175  Sat.  (O) . 

.  May 

13 

73 

Tues. 

(O). 

.  .May  16 

Universal 


280 

Fri.  (E)... 

.Mar.  31 

281 

Wed.  (O). 

.Apr.  5 

282 

Fri.  (E). . . 

.Apr.  7 

283 

Wed.  (O). 

.Apr.  12 

284 

Fri  (E) 

.Apr.  14 

285 

Wed.  (O). 

.Apr.  19 

286 

Fri.  (E) . . . 

.Apr.  21 

287 

Wed.  (O). 

.Apr.  26 

288 

Fn.  (E). . . 

.Apr.  28 

289 

Wed.  (O). 

.May  5 

290 

Fn.  (E)... 

.  May  7 

291 

Wed.  (O). 

.May  12 

Paramount  News 


Metrotone  News 


61  Sunday  (O)  . 

62  Thurs.  (E). . 

63  Sunday  (O)  . 

64  Thurs.  (E). . 

65  Sunday  (O) . 

66  Thurs.  (E). . 

67  Sunday  (O) . 

68  Thurs.  (E)  . . 

69  Sunday  (O) . 

70  Thurs.  (E). . 

71  Sunday  (O). 

72  Thurs  (E). . 

73  Sunday  (O) . 


.Apr.  2 
.Apr.  6 
.Apr.  9 
.Apr.  13 
.Apr.  16 
.Apr.  20 
.Apr.  23 
.Apr.  27 
.Apr.  30 
.  May  4 
.  May  7 
.May  11 
.May  14 


259 

Tues. 

(O). 

.Apr.  4 

260 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Apr.  6 

261 

Tues. 

(O). 

.Apr.  11 

262 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Apr.  13 

263 

Tues. 

(O). 

.Apr.  18 

264 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Apr.  20 

265 

Tues. 

(O). 

.Apr.  25 

266 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.Apr.  25 

267 

Tues. 

(O). 

.May  2 

268 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.May  4 

269 

Tues. 

(O). 

.May  9 

270 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.May  11 

271 

Tues. 

(O). 

.May  16 

AH  American  News 

75  Friday  Mar.  31 

76  Friday   Apr.  7 

77  Friday  Apr.  14 

78  Friday   Apr.  21 

79  Friday   Apr.  28 

80  Friday   May  5 

81  Friday   May  12 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH   AVENUE  Published     Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  Dnnmioio  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  nw"nl°"  Publisher 

Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain           16.50  A  Motjon  picture  Reviewing  gervice 

ureat  Britain  ............  ±o.o  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

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35c  a  Copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  APRIL  8,  1944  No.  15 


LET  US  GIVE  PARAMOUNT  CREDIT 

The  fourth  Paramount  block  of  pictures  was  orig- 
inally intended  to  consist  of  four  pictures,  "Going 
My  Way,"  with  Bing  Crosby;  "The  Hour  Before  the 
Dawn,"  with  Veronica  Lake  and  Franchot  Tone; 
"You  Can't  Ration  Love,"  with  Betty  Rhodes  and 
Johnny  Johnston;  and  "The  Navy  Way,"  with  Jean 
Parker  and  Robert  Lowery. 

Immediately  after  the  trade  showing  of  the  Bing 
Crosby  picture,  Paramount  announced  its  withdrawal 
from  the  block  intending  to  substitute  "The  Hitler 
Gang"  for  it.  But  now  it  has  announced  that  it  has 
withdrawn  from  the  block  also  "The  Hitler  Gang." 
According  to  information  Harrison's  Reports  has 
obtained  from  Paramount,  the  intention  is  to  let  the 
fourth  block  consist  of  only  the  aforementioned  three 
pictures. 

I  have  no  proof  of  what  I  am  going  to  say,  but  I 
have  a  notion  that  Paramount,  in  letting  the  block 
stand  with  three  pictures,  wanted  to  be  fair  to  the 
exhibitors  by  not  wishing  to  impose  on  them  more 
than  three  mediocre  pictures  at  one  time.  Had  it  in- 
eluded  "The  Hitler  Gang,"  the  number  of  mediocre 
pictures  would  then  be  four.  And  such  a  number 
would  have  been  too  great  a  burden  for  the  exhibitors 
to  bear  at  one  time. 

I  have  not  yet  seen  "The  Hitler  Gang,"  because  it 
has  not  been  shown  to  the  reviewers  in  this  territory, 
but  the  March  27  bulletin  of  the  Independent  Ex- 
hibitors Forum  (formerly  the  Indignant  Exhibitors 
Forum) ,  of  Cincinnati,  classes  this  picture  in  its  Allo- 
cations Chart  as  an  "E"  picture,  that  is,  a  picture 
deserving  less  than  average  terms  in  suburban  and 
subsequent  runs.  Since  this  group  of  exhibitors  have 
always  been  fair  in  their  allocations  of  the  different 
distributors1  pictures,  Harrison's  Reports  feels  cer- 
tain that  they  would  not  have  had  this  picture  so 
allocated  unless  the  organization's  committee,  con- 
sisting of  five  representative  exhibitors,  had  seen  it. 
The  fact  that  the  picture  will  be  shown  at  the  Globe 
Theater,  this  city,  as  a  first  run  upholds  their  judg- 
ment. 

The  following  are  the  allocations  that  they  give  to 
the  three  remaining  pictures  of  the  fourth  block  for 
suburban  and  subsequent  runs: 

"The  Hour  Before  the  Dawn"  "D"  or  "Average 
Terms." 

"You  Can't  Ration  Love"  "E"  or  "Average-Minus 
Terms." 

"The  Navy  Way"  "E"  or  "Average-Minus 
Terms." 

I  presume  that  the  reason  why  the  committee  put 
"The  Hour  Before  the  Dawn"  in  the  "D"  class  in- 
stead of  the  "E"  is  owed  to  the  fact  that  it  has  two 
pretty  popular  stars,  Veronica  Lake  and  Franchot 


Tone;  otherwise  the  picture,  as  entertainment,  be- 
longs to  the  "E"  or  "Minus- Average"  terms,  class. 

Again  Harrison's  Reports  wishes  to  commend 
Paramount  for  its  fairmindedness. 


WARNER  BROTHERS  HEADED  FOR 
A  FREE  FRENCH  PROTEST 

In  the  Warner  Bros.,  picture,  "Uncertain  Glory," 
a  group  of  underground  Frenchmen  in  a  village  near 
Paris  plot  to  deliver  to  the  Gestapo  the  hero,  who  they 
know  is  innocent  of  sabotage,  so  as  to  save  one  hun- 
dred French  hostages,  among  whom  are  the  relatives 
of  the  plotters. 

The  incident  is,  indeed,  in  bad  taste  and  the  country 
cannot  escape  receiving  a  strong  protest  against  it 
from  Free  French  representatives. 

This  paper  fears  that,  unless  this  incident  is  elimi- 
nated, the  picture  may  be  barred  from  export  in  the 
event  that  the  Free  French  protested. 

In  any  case  the  incident  is  one  of  the  most  unpleas- 
ant in  the  entire  picture. 


ANOTHER  ABUSE  DEALT  WITH 
BY  THE  CINCINNATI  FORUM 

In  its  March  7  bulletin,  the  Independent  (Formerly 
"Indignant")  Exhibitors  Forum  discusses  another  dis- 
tributor action  that  has  the  tendency  of  taking  away 
the  profits  of  the  independent  exhibitors, — by  the  cur- 
tailment of  product,  either  by  producing  fewer  pic- 
tures, or  by  postponing  releases,  forcing  longer  runs 
for  their  more  meritorious  pictures. 

When  the  distributors  postpone  the  release  of  their 
good  pictures,  they  put  program  pictures  into  per- 
centage brackets  and  up  their  allocations  all  along  the 
line  to  the  point  that  the  profits  are  taken  out  of  the 
week's  business.  Things  become  worse,  states  the  bulle- 
tin, when  the  exhibitor  has  a  bad  break  in  the  weather 
during  the  entire  week.  Then  he  finds  himself  in  the 
red,  and  has  no  way  by  which  he  could  make  up  his 
losses  in  subsequent  weeks. 


LET  PERCENTAGE  PICTURES 
BE  SOLD  BY  THEMSELVES 

There  is  a  growing  demand  among  independent  ex- 
hibitors that  percentage  pictures  be  sold  alone,  and  not 
tied  up  with  flat  rental  pictures. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  inclined  to  agree  with  these 
exhibitors  out  of  a  belief  that  the  prices  exhibitors  pay 
for  flat  rental  pictures  are  far  higher  than  they  are 
worth  when  they  are  tied  up  with  percentage  pic- 
tures. If  you  disagree  with  this  view,  you  can  render  a 
service  to  the  industry  by  writing  to  this  paper,  giving 
the  reasons  for  your  disagreement.  A  full  discussion 
of  the  subject  may  lead  to  a  new  and  equitable  policy 
governing  the  sale  of  these  two  types  of  pictures. 


58 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  8,  1944 


"Detective  Kitty  O'Day"  with  Jean  Parker 
and  Peter  Cookson 

(Monogram,  May  13;  time.  61  min.) 

This  murder-mystery  melodrama  is  fairly  good  program 
entertainment.  Combining  mystery  and  comedy,  with  the 
accent  on  the  comedy,  the  action  moves  swiftly;  it  revolves 
around  a  young  woman  who  sets  out  to  solve  a  murder  in 
order  to  clear  herself  and  her  sweetheart  of  suspicion.  Jean 
Parker,  as  the  self-appointed  female  detective  does  rather 
well.  She  provokes  considerable  laughter  by  her  antics,  and 
displays  ability  as  a  comedienne,  a  role  new  to  her.  The 
dialogue  is,  on  occasion,  bright.  Although  discriminating 
audiences  may  find  the  story  a  bit  too  silly,  it  should  please 
audiences  in  small-town  and  neighborhood  theatres:— 

Jean  Parker  and  Peter  Cookson,  sweethearts,  are  unaware 
that  their  employer  was  a  dealer  in  stolen  bonds,  and  that 
he  was  in  league  with  Herbert  Heyes,  his  attorney;  Douglas 
Fowlcy,  his  wife's  (Veda  Ann  Borg)  boy-friend;  and  Olaf 
Hytten,  his  butler.  One  night,  Jean  discovers  her  employer 
murdered.  Inspector  Tim  Ryan,  and  Ed  Gargan,  his  assist- 
ant, are  assigned  to  the  case.  Because  she  and  Cookson  were 
among  those  suspected  of  the  crime,  Jean  determines  to 
prove  their  innocence.  In  their  search  for  clues,  the  pair  dis- 
guise themselves  as  maid  and  porter,  and  gain  entry  to  the 
neighboring  apartments  of  Veda's  and  of  Fowlcy's;  Jean 
felt  that  they  were  responsible  for  the  murder.  Their  pres- 
ence is  discovered  and,  after  a  hectic  game  of  hide-and-seek 
with  the  police,  both  are  caught.  During  the  chase,  both 
Fowley  and  the  butler  are  murdered  mysteriously,  and  the 
young  lovers  are  accused  of  the  crimes.  Outwitting  the  po- 
lice, Jean  and  Cookson  escape  and  go  to  Heyes,  the  attorney, 
for  advice.  Jean,  while  talking  to  Heyes,  discovers  evidence 
that  reveals  him  to  be  the  murderer.  Unmasked,  Heyes  forces 
the  couple  to  accompany  him  in  a  taxicab  to  a  remote  part 
of  town,  where  he  demands  that  they  turn  over  to  him 
$100,000  in  bonds,  which  he  accuses  them  of  having  stolen 
from  Fowlcy's  apartment.  Both  are  saved  by  the  timely  ar- 
rival of  the  police,  who  had  been  summoned  by  the  taxicab 
driver.  Ryan  proves  that  Heyes  had  killed  his  former  part- 
ners because  of  a  dispute  over  the  profits.  The  bonds,  which 
had  been  found  and  hidden  by  Cookson,  are  recovered. 

Tim  Ryan  and  Victor  Hammond  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Lindsley  Parsons  produced  it,  and  William  Beaudine  di- 
rected it.  Morally  suitable  for  all. 


one  because  their  father  had  decided  to  separate  them  by 
sending  the  serious-minded  Lyn  to  college,  and  the  flirta- 
tious Lee  so  visit  an  aunt.  They  refused  to  separate  and, 
to  avoid  discovery,  agreed  not  to  appear  in  public  together. 
As  a  result  of  his  not  knowing  that  he  was  dealing  with  twin 
sisters,  Mickey  gets  himself  into  numerous  predicaments 
while  at  college,  and  his  attempts  to  romance  with  Bonita 
are  interfered  with,  causing  her  to  become  even  more  in- 
fatuated with  Marshall.  Mickey  eventually  learns  the  twins' 
secret  and,  in  an  attempt  to  help  them,  gets  himself  into 
trouble  with  Marshall.  Rather  than  expose  the  twins,  he 
decides  to  quit  the  college.  Before  he  can  do  so,  however, 
his  father  arrives  for  a  visit  and  clears  up  matters  with 
Marshall,  his  old  school  chum.  Bonita,  realising  that  she 
has  been  going  through  an  "older  man"  stage,  forgets  her 
infatuation  for  Marshall  and  reconciles  with  Mickey.  Mean- 
while Mickey's  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  twins  turns  out  for 
the  best  when  their  father  agrees  to  let  them  go  to  college 
together. 

Harry  Ruskin  William  Ludwig,  and  Agnes  Christine 
Johnston  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  George  B.  Seitz  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Fay  Holden,  Sara  Haden,  Keye 
Luke  and  others. 


"Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble"  with 
Mickey  Rooney,  Bonita  Granville 
and  Herbert  Marshall 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  107  min.) 
This  picture  makes  one  feel  as  if  MGM  is  having  difficulty 
finding  suitable  material  with  which  to  continue  the  "Hardy 
family"  pictures,  for  its  entertainment  value  is  decidedly  be- 
low par  for  the  series.  This  time  the  story  deals  with  Mickey 
Rooney's  misadventures  at  college,  particularly  his  troubles 
with  a  set  of  identical  twin  sisters,  whom  he  cannot  tell 
apart.  There  are  a  few  amusing  situations,  and  some  heart 
interest,  but  on  the  whole  it  fails  to  hold  one's  attention, 
for  the  action  is  slow.  Its  107  minutes  running  time  is  much 
too  long  for  a  picture  of  its  type.  Some  judicious  cutting 
should  help  to  speed  up  the  action.  This  could  be  done  by 
taking  out  a  number  of  family  scenes  that  have  no  relation 
to  the  main  plot  and  add  nothing  to  the  entertainment 
values: — 

Bound  for  Wainright  College,  where  his  father  (Lewis 
Stone)  had  been  a  famous  student,  Mickey  Rooney  deter- 
mines to  make  good  on  his  own.  On  the  train  he  meets 
Bonita  Granville,  a  co-ed,  and  Herbert  Marshall,  the  col- 
lege dean.  Mickey  becomes  disturbed  when  he  notices  that 
Bonita  is  attracted  to  Marshall.  Trouble  comes  Mickey's 
way  when  he  makes  the  acquaintance  of  Lee  Wilde,  a  strik- 
ing blonde,  who  induces  him  to  let  her  hold  his  money, 
because  freshmen  were  not  allowed  to  carry  more  than  five 
dollars  on  their  person.  Unknown  to  Mickey,  Lee  had  a 
twin  sister  (Lyn  Wilde),  and  both  were  masquerading  as 


"Meet  the  People"  with  Lucille  Ball 
and  Dick  Powell 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time.  100  mm.) 
Just  fair.  It  never  rises  much  above  the  level  of  program 
entertainment,  and  it  will  have  to  depend  for  its  box-office 
success  on  the  drawing  power  of  the  stars.  The  production, 
which  might  be  termed  a  defense-plant  musical,  is  weighed 
down  by  a  story  that  offers  little  in  the  way  of  originality, 
and  its  treatment  is  so  unimaginative  that  it  barely  holds 
one's  interest.  The  most  satisfying  parts  are  the  specialty 
numbers  and  the  musical  sequences,  which  are  pleasant  but 
not  exceptional.  The  best  of  these  is  a  musical  satire  of 
Hitler  and  Mussolini  by  Spike  Jones  and  his  City  Slickers, 
in  which  a  monkey  impersonates  Hitler.  The  monkey  is  ex- 
cellent. There  is  some  amusing  clowning  on  the  part  of  Bert 
Lahr,  and  a  few  good  impersonations  of  famous  people  by 
Paul  Regan,  a  newcomer.  Vaughn  Monroe  and  his  orchestra 
furnish  the  music: — 

Dick  Powell,  a  shipyard  worker,  wins  a  date  with  Lucille 
Ball,  a  musical  comedy  star,  for  selling  the  most  war  bonds 
in  a  contest.  Lucille  finds  herself  attracted  to  Powell,  and 
becomes  interested  in  a  play  that  he  and  his  cousin,  a 
Marine  on  Guadalcanal,  had  written  about  defense  plant 
workers.  She  takes  the  play  to  New  York  and  persuades 
a  Broadway  impressario  to  produce  it.  Powell  goes  to  New 
York  to  watch  the  rehearsals  and,  to  his  horror,  finds  that 
the  play's  meaning  had  been  distorted.  He  takes  the  play 
away  from  Lucille,  and  tells  her  that  she  ought  to  meet 
the  workers  before  trying  to  put  it  on.  Lucille,  accepting 
his  challenge,  becomes  a  welder  at  the  shipyard.  Impressed 
with  her  sincerity,  Powell  falls  in  love  with  her  and  even- 
tually agrees  to  let  her  stage  the  play.  But  when  he  dis- 
covers her  posing  for  newspaper  photographers,  and  be- 
lieves that  she  had  become  a  welder  for  publicity  purposes, 
he  withdraws  his  permission.  Lucille  prepares  to  return  to 
New  York,  but  complications  arise  when  an  official  govern- 
ment order  freezes  her  to  her  job.  She  makes  the  best  of 
her  predicament  by  becoming  the  shipyard's  entertainment 
director.  Learning  that  his  cousin  was  returning  from 
Guadalcanal,  wounded,  and  that  he  believed  the  play  had 
been  produced,  Powell  goes  to  Lucille  and  asks  her  to  put 
on  the  play  as  part  of  a  launching  celebration.  Lucille,  to 
get  back  at  him,  refuses.  Later,  however,  when  she  learns 
the  reason  for  his  request,  she  throws  herself  wholeheart- 
edly into  the  project,  and  stages  the  play  with  talent  re- 
cruited from  among  the  shipyard  workers. 

S.  M.  Herzig  and  Fred  Saidy  wrote  the  screen  play, 
E.  Y.  Harburg  produced  it,  and  Charles  Reisner  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  "Rags"  Raglund,  Virginia  O'Brien,  June 
Allyson,  Steve  Geray,  Howard  Freeman,  Mata  and  Hari 
and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


April  8,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


59 


"Uncertain  Glory"  with  Errol  Flynn 
and  Paul  Lukas 

(Warner  Bros.,  April  22;  time,  102  min.) 
A  fairly  interesting  but  somewhat  "overlong"  war  melo' 
drama.  From  a  box-office  standpoint  it  should  do  good  busi' 
ness  because  of  the  popularity  of  Errol  Flynn,  and  of  Paul 
Lukas,  this  year's  Academy  Award  winner.  The  story,  which 
takes  place  in  Nazi'controlled  France,  is  a  rather  involved 
affair,  in  which  coincidence  plays  a  big  part,  and  it  is  some- 
what unpleasant.  It  revolves  around  a  convicted  murderer, 
who,  faced  with  execution  on  the  guillotine,  voluntarily 
makes  a  deal  with  a  French  detective  to  pay  his  debt  to 
society  by  posing  as  a  saboteur  in  order  to  save  the  lives  of 
one  hundred  Frenchmen  held  by  the  Gestapo  as  hostages 
for  the  wreck  of  a  Nazi  troop  train.  The  unpleasantness 
stems  from  the  fact  that  the  criminal  is  not  motivated  by  a 
desire  to  save  others,  but  by  a  desire  to  prolong  his  freedom. 
Towards  the  finish,  however,  he  becomes  regenerated  be- 
caus  of  his  love  for  a  young  village  girl.  Unlike  most  pic 
tures  starring  Errol  Flynn,  this  one  is  sorely  lacking  in  excite 
ment;  at  times  the  action  becomes  quite  tedious.  It  does 
manage,  however,  to  maintain  an  undercurrent  of  suspense. 
The  opening  scenes,  in  which  an  air  bombardment  halts 
the  criminal's  execution  and  enables  him  to  escape,  are  iden- 
tical with  those  of  Universal's  "The  Imposter" : — 

While  being  led  to  the  guillotine,  Errol  Flynn,  a  con- 
victed murderer,  escapes  during  an  air  raid.  He  goes  to 
Sheldon  Leonard,  a  former  accomplice,  and  intimidates  him 
into  providing  him  with  funds  and  travel  papers.  Flynn 
entrains  for  Spain,  accompanied  by  Faye  Emerson,  Shel- 
don's girl,  to  whom  he  had  made  love.  Enraged,  Leonard 
reveals  Flynn's  whereabouts  to  Paul  Lukas,  of  the  French 
Surete.  Lukas  apprehends  Flynn.  En  route  to  Paris,  they 
learn  that  a  saboteur  had  blown  up  a  bridge,  and  that  the 
Gestapo  had  seized  one  hundred  Frenchmen,  who  were  to 
be  executed  unless  the  saboteur  was  found  within  five  days. 
Arguing  that  he  must  die  anyway,  Flynn  persuades  Lukas 
to  allow  him  to  pose  as  the  saboteur  in  order  to  save  the 
hostages.  Informing  headquarters  that  Flynn  had  drowned 
in  an  attempted  escape,  and  that  his  body  had  disappeared, 
Lukas  takes  the  criminal  to  a  village  near  the  blasted  bridge 
to  study  the  sabotage,  so  that  he  will  have  a  letter-perfect 
story  for  the  Gestapo.  Fate  brings  them  together  with  the 
real  saboteur,  who  reveals  to  them  just  how  the  bridge  was 
blasted.  Flynn  makes  the  most  of  his  few  days  of  freedom, 
falling  in  love  with  Jean  Sullivan,  a  village  girl.  When 
Jean  overhears  a  group  of  villagers  plotting  to  charge  Flynn 
with  the  sabotage,  in  order  to  save  their  relatives,  who  were 
among  the  hostages,  she  warns  him  and  guides  him  out  of 
town.  Lukas,  believing  that  Flynn  had  escaped  him,  returns 
to  Paris.  Realizing  that  Jean  could  never  find  happiness 
with  him,  Flynn  keeps  his  bargain  with  Lukas,  and  gives 
himself  up  to  the  Gestapo. 

Laszlo  Vadnay  and  Max  Brand  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Robert  Buckner  produced  it,  and  Raoul  Walsh  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Douglas  Dumbrille,  Odette  Myrtil,  Lu- 
cille Watson  and  others. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"Trocadero"  with  Rosemary  Lane, 
Johnny  Downs  and  Ralph  Morgan 

(Republic,  April  24;  time,  74  min.) 
Presumably  the  story  of  the  "Trocadero,"  Hollywood's 
famous  night-club,  this  is  a  fairly  good  program  musical 
entertainment.  As  is  the  case  with  most  pictures  of  this 
type,  the  story  is  nothing  to  brag  about,  for  it  follows  a 
tried  and  true  formula,  but  it  is  pleasant  and  one  feels  kindly 
towards  the  characters.  What  it  lacks  in  story  values,  how- 
ever, it  more  than  makes  up  for  in  tuneful  music,  played  by 
the  orchestras  of  Bob  Chester,  Matty  Malneck,  Gus  Arn- 
heim,  and  Eddie  LeBaron.  In  addition,  there  are  entertain- 
ing specialty  numbers  by  Rosemary  Lane  and  Johnny  Downs, 
the  Radio  Rogues,  Cliff  Nazzaro  and  others.  It  is  the  sort  of 
picture  that  will  send  your  patrons  out  humming,  and  this 


is  more  than  can  be  said  for  many  musicals  produced  by  the 
major  companies: — 

With  the  repeal  of  prohibition,  Tony  Rocadero  (Charles 
Calvert)  plans  to  turn  his  restaurant  into  a  smart  night- 
club to  be  managed  by  Rosemary  Lane  and  Johnny  Downs, 
his  step-children,  who  were  attending  college.  Soon  after, 
Tony  is  accidentally  killed.  With  only  enough  money  for 
one  of  them  to  go  through  college,  Rosemary  leaves  school 
to  manage  the  club,  while  Downs  continues  his  education. 
Things  go  badly  for  the  club  until  Sheldon  Leonard,  a  the- 
atrical agent,  convinces  Rosemary  and  Ralph  Morgan,  her 
manager,  that  a  "swing"  band  would  help  them  out  of  the 
red.  Rosemary  employs  Dick  Purcell's  orchestra,  and  their 
new  type  of  music  creates  a  sensation,  making  the  club  a 
huge  success  and  enabling  Rosemary  to  build  a  new  club, 
which  she  names  the  "Trocadero."  Meanwhile  Downs,  hav- 
ing fallen  in  love  with  Marjorie  Manners,  a  society  girl, 
who  was  contemptuous  of  night-club  owners,  is  influenced 
by  her  to  leave  Rosemary.  To  add  to  Rosemary's  misery, 
Purcell,  with  whom  she  was  in  love,  leaves  her  after  a 
quarrel.  Downs  soon  comes  to  the  realization  that  he  was 
not  cut  out  for  dull  society  life,  leaves  Marjorie,  and  re- 
turns to  the  club.  Rosemary's  happiness  is  complete  when 
Purcell,  too,  comes  back  to  her,  and  Marjorie,  changing  her 
views,  effects  a  reconciliation  with  Downs. 

Allen  Gale  wrote  the  screen  play,  Walter  Colmes  pro- 
duced it,  and  William  Nigh  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Erskine  Johnson,  Emmett  Vogan,  Wingy  Mannone,  The 
Stardusters,  Ida  James,  Dave  Fleischer  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Weird  Woman"  with  Lon  Chaney, 
Anne  Gwynne  and  Evelyn  Ankers 

(Universal,  Apr:'!  14;  time,  63  min.) 
A  minor  program  mystery  melodrama,  of  the  pyscholog- 
ical  sort.  The  story,  which  revolves  around  a  young  bride's 
belief  in  voodooism  and  around  the  efforts  of  a  jealous 
woman  to  discredit  her  by  employing  tactics  that  play  upon 
her  superstitious  beliefs,  is  far-fetched  and  lacks  excitement. 
Discriminating  audiences  will  find  it  tiresome,  and  even  the 
most  ardent  followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment  may 
find  it  but  mildly  interesting.  Moreover,  it  is  a  slow-moving, 
moody  entertainment,  with  little  comedy  to  relieve  the  ten- 
sion. No  fault  can  be  found  with  the  individual  perform- 
ances : — 

Lon  Chaney,  a  young  sociology  professor,  returns  to 
Monroe  College  with  Anne  Gwynne,  his  bride,  whom  he 
had  met  and  married  on  a  tropical  island.  From  early  child- 
hood, Anne  had  been  raised  by  a  native  tribe,  and  she  had 
become  steeped  in  superstititious  beliefs.  Chaney's  return 
with  an  attractive  bride  arouses  the  jealousy  of  Evelyn 
Ankers,  college  librarian,  who  loved  him.  She  initiates  a 
campaign  to  discredit  Anne  and  Chaney,  employing  devices 
that  play  upon  Anne's  superstitious  beliefs,  thus  confusing 
Chaney,  who  was  trying  to  rid  Anne  of  her  fears.  Inform- 
ing professor  Ralph  Morgan  that  she  had  proof  that  would 
discredit  him  as  the  author  of  a  book  on  sociology,  Evelyn 
drives  the  man  to  distraction  and  causes  him  to  commit 
suicide.  She  sees  to  it  that  the  indirect  blame  for  Morgan's 
death  falls  on  Chaney.  Her  efforts  to  hurt  Chaney  continue 
when  she  leads  Phil  Brown,  a  student,  to  believe  that  Chaney 
had  been  making  love  to  his  girl-friend  (Lois  Collier).  His 
jealousy  aroused,  the  young  man  attempts  to  shoot  Chaney 
and,  in  the  scuffle,  accidentally  shoots  himself.  Chancy  even- 
tually comes  upon  a  clue  that  leads  him  to  suspect  Evelyn 
of  the  inexplicable  series  of  tragedies.  Employing  Evelyn's 
own  devices  of  superstition  and  fear,  he  sets  a  trap  for  her. 
The  young  woman's  distorted  mind  and  guilty  conscience 
succumb  to  the  trap.  She  admits  her  guilt,  and,  in  an  at- 
tempted escape,  strangles  to  death  when  her  neck  gets  caught 
in  a  grapevine. 

Brenda  Weisberg  wrote  the  screen  play,  Oliver  Drake 
produced  it,  and  Reginald  Le  Borg  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Elizabeth  Risdon,  Elizabeth  Russell  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


60 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  8,  1944 


RESPONSIBILITY  FOR  ROUSING 
PUBLIC  INTEREST  RESTS 
WITH  THE  DISTRIBUTORS 

Recently  Maurice  A.  Bergman,  Universale  East- 
ern advertising-publicity  director,  made  a  speech  be- 
fore the  Association  of  Motion  Picture  Advertisers, 
by  which  he  criticized  the  exhibitor,  in  a  friendly 
manner,  for  having  failed:  (1)  To  institutionalize  his 
theatre;  (2)  to  make  advertising  refreshing;  (3)  to 
break  away  from  conventions;  (4)  to  spend  enough 
money  (5)  to  have  a  long-range  view. 

To  me,  Mr.  Bergman's  criticism  of  the  independent 
exhibitors  in  failing  to  do  what  he  has  pointed  out  is, 
in  the  main,  as  logical  as  it  would  be  if  he  had  accused 
them  of  having  failed  to  prescribe  the  right  kind  of 
medicine  for  themselves  when  they  become  sick;  or  of 
having  failed  to  perform  an  operation  on  an  infected 
part  of  their  bodies  so  as  to  effect  a  cure. 

Advertising  is  an  art,  and  it  is  learned  in  schools  or 
in  the  school  of  experience  after  working  at  it  for 
many  years.  For  an  exhibitor  to  become  an  accom- 
plished advertising  man  while  operating  his  theatre  is 
out  of  the  question.  The  responsibility,  therefore,  of 
providing  an  exhibitor  with  means  by  which  he  could 
arouse  the  greatest  public  interest  in  a  picture  so  as 
to  get  out  of  it  the  most  money  possible  rests  with  the 
advertising  and  publicity  talent  of  the  producer-dis- 
tributors themselves.  It  is  they  who  should  prepare 
the  right  kind  of  ads  and  guide  the  exhibitors  in  the 
exploitation  of  pictures. 

"Moon  Over  Las  Vegas"  with  Anne  Gwynne 
and  David  Bruce 

(Universal,  April  28;  time,  70  min.) 
A  moderately  entertaining  comedy  with  music,  suit- 
able as  a  filler  on  a  mid-week  double  bill.  The  story, 
which  has  been  given  a  farcical  treatment,  presents 
nothing  novel,  is  lacking  in  human  interest,  and  at 
times  is  quite  silly,  resorting  to  forced  slapstick  situ- 
ations for  the  laughter.  One  does  not  feel  sympathy 
for  any  of  the  characters  since  they  behave  in  a  stupid 
manner.  A  few  of  the  situations  are  amusing,  but  for 
the  most  part  they  provoke  no  more  than  a  grin.  Ex- 
cept for  a  few  well  known  tunes,  the  music  fails  to 
click: — 

Unable  to  make  a  go  of  their  marriage,  Anne 
Gwynne  and  David  Bruce  agree  to  separate.  Vera 
Vague,  Anne's  aunt,  advises  her  to  win  Bruce  back 
by  making  him  jealous.  Bruce  receives  similar  advice 
from  Addison  Richards,  the  judge  in  domestic  rela- 
tions court.  To  arouse  Bruce,  Anne  leaves  for  Las 
Vegas,  the  home  of  Milburn  Stone,  a  divorce  lawyer, 
who  had  been  her  girlhood  sweetheart.  Bruce  boards 
the  same  train.  En  route,  he  is  thrown  into  a  series  of 
embarrassing  situations  when  he  endeavors  to  aid 
Vivian  Austin,  a  striking  brunette  bound  for  a  Las 
Vegas  divorce,  who  had  lost  her  train  ticket.  Anne 
misunderstands  and  determines  to  obtain  a  divorce 
when  she  reaches  Las  Vegas.  Arriving  there,  all  go  to 
live  at  a  gambling  resort  operated  by  Alan  Dinehart, 
who  offers  Anne  a  position  when  Vera  loses  all  their 
money  at  the  gaming  tables.  Bruce,  who,  too,  was 
short  of  funds,  asks  Dinehart  for  a  job  as  a  casino 
dealer.  Learning  that  Dinehart  employs  only  single 
women  and  married  men,  Anne  tells  him  that  she  is 
not  married,  and  Bruce,  to  meet  the  requirements, 
persuades  Vivian  to  act  as  his  wife.  All  meet  at  Dine- 
hart 's  home  to  learn  how  to  operate  the  gaming  tables. 
Complications  develop  when  Dinehart  insists  that 
they  remain  overnight,  and  assigns  one  room  to  Vivian 


and  Bruce.  To  add  to  the  confusion,  Lee  Patrick, 
Dinehart  's  wife,  returns  home  unexpectedly  and  be- 
comes irked  when  she  finds  Dinehart  alone  with  Anne. 
She  determines  to  divorce  him.  Bruce's  troubles  in- 
crease when  Joe  Sawyer,  Vivian's  strapping  husband, 
arrives.  It  all  comes  to  a  happy  end  when  Stone,  the 
divorce  lawyer,  brings  the  couples  together  at  his 
home  and  scares  them  into  each  other's  arms  by  un- 
leashing a  pet  gorilla. 

George  Jeske  and  Clyde  Bruckman  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  Jean  Yarbrough  produced  and  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Mantan  Moreland,  Gene  Austin 
and  Sherrel  Sisters,  Connie  Haines,  Cappelia  and 
Patricia,  The  Sportsmen  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Her  Primitive  Man"  with  Louise  Allbritton 
and  Robert  Paige 

(Universal,  April  21;  time,  80  min.) 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  story  is  a  hodge-podge 
of  nonsense,  based  on  the  mistaken  identity  theme, 
this  program  comedy  should  prove  entertaining  to  the 
masses,  for  there  are  complications,  made  laughable  by 
the  absurd  but  amusing  antics  of  the  leading  players. 
In  crowded  houses,  the  laughter  should  be  quite 
hearty.  One  of  the  most  comical  sequences  is  the  one 
in  which  Robert  Paige,  posing  as  a  ferocious  head- 
hunter  in  jungle  garb,  goes  beserk  in  a  fashionable 
New  York  hotel,  frightening  the  guests  out  of  their 
wits.  Some  of  the  other  situations  are  so  ludicrous  that 
one  cannot  help  laughing  at  them.  Edward  Everett 
Horton  and  Robert  Benchley  add  to  the  fun: — 

With  the  aid  of  Edward  Everett  Horton,  a  bar- 
tender in  a  Havana  gambling  casino,  Robert  Paige, 
an  author,  writes  a  book  about  his  imaginary  experi- 
ences among  the  Lupari  head-hunters.  The  book  makes 
such  exciting  reading  that  Robert  Benchley,  his  pub- 
lisher, who  believed  it,  asks  Louise  Allbritton,  an 
anthropologist,  to  endorse  it.  Louise  brands  Paige's 
book  a  fake,  and  threatens  to  expose  it  if  published. 
She  decides  to  go  to  Cuba  to  the  Lupari  jungle,  find 
a  primitive  man,  and  bring  him  back  to  New  York; 
she  wanted  to  write  a  book  about  his  reactions  to 
civilization.  In  Havana,  she  meets  Paige,  who,  upon 
learning  of  the  purpose  of  her  trip,  goes  to  the  jungle 
and  disguises  himself  as  a  savage  warrior.  Horton, 
who  was  in  league  with  Paige,  guides  Louise  through 
the  jungle  and  influences  her  to  accept  Paige  as  a 
primitive  man.  Returning  to  New  York,  Louise  is 
compelled  to  take  the  "primitive"  man  to  a  hotel  when 
her  socially  prominent  family  objects  to  her  bringing 
him  into  their  home.  Paige  deliberately  creates  a 
panic  in  the  hotel,  compelling  Louise  to  take  him  to 
her  home,  despite  her  family's  protests.  Paige's  scheme 
is  interfered  with  when  Stephanie  Bachelor,  a  wealthy 
society  girl,  whose  love  he  did  not  return,  visits 
Louise's  home.  Stephanie  suspects  the  disguise  and 
tries  to  trap  Paige,  but  he  manages  to  allay  her  sus- 
picions by  changing  clothes  quickly  and  showing  up 
as  himself.  Eventually  Louise  finds  herself  attracted 
to  Paige  both  as  himself  and  as  a  primitive  man.  Paige, 
too,  falls  in  love.  After  a  series  of  incidents,  in  which 
Paige  is  ultimately  faced  with  exposure,  he  imports  a 
real  savage  to  save  Louise's  reputation  as  an  anthro- 
pologist, and  admits  to  her  that  it  had  been  a  hoax. 
Both  fall  into  each  other's  arms. 

Michael  Fessier  and  Ernest  Pagano  wrote  the  screen 
play  and  produced  it.  Charles  Lamont  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Helen  Broderick,  Ernest  Truex  and 
others.  Morally  suitable  for  all. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921.  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


Harrison's  Reports 

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Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain           16.50  A  Motjon  picture  Reviewing  Service 

urea    ,ntam  ............                      Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 
Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  APRIL  15,  1944  No.  16 


DYNAMITE! 


Unless  the  consent  decree  makes  it  impossible  for  the 
distributors  to  continue  their  obnoxious  practices  in  the 
selling  of  their  film,  the  Independent  Theatres  Owners  As- 
sociation, of  which  Harry  Brandt  is  president,  and  Milton 
Weisman  general  counsel,  intends  to  introduce  at  the  next 
session  of  the  New  York  State  Legislature  an  amendment 
to  the  New  York  General  Business  Law,  calling  for  a  film 
commission,  or  board,  that  will  be  endowed  with  drastic 
regulatory  powers. 

If  any  member  of  the  industry  has  ever  thought  that  the 
provisions  of  the  Neely  Bill  were  drastic  he  has  a  surprise 
coming,  for  Section  340-D  of  the  proposed  amendment  to 
the  General  Business  Law  provides  that  it  shall  be  an  unfair 
method  of  competition  for  either  a  producer  or  a  distributor 
to  resort  to  the  following  practices : 

( 1 )  To  coerce  an  exhibitor  into  paying  higher  film  rent' 
als  by  threatening  to  build  or  acquire  a  competitive  theatre. 

(2)  To  interfere  with  the  licensing  of  his  own  pictures, 
or  to  influence  the  licensing  of  the  pictures  of  another  pro- 
ducer-distributor, to  an  independent  exhibitor  operating  a 
theatre  in  competition  with  an  affiliated  theatre. 

(3)  To  compel  an  exhibitor  to  buy  other  pictures  as  a 
condition  of  buying  the  picture  he  wants. 

(4)  To  designate  play-dates  arbitrarily. 

(5)  To  determine  rentals  on  a  percentage  basis  unless 
the  theatre's  operating  expenses,  including  6%  of  the  gross 
receipts,  as  a  service  charge  for  the  exhibitor,  are  first  de- 
ducted from  the  gross  receipts. 

(6)  To  offer  for  license  less  than  50%  of  his  full  sea- 
son's product  during  the  first  six-month  period  beginning 
with  his  exhibition  season,  unless  the  licensee,  by  licensing 
the  full  50%,  will  find  himself  overbought.  In  such  a  case, 
the  licensee  shall  file  with  the  distributor  a  record  of  the 
names  or  designations  of  all  pictures  licensed  to  him  by 
other  producer-distributors. 

(7)  To  refuse  the  cancellation  of  20%  of  the  contracted 
product. 

(8)  To  allow  an  exhibitor  to  buy  more  pictures  than  he 
requires  except  a  reasonable  number  as  a  protection  against 
non-deliveries. 

(9)  To  refuse  to  deliver  prints  if  available,  once  a  na- 
tional release  date  for  a  picture  has  been  set. 

(10)  To  license  films  for  an  indefinite  period  of  time  or, 
having  licensed  a  film  for  a  definite  period  of  time,  for  him 
to  extend  it  unless  it  is  a  roadshow  picture,  in  which  case 
he  must  give  the  subsequent  run  exhibitor  the  option  of 
cancelling  such  a  picture. 

(11)  To  "moveover"  a  picture. 

(12)  To  refuse  to  license  a  picture  to  an  independent 
exhibitor  for  no  other  reason  than  that  he  favors  an  affiliated 
exhibitor. 

(13)  To  refuse  to  grant  an  exhibitor  "some  run." 

(14)  To  refuse  an  independent  exhibitor  a  desired  run 
by  reason  of  the  existence  of  a  franchise  with  an  affiliated 
exhibitor  in  that  locality. 


(15)  To  grant  unreasonable  clearance  on  behalf  of  any 
exhibitor. 

(16)  To  compel  an  exhibitor  to  pay  unreasonable  rentals 
as  compared  with  the  rentals  paid  by  an  affiliated  theatre  on 
a  prior  run. 

(17)  To  fix  minimum  admission  prices  to  be  charged  by 
an  independent  exhibitor. 

(18)  To  compel  the  exhibitor  to.  pay  all  or  part  of  the 
advertising. 

(19)  To  license  its  films  on  an  optional  basis. 

(20)  To  modify  a  contract  after  exhibition  with  the  ob- 
ject of  circumventing  any  of  these  provisions. 

(21)  To  identify  the  pictures  in  the  contract  by  numbers 
instead  of  by  title  and  either  featured  stars  or  director,  unless 
the  picture  is  founded  on  a  well  known  novel,  or  a  produced 
play,  in  which  case  only  the  title  should  suffice. 

(22)  To  fail  to  insert  into  the  contract  the  price  of  each 
picture. 

(23)  To  permit  an  exhibitor  to  change  the  policy  of  his 
theatre  if  the  permission  will  in  any  way  affect  the  clearance 
of  the  immediate  subsequent  run  exhibitor,  unless  such  ex- 
hibitor's consent  is  first  obtained,  in  writing. 

(24)  To  refuse  to  deliver  a  print  of  a  picture  already 
dated,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the  print  had  been  sent 
to  some  other  exhibitor. 

(25)  To  give  an  exhibitor  a  notice  of  availability  unless 
he  knows  that  he  has  a  print  available,  and  so  kept. 

(26)  To  grant  clearance  or  run  to  any  chain  theatre  for 
no  other  reason  than  that  he  has  an  interest  in  that  chain. 
(Editor's  Note:  One  of  the  intents  of  this  clause  is  to 
prevent  the  distributors  from  granting  to  circuits  "theatre- 
less"  franchises,  which  provide  for  the  circuit  to  be  given 
a  specific  run  in  the  event  it  opens  a  theatre  in  a  new  locality, 
thus  depriving  the  existing  theatre  of  its  run.) 

(27)  To  refuse  to  make  a  picture  available  to  a  sub- 
sequent run  just  because  a  prior  run  exhibitor  refused  to 
date  the  picture.  (Editor's  Note:  Four  additional  days  are 
granted  to  the  number  of  clearance  days  between  the  prior 
run  and  the  subsequent  run  exhibitor.) 

(28)  To  hold  back  sold  pictures  from  one  season  so  as 
to  sell  them  the  season  that  follows  or  any  other  subsequent 
season. 

(29)  To  deliver  a  substitute  picture  without  the  exhibi- 
tor's consent. 

(30)  To  enter  into  any  licensing  agreement  with  any 
exhibitor  before  he  will  have  submitted  to  the  Board,  or 
Film  Commission,  his  proposed  form  of  contract.  (Editor's 
Note:  The  intent  of  the  framers  of  this  clause  is  to  prevent 
any  producer  or  distributor  from  presenting  to  an  exhibitor 
a  contract  with  some  clause  detrimental  to  the  interests  of 
the  exhibitor,  which  clause,  being  printed  in  fine  type,  will 
escape  his  attention.) 

(31)  This  paragraph  includes  in  the  aforementioned  pro- 
hibitions also  exhibitors,  and  takes  in,  not  only  the  prohibi- 

(  Continued  on  last  page) 


62 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  15,  1944 


"Girl  in  the  Case"  with  Edmund  Lowe 
and  Janis  Carter 

(Columbia,  April  20;  time,  65  min.) 
Routine  program  fare.  It  is  an  extremely  far- 
fetched comedy-melodrama,  the  sort  that  may  please 
audiences  that  do  not  mind  plot  inconsistencies  as 
long  as  the  action  is  fast;  it  has  little  attraction  for  dis- 
criminating patrons.  The  story,  which  is  patterned 
after  the  style  and  treatment  of  "The  Thin  Man" 
pictures,  is  a  completely  nonsensical  affair  revolving 
around  an  amateur  sleuth  who  rounds  up  a  spy  ring, 
though  constantly  hampered  by  his  jealous  wife's  in- 
terference. The  comedy  is  of  the  sophisticated  type, 
occassionally  resorting  to  slap-stick  for  its  laughs.  A 
number  of  sex  situations  have  been  dragged  in  by  the 
ear,  making  it  unsuitable  for  showing  to  children, 
even  though  the  picture  itself  is  up  to  the  intelligence 
of  a  ten-year-old  child: — 

Because  of  his  uncanny  ability  to  pick  locks  and 
open  safes,  Edmund  Lowe,  an  attorney,  carries  a  spe- 
cial detective's  badge,  and  often  neglects  his  business 
to  aid  the  police  in  their  work,  much  to  the  disgust 
of  Janis  Carter,  his  wife.  Lowe  finds  himself  enmeshed 
in  a  Nazi  spy  plot  when  Robert  Scott,  a  playboy, 
asks  him  to  open  up  a  steel  chest  in  the  basement  of 
his  home.  The  chest  belonged  to  Richard  Hale,  Scott's 
uncle,  who  was  a  Nazi  spy  posing  as  the  head  of  an 
American  chemical  company.  Scott  intended  to  obtain 
possession  of  a  high  explosives  formula  for  the  pur- 
pose of  blackmailing  his  uncle.  Suspicious  of  Scott, 
Lowe  claims  that  he  is  unable  to  open  the  chest.  Later 
that  night  he  returns  to  the  house  and  obtains  the 
formula.  Learning  that  Lowe  had  the  formula,  and 
realizing  that  he  would  be  exposed,  Hale  plots  to  dis- 
credit him.  He  arranges  for  Carole  Matthews,  his 
secretary,  to  visit  Lowe's  apartment  and  to  plant 
$25,000  in  marked  bills  in  Lowe's  bathrobe  pocket. 
In  the  evening,  while  Lowe  and  his  wife  are  out,  Hale 
brings  into  their  apartment  a  steel  chest  containing 
the  dead  body  of  Scott.  Soon  after  Lowe  and  Janis 
return  home,  the  police,  tipped  off  by  Hale,  arrive  and 
arrest  Lowe  for  Scott's  murder.  After  a  series  of  inci- 
dents, in  which  Lowe  escapes  from  jail  by  picking  the 
lock,  all  converge  on  Carole's  apartment  where  they 
capture  both  Carroll  and  Hale. 

Joseph  Hoffman  and  Dorcas  Cochran  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Sam  White  produced  it,  and  William 
Berke  directed  it. 


"Hey,  Rookie"  with  Ann  Miller 
and  Larry  Parks 

(Columbia,  March  9;  time,  77  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  program  musical,  with 
an  army  camp  background.  As  with  most  modest- 
budget  pictures  of  this  type,  little  footage  is  wasted 
on  the  inconsequential  story,  the  main  attraction 
being  Ann  Miller's  dancing,  the  music,  and  the  spe- 
cialty numbers,  which  are  presented  in  vaudeville- 
like fashion.  Highlights  are  the  comedy  antics  of  Joe 
Besser;  a  monologue  by  Jack  Gilford,  in  which  he 
pokes  fun  at  the  different  types  of  motion  pictures; 
Bob  Evans,  a  ventriloquist;  and  the  comic  musical 
routines  of  The  Vagabonds,  a  quartette — all  are  en- 
tertaining : — 

Having  had  a  quarrel  with  Ann  Miller  his  girl- 
friend and  leading  lady,  Larry  Parks,  a  musical  com- 
edy producer,  welcomes  induction  into  the  army.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  at  Fort  MacArthur,  he  is  ordered  by 
the  commanding  officer  to  stage  a  camp  show  to  lift 


the  soldiers'  morale.  Parks  lays  plans  for  an  expensive 
production  costing  many  thousands  of  dollars  only  to 
be  told  that  the  cost  must  not  exceed  two  hundred 
dollars.  Despite  the  many  military  interferences,  Parks 
manages  to  round  up  a  group  of  talented  soldiers  and 
puts  them  through  strenuous  rehearsals.  Meanwhile, 
in  New  York,  Ann  prepares  to  leave  for  a  tour  of 
army  camps,  among  which  was  Fort  MacArthur. 
When  Ann  arrives  at  the  camp  and  is  asked  by  the 
commanding  officer  to  assist  Parks,  the  newspapers  re- 
port that  she  had  been  hired  to  save  the  show.  This 
development  makes  Parks  even  more  antagonistic  to- 
wards Ann.  After  a  series  of  misunderstandings  they 
eventually  become  reconciled  and,  together,  help 
make  the  camp  show  a  huge  success. 

Henry  Myers,  Edward  Eliscu,  and  Jay  Gorney 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Irving  Briskin  produced  it,  and 
Charles  Barton  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Joe 
Sawyer,  Hal  Mclntyre's  orchestra  and  others. 


"The  Monster  Maker"  with  J.  Carroll  Naish 
and  Ralph  Morgan 

(PRC,  April  15;  time,  63  mm.) 

Those  who  enjoy  their  horror  melodramas  horrific, 
without  regard  for  story  values,  should  find  an  hour's 
pleasure  in  this  one.  It  should  get  by  as  a  supporting 
feature  wherever  this  type  of  entertainment  is  accept- 
able. The  action  revolves  around  the  machinations  of 
a  half-crazed,  fake  Russian  scientist,  who  injects  into 
his  victim  a  serum  that  causes  his  hands,  feet,  and 
head  to  become  so  enlarged  and  distorted  that  it  sends 
shivers  up  and  down  one's  spine.  It  is  much  too  hor- 
rifying for  children,  as  well  as  for  squeamish  adults. 
The  story  itself  is  highly  implausible  and  leaves  much 
to  be  desired,  but  it  does  manage  to  maintain  a  fair 
degree  of  suspense.  To  make  sure  that  the  horror  fans 
get  their  fill,  a  monstrous  ape  has  been  thrown  in  for 
good  measure: — 

J.  Carroll  Naish,  the  scientist,  is  attracted  to 
Wanda  McKay  while  attending  a  piano  concert  given 
by  Ralph  Morgan,  her  father;  Naish  noticed  a  marked 
resemblance  between  Wanda  and  his  deceased  wife. 
For  a  number  of  weeks  Naish  showers  Wanda  with 
gifts  and  flowers.  Annoyed,  Wanda  complains  to  her 
father.  Morgan  visits  Naish  and  demands  that  he  stop 
annoying  his  daughter.  A  fight  follows,  and  Morgan 
is  knocked  unconscious.  Naish,  who  had  been  study- 
ing a  rare  disease  that  caused  one's  features  to  become 
enlarged,  injects  the  germ  into  Morgan.  Regaining 
consciousness,  Morgan  returns  home.  Within  a  few 
days  he  finds  himself  turning  into  a  hideous  creature. 
Realizing  that  Naish  was  responsible  for  his  condi- 
tion, Morgan  visits  the  scientist  with  the  intent  of 
killing  him,  but  he  is  overpowered  by  Naish's  giant 
assistant,  drugged,  and  chained  to  a  bed.  Naish  tele- 
phones Wanda  and  informs  her  that  her  father  had 
come  to  him  for  a  consultation  and  that  he  was  too 
sick  to  leave.  Wanda  rushes  to  Naish's  office  and, 
finding  her  father  chained,  insists  that  he  be  released. 
The  mad  scientist  demands  that  she  marry  him,  and 
starts  forcing  his  attentions  on  her.  Enraged,  Morgan 
breaks  his  bounds  and  kills  Naish  in  a  furious  attack. 
Tala  Birell,  Naish's  laboratory  assistant,  who  for 
years  had  been  under  his  hypnotic  influence,  brings 
Morgan  back  to  normal  by  injecting  into  him  a  serum 
that  the  dead  scientist  had  discovered  as  a  cure. 

Pierre  Gendron  and  Martin  Mooney  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Sigmund  Neufeld  produced  it,  and  Sam 
Newfield  directed  it. 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


63 


"The  Yellow  Canary"  with  Anna  Neagle 
and  Richard  Greene 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  84  min.) 

An  undistinguished  British-made  spy  melodrama, 
of  program  grade.  The  film's  original  ninety-eight 
minutes  running  time  has  been  cut  to  eighty-four  min- 
utes for  American  consumption,  but  this  does  not 
seem  to  have  helped  matters,  for  the  continuity  is 
choppy,  owing  to  bad  editing.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  first  half  keeps  one  wondering  what  it  is  all  about. 
The  story  premise  becomes  clear  in  the  second  half, 
and  then  it  turns  out  to  be  no  more  than  a  conven- 
tional story  of  espionage  and  counter-espionage,  of- 
fering little  that  has  not  been  done  many  times  in 
similar  pictures.  Except  for  the  closing  scenes,  in 
which  the  spies  are  rounded,  up  the  action  is  not  par- 
ticularly exciting: — 

Ostracized  by  her  friends  and  family  because  she 
was  ostensibly  a  Nazi  sympathizer,  Anna  Neagle,  an 
aristocratic  Englishwoman,  is  compelled  to  take  exile 
in  Canada.  Actually,  Anna  was  a  secret  British  agent. 
On  board  a  ship  bound  for  Halifax,  Anna  becomes 
friendly  with  Albert  Lieven,  a  Polish  officer,  and 
Richard  Greene,  who,  too,  was  a  British  agent.  Neither 
Anna  nor  Greene  were  aware  of  each  other's  identi- 
ties. Arriving  in  Halifax,  Lieven  arranges  a  meeting 
between  Anna  and  his  invalid  mother  (Lucie  Mann- 
heim). Despite  Anna's  apparent  enthusiasm  for  the 
New  Order,  and  Lieven 's  mother's  expressed  abhor- 
rence for  everything  Nazi,  the  two  women  like  each 
other.  A  romance  between  Anna  and  Lieven  devel- 
ops. Convinced  that  Anna's  sympathies  for  the  Nazis 
were  genuine,  Lieven  reveals  himself  to  her  as  a  Ger- 
man agent  and  offers  her  an  opportunity  to  serve  the 
Fuehrer.  She  accepts  and  learns  that  Miss  Mannheim 
was  actually  a  physically  fit  woman,  head  of  the  Nazi 
spy  system  in  Canada.  Anna  and  Greene  eventually 
realize  that  they  are  fellow-agents.  They  coordinate 
their  efforts  in  an  attempt  to  learn  the  spy  ring's  plans. 
Attending  a  meeting  of  the  spies,  Anna  learns  of  a 
plot  to  blow  up  Halifax  Harbor.  When  she  endeavors 
to  convey  the  information  to  Greene,  the  spies,  aware 
of  her  intentions,  threaten  to  shoot  her  unless  she 
telephones  Greene  and  allays  his  suspicions.  Risking 
death,  Anna  shouts  the  truth  over  the  telephone. 
Greene  and  the  police  arrive  in  time  to  apprehend 
the  spies,  but  not  before  Lieven's  gun  wounds  Anna. 
Returning  to  England  with  Greene,  now  her  husband, 
Anna  is  welcomed  by  her  friends  and  family. 

Miles  Malleson  and  DeWitt  Bodeen  wrote  the 
screen  play,  and  Herbert  Wilcox  produced  and  di- 
rected it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


THE  HEN  THAT  LAY  THE  GOLDEN 
EGGS  MAY  BE  WORKED  TO  DEATH 

I  have  read  in  Bill  Wilkerson's  editorial  column 
in  his  March  22  issue  of  The  Hollywood  Reporter  the 
following: 

"How  do  you  account  for  so  many  bad  pictures 
doing  really  hit  business?  .  .  ." 

In  expressing  his  views  in  answer  to  such  a  condi- 
tion, Mr.  Wilkerson  attributes  it  to  two  factors:  the 
fact  that  people  have  more  money  to  spend  on  enter- 
tainment, and  that  the  public  had  lowered  its  enter- 
tainment demands. 

Mr.  Wilkerson  is  right  only  in  part — in  the  fact 
that  people  have  more  money  to  spend.  Another  rea- 


son is  that  those  who  have  dear  ones  away  from  home, 
fighting  somewhere  around  the  world,  want  to  take 
their  minds  off  their  anxiety  and  grab  any  picture, 
no  matter  what  it  is,  as  long  as  it  is  a  picture,  and  as 
long  as  they  have  a  hope  that  it  will  turn  out  enter- 
taining. They  no  longer  "shop",  as  they  did  before 
the  war — they  simply  buy  a  ticket  and  go  into  a  the- 
atre, unless  it  is  a  highly  publicized  picture,  in  which 
event  they  go  into  the  theatre  to  see  that  picture, 
either  to  be  entertained,  or  to  have  their  minds  taken 
off  their  anxieties. 

But  the  war  will  end  some  time,  and  the  lush  days 
will  probably  be  over.  In  such  an  event,  those  who 
have  been  careless  in  the  quality  of  stories  they  have 
been  buying,  thus  making  any  kind  of  pictures,  will 
either  have  lost  the  art  of  recognizing  good  stories,  or 
will  have  failed  to  attract  to  their  story  departments 
writers  who  could  recognize  such  stories.  Then  they 
will  pay,  and  pay  dearly. 

The  proportion  of  poor  pictures  to  good  pictures 
is  greater  today  than  it  ever  was,  my  friend  Nate 
Blumberg's  belief  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 
There  is  more  junk  foisted  on  the  public  today  than 
there  ever  was. 

Yes,  the  big  pictures  are  better  today  than  they 
ever  were,  for  the  reason  that  the  technical  men  know 
more  about  their  work,  but  story  choosing  has  fallen 
behind.  That  is  why  the  other  pictures  are  so  poor. 


AID  FOR  INDEPENDENTS  FROM 
AFFILIATED  EXHIBITORS 

According  to  Red  Kann,  Hollywood  representative 
of  the  Quigley  Publications,  the  Paramount  partners, 
upon  winding  up  their  meeting  at  Arrowhead  Springs, 
California,  decided  that  a  roadshow  is  not  a  road- 
show, even  if  it  has  cost  three  million  dollars  to  pro- 
duce, unless  it  has  entertainment  based  on  the  pic- 
ture's merits  and  not  on  the  distributor's  artificial 
enthusiasm. 

The  producer  partners  will  not,  of  course,  like 
what  the  exhibitor  partners  have  decided.  But  one  can 
say  at  least  one  thing — the  attitude  of  the  exhibitor 
partners  is  correct  in  every  respect. 


A  WORD  OF  CAUTION  TO 
EXHIBITORS  IN  DEFENSE 
AREA  CITIES 

It  is  assumed,  and  with  logic,  that,  when  peace  is 
declared,  defense  area  cities,  which  are  swollen  with 
defense  workers,  their  families,  and  business  men, 
will  lose  much  of  their  population.  Cities  such  as  Los 
Angeles,  Washington,  Norfolk  and  many  others  will 
not  be  able  to  sustain  the  population  they  now  have 
if  the  war  plants  now  in  operation  should  close  down, 
unless,  of  course,  immediate  conversion  to  other  kind 
'of  manufacturing  takes  place  within  a  short  time. 

Though  those  of  you  who  buy  films  from  consent- 
ing producer-distributors  in  small  blocks  are  in  no 
danger,  those  who  buy  from  companies  that  sell  their 
products  in  yearly  blocks  should  be  careful,  for  if 
peace  is  declared  and  the  population  migrates,  you 
will  find  yourselves  with  contracts  calling  for  war 
prices  instead  of  peace  prices. 

You  should  have  a  clause  in  your  1944-4?  contracts 
providing  for  the  automatic  reduction  of  the  rentals 
in  the  event  that  peace  is  declared  and  a  great  part 
of  the  population  of  your  city  migrates. 


04 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  15,  1944 


tions  already  enumerated  but  also  others  to  which  either 
producers,  distributors,  or  exhibitors  may  resort,  even 
though  they  arc  not  mentioned  in  the  bill. 

*        *  * 

Part  of  a  statement  that  was  issued  by  ITOA  last  week 
reads  as  follows : 

"The  bill  is  broad,  comprehensive,  and  sufficiently  imple- 
mented to  honestly  and  fairly  bring  about  amelioration  of 
the  present  intolerable  conditions  from  which  the  subsequent 
run  independent  exhibitor  is  suffering  .  .  . 

"This  bill  .  .  .  was  completed  and  approved  before  the 
adjournment  of  the  State  Legislature  and  was  ...  to  be 
presented  at  the  Legislature  before  its  adjournment."  But 
just  about  the  time  the  association's  leaders  were  to  intro- 
duce it,  industry  leaders  approached  them  and  pleaded  with 
them  to  withhold  action,  promising  that  all  these  unfair  prac- 
tices would  be  taken  care  of  by  the  amended  Consent  Decree. 

In  the  fourth  paragraph,  however,  the  statement  reads 
as  follows: 

"We  have  examined  the  proposed  Consent  Decree  and 
find  no  comfort  or  amelioration  therein  for  the  subsequent 
run  independent  exhibitor  and  unequivocally  state  that  the 
Consent  Decree  accomplishes  for  such  exhibitor  nothing  that 
has  been  claimed  for  it.  However,  the  argument  has  been 
made  to  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners  Association,  Inc., 
that  the  Consent  Decree  has  not  yet  been  put  into  its  final 
form,  and  that  in  its  final  form  there  will  be  further  amend- 
ments thereto  and  that  furthermore  .  .  .  the  industry  in  this 
territory  through  its  leaders  will  go  beyond  the  Consent 
Decree  in  ameliorating  various  conditions  unduly  harsh  and 
oppressive  upon  the  subsequent  run  independent  exhibitor 
if  the  Consent  Decree  does  not  give  adequate  relief. 

"Upon  such  representations,  and  because  of  an  inherent 
antipathy  to  the  government  of  an  industry  by  legislation, 
the  Independent  Theatre  Owners  Association,  Inc.,  in  the 
exercise  of  patience  and  so  that  it  may  never  be  accused 
of  having  been  unwilling  to  afford  to  the  industry  every 
reasonable  opportunity  of  permitting  it  to  put  its  own  house 
in  order,  decided  not  to  present  the  bill  at  the  last  session 
of  the  Legislature  but  to  await  the  result  of  the  matters 
herein  referred  to.  Unless  the  Consent  Decree  and  the  indus- 
try itself  fulfill  their  .  .  .  promises,  this  bill  in  its  present  form 
will  be  introduced  and  pressed  for  passage  and  enactment 
into  law  at  the  next  session  .  .  ." 

A  copy  of  this  bill  has  been  sent  to  Tom  C.  Clark,  Assist- 
ant Attorney  General  in  charge  of  the  Consent  Decree,  with 
a  request  that  he  examine  its  provisions  and  incorporate 
them  into  the  Consent  Decree. 

The  provisions  of  the  bill  are  so  drastic  that  they  need  no 
comment  whatever  from  Harrison's  Reports  in  order  that 
the  exhibitors  of  the  entire  country  may  be  impressed.  All 
that  it  desires  to  say  is  that,  Harry  Brandt,  who  opposed  the 
Neely  Bill  bitterly  when  it  was  offered  in  Congress,  has  at 
last  come  to  realize  that  only  legislation  can  correct  the 
abuses  against  the  smaller  exhibitors. 

Perhaps  the  industry  leaders  will  be  so  impressed  with 
this  document  that  they  will  be  willing  to  make  important 
concessions  for  the  peace  of  the  industry.  Unless  they  do  so, 
I  fear  that  the  fire  that  ITOA  has  started  in  the  State  of 
New  York  will  spread  to  every  state  of  the  Union.  In  such 
an  event,  the  industry  leaders  will  be  unable  to  put  it  out. 

Perhaps  Bill  Rodgers  will  be  able  to  persuade  them  now 
to  grant  the  reforms  that  he  has  been  advocating  all  along. 


A  PUZZLE 

Every  one  of  you  knows,  I  am  sure,  by  this  time  that, 
about  two  weeks  ago  Ed  Kuykendall,  president  of  MPTOA, 
went  to  Washington  and  called  on  Tom  C.  Clark,  Assist- 
ant Attorney  General  in  charge  of  the  Consent  Decree,  and 
recommended  that  the  Department  of  Justice  scrap  the  Con- 
sent Decree  and  proceed  with  the  prosecution  of  the  anti- 
trust suit  against  the  defendant  major  companies,  at  the 


same  time  prohibiting  the  affiliated  circuits  from  expanding 
their  theatre  holdings. 

In  the  event  that  the  Department  did  not  feel  it  advisable 
to  drop  the  Consent  Decree,  Kuykendall  requested  that  the 
Government  incorporate  in  an  amended  decree  stipulations 
by  which  the  distributors  may  be  compelled  to: 

(1)  Sell  their  pictures  twice  a  year,  in  two  blocks,  each 
block  to  be  sold  during  a  six-month  period,  with  a  twenty 
percent  cancellation  provision  and  with  a  stipulation  that 
the  exhibitor  be  not  compelled  to  buy  shorts  in  order  for 
him  to  obtain  features.  The  provision  should  stipulate  also 
that  the  exhibitor  should  be  allowed  to  buy  only  part  of 
each  block,  if  he  should  so  see  fit. 

(2)  Insert  into  the  contract  the  price  of  the  features, 
at  the  time  the  exhibitor  is  asked  to  sign  it. 

(3)  Sell  the  roadshows  as  well  as  the  percentage  pictures 
separately  and  not  in  the  same  contract  as  the  flat-rental 
pictures. 

(4)  Eliminate  play-date  designation. 

(5)  Adopt  a  simplified  standard  form  of  contract,  in 
which  there  should  be  defined  fair  practices  as  regards  to: 

(a)  Moveovers. 

(b)  Extended  runs. 

(c)  Play-date  availability. 

(d)  Checking  rights. 

(e)  Substitutions. 

(f)  Price  allocations. 

(g)  Designated  play-dates. 

(h)  Advertising  ethics. 

(i)  Unsuitable  as  well  as  objectionable  pictures,  and 
other  forms  of  abuses. 

In  regards  to  arbitration,  Kuykendall  recommended  that 
the  present  provisions  be  amended  so  that  the  arbitrators 
may  be  given  unrestricted  powers  and  jurisdiction  in  con- 
troversies involving  clearance  and  run,  and  to  prohibit  the 
representation  of  any  litigant  by  attorneys  and  to  adopt 
also  otherwise  provisions  so  that  the  cost  of  arbitration  may 
be  reduced  for  the  exhibitor. 

The  Decree,  Kuykendall  said,  should  not  run  more  than 
three  years,  so  that,  at  the  end  of  that  period  of  time,  either 
party  may  apply  for  the  modification  of  the  terms,  and  it 
should  end  six  months  after  termination  of  the  war,  if  such 
time  should  be  earlier  than  the  three-year  period. 

All  these  recommendations  are  sound,  and  would  benefit 
the  independent  exhibitor  immensely  if  they  should  be 
adopted.  They  are  the  same  reforms  for  which  Allied  States 
Association  has  been  battling  ever  since  it  was  founded — 
the  same  reforms  for  which  some  independent  regional 
associations  have  been  fighting. 

But  what  puzzles  me  is  the  motive  that  has  prompted  Ed 
Kuykendall  to  make  these  recommendations.  There  is  no 
doubt  in  my  mind  that  some  of  the  MPTOA  regional  lead- 
ers who  accompanied  Kuykendall  to  Washington  were  sin- 
cere in  their  desire  to  see  these  reforms  put  through  by  the 
Department  of  Justice;  but  here  is  what  puzzles  me  and 
should  puzzle  every  one  who  will  read  these  lines:  The 
money  required  for  the  upkeep  of  MPTOA,  or  Motion  Pic- 
ture Theatre  Owners  of  America,  comes  directly  from  pro- 
ducer sources;  each  year  the  affiliated  circuits  apportion 
among  themselves  the  funds  necessary  to  pay  Ed  Kuykendall 
his  weekly  salary  and  his  travelling  expenses,  and  to  cover 
all  other  organizational  expenses.  The  recommendations  that 
Ed  has  made  to  the  Department  of  Justice  are  detrimental 
to  the  interests  of  the  producers.  Why,  then,  should  he  have 
made  them?  What  is  behind  the  move? 

Some  theories  have  been  advanced  by  some  friends  of 
mine;  but  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Harrison's  Reports  does 
not  want  to  advance  theories  without  facts  to  support  them 
it  refrains  from  printing  them.  Perhaps  some  one  of  you  has 
the  facts.  If  you  have  them,  send  them  along. 

Not  that  this  paper  wants  to  be  like  the  farmer  who  looks 
at  a  gift  horse  in  the  mouth;  only  that  it  does  not  want  to 
accept  a  gift  horse  and  find  that  it  was  handed  a  jackass. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  APRIL  22,  1944  No.  17 


FACTS  ARE  DEADLY 

Frederick  C.  Othman,  in  his  syndicated  Hollywood  col' 
umn  that  appeared  in  the  April  3  issue  of  the  Cincinnati 
Inquirer,  criticizes  the  public  severely  for  patronizing  poor 
motion  pictures.  The  critics  may  say  that  a  picture  is 
"awful,"  but  the  public  ignores  that  critics  and  crowds  the 
theatre  just  the  same,  "and  the  first  thing  you  know,"  says 
Othman,  "the  producer  is  bragging  about  his  hit.  Honest 
he  is,  and  if  anybody  sneers,  he  silences  'em  with  the  box 
office  figures." 

Mr.  Othman  goes  on  to  say  that  it  is  easier  to  make  bad 
movies  than  good  ones,  "and  if  the  bad  ones  bring  in  the 
profits,  well  you  know  there's  a  vicious  circle  in  the  mak- 
ing  .  .  ." 

Commenting  upon  Mr.  Othman's  article,  Mr.  Willis 
Vance,  chairman  of  the  Independent  Exhibitors  Forum,  of 
Cincinnati,  expresses  the  wish  that  Mr.  Othman  were  an 
exhibitor,  for  in  this  manner  he  would  have  an  inkling  of 
how  serious  is  the  exhibitor's  plight.  "He  should  have  to 
play  and  pay  inflated  film  rentals  and  percentages  on  some 
of  these  super-dupers,"  says  Mr.  Vance,  "then  he  would 
really  be  indignant." 

There  is  no  question  that  Mr.  Othman  is  right.  I  have 
been  present  at  distributor  meetings  in  which  the  quality  of 
the  product  was  held  to  be  finer  than  at  any  other  time 
of  the  picture  business'  history.  And  yet  in  the  last  few 
years  the  trade  paper  critics  have  had  the  time  of  their  lives 
picking  "ten  best"  out  of  each  year's  product. 

To  prove  to  you  that  the  ratio  of  the  bad  to  the  good 
pictures  has  not  altered  during  the  current  year,  let  me  pre' 
sent  to  you  the  ration  of  bad  to  good  pictures  that  have  been 
reviewed  in  Harrison's  Reports  since  January  1 : 

The  number  of  pictures  reviewed  has  been  78.  Grouping 
those  that  are  anywhere  from  excellent  to  good  we  get  13 
pictures,  or  slightly  more  than  16%. 

Let  us  go  back  to  1939  to  see  what  was  the  quality  of  pic 
tures  during  part  of  that  year: 

In  the  issues  of  September  2,  9,  16,  23  and  30,  the  num.' 
ber  of  pictures  whose  box  office  performances  were  reported 
was  257.  Taking  the  same  range  in  quality  (from  excellent 
to  good),  we  get  78  pictures,  or  a  little  more  than  30%. 

Let  us  take  another  year,  closer  to  this  year: 

In  the  November  29,  1941,  issue,  67  pictures  were  re- 
ported. The  number  of  pictures  of  the  same  range  of  quality 
was  13,  or  nearly  20%. 

Do  these  figures  indicate  that  the  quality  of  pictures  has 
improved  "tremendously"  this  year? 


WHAT  A  WONDERFUL  PICTURE  THE 
PUBLIC  SAW  TOMORROW 

It  seems  as  if  an  ad  writer  at  Twentieth  Century-Fox  saw 
the  United  Artists'  picture,  "It  Happened  Tomorrow,"  and 
became  inspired.  The  UA  picture  revolves  around  a  young 
newspaper  reporter  who  obtains  a  copy  of  tomorrow's  news- 
paper today,  thus  enabling  him  to  foretell  in  advance  the 
news  that  was  yet  to  happen. 

I  am  referring  to  a  two-page  advertisement  in  the  Wed- 
nesday, April  5,  issue  of  weekly  Variety,  wherein  this  com- 
pany blares  forth  that  the  brightest  news  on  Broadway  is 


that  "Twentieth  Century-Fox  Jams  Roxy  with  'Four  Jills  in 
a  Jeep.'  " 

This  particular  issue  of  Variety  was  on  my  desk  at  nine 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  on  Wednesday,  having  been  printed 
and  mailed  on  the  previous  day.  "Four  Jills  in  a  Jeep" 
opened  at  the  Roxy  a  few  hours  after  Variety  had  been 
delivered  to  me! 

This  is  not  the  first  time  that  Twentieth  Century-Fox's 
clairvoyant  ad  writer  has  told  in  advance  the  enthusiasm 
with  which  one  of  his  company's  pictures  had  been  received 
even  before  any  one  had  a  chance  to  see  it  and  become 
enthusiastic. 

On  February  1,  Twentieth  Century-Fox  held  an  evening 
preview  of  "The  Sullivans"  at  the  Roxy  Theatre,  in  this 
city,  to  which  it  invited  the  leading  exhibitors  in  the  ter- 
ritory. Before  the  last  reel  of  the  picture  had  been  run  off, 
newsboys  on  the  outside  of  the  theatre  were  hawking  their 
morning  newspapers,  which  appear  on  the  streets  of  New 
York  around  1 1  P.  M.  the  previous  night,  containing  a 
fairly  large  advertisement  telling  of  how  the  preview  audi- 
ence "applauded,  hailed  and  acclaimed"  the  picture,  and 
quoting  comments  that  purportedly  appeared  on  the  cards 
submitted  to  the  audience  after  the  showing.  I  wonder  how 
many  of  the  Roxy's  patrons,  and  of  the  exhibitors,  who 
bought  the  morning  papers  soon  after  leaving  the  theatre, 
snickered  at  that  ad? 

When  a  company  predicts  through  its  advertisements  that 
one  of  its  pictures  will  be  received  enthusiastically  by  the 
public,  that  comes  under  the  heading  of  exploitation.  But 
when  it  bluntly  tells  you  of  that  which  has  not  yet  hap- 
pened, that  comes  under  the  heading  of  misleading  adver- 
tising, and  detracts,  not  only  from  the  prestige  of  the  com- 
pany, but  also  from  the  value  of  the  picture. 

Some  one  at  Twentieth  Century-Fox  should  make  that  ad 
writer  throw  away  his  crystal  ball. 


SECRETARY  OF  TREASURY  HONORS 
INDUSTRY 

Henry  Morgenthau,  Jr.,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  hon- 
ored the  achievements  of  the  industry's  Fourth  War  Loan 
Campaign  recently  when  he  came  to  New  York  especially 
for  the  occasion  of  accepting  the  presentation  to  him  of  a 
"Review  of  the  Motion  Picture  Industry's  4th  War  Loan 
Campaign."  This  review,  which  is  a  hand-made  700-pound 
book,  with  stand,  leather  covers  and  gold-embossed  lettering 
comprising  100  pages,  was  presented  to  the  Secretary  by 
Mr.  Charles  P.  Skouras,  Chairman  of  the  4th  War  Loan 
Campaign  of  the  Motion  Picture  Industry. 

The  gigantic  volume,  which  was  created  in  Mr.  Skouras' 
honor  by  his  co-workers  in  the  campaign,  has  an  over-all 
measurement  of  48  by  66  inches.  It  will  be  a  lasting  testi- 
monial to  the  industry's  achievements  in  the  war  effort,  and 
it  will  be  placed  among  the  prominent  archives  of  the  Treas- 
ury Department. 

Present  at  the  ceremonies  besides  Secretary  Morgenthau 
and  Mr.  Skouras  were  F.  H.  Ricketson,  Jr.,  National  Vice- 
Chairman;  B.  V.  Sturdivant,  National  Campaign  Director; 
Robert  Selig,  Assistant  Campaign  Director;  Sam  Shain,  Di- 
rector Trade  Relations;  A.  J.  Krappman,  Assistant  Cam- 
paign Director;  and  Si  Fabian,  Francis  Harmon,  and  Arthur 
Mayer  of  the  War  Activities  Committee. 


66 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  22,  1944 


"Days  of  Glory"  with  Tamara  Toumanova 
and  Gregory  Peck 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  86  min.) 

A  fairly  good  war  melodrama,  strong  enough  to  top  a 
double  bill.  Even  though  the  story  is  not  new,  and  the 
players  arc  unknown  to  picture  audiences,  the  picture  holds 
one's  attention  throughout,  owing  to  the  fine  performances, 
and  to  the  care  with  which  it  has  been  produced  and  di- 
rected. The  story  is  one  of  courage  and  self-sacrifice,  with 
a  strong  romantic  interest,  told  through  the  exploits  of  a 
small  band  of  Russian  guerrillas,  whose  members,  in  age  and 
position  in  life,  are  a  cross-section  of  the  people  of  Russia. 
Some  of  the  action,  which  stresses  the  individual  bravery  of 
the  characters,  is  both  stirring  and  thrilling.  The  closing 
scenes,  where  the  guerrillas  sacrifice  their  lives  to  divert  the 
main  Nasi  army's  attention  during  a  Red  army  counter- 
attack, arc  highly  exciting: — 

Living  in  a  cellar  hideaway  amid  the  ruins  of  a  bombed 
monastery,  a  band  of  Russian  guerrillas  carry  on  their  work 
against  the  Nazis,  destroying  property  and  sniping  at  sol- 
diers. Included  in  the  group  were  Gregory  Peck,  the  com- 
mandant; Maria  Palmer,  a  fearless  young  woman,  who 
loved  Peck  deeply;  Dena  Penn,  a  ten-year-old  girl,  who 
did  the  cooking;  Glenn  Vernon,  Dcna's  teen-age  brother, 
to  whom  she  was  devoted;  Lowell  Gilmore,  a  teacher;  and 
four  other  Russians.  When  Tamara  Toumanova,  a  beautiful 
Moscow  ballerina,  is  found  exhausted  in  the  woods  and  is 
brought  to  the  hideout,  Maria  and  Dena  look  upon  her  with 
cool  disdain  because  of  her  inability  to  perform  household 
duties,  and  of  her  dislike  for  violence.  Tamara,  however, 
establishes  herself  as  a  true  partisan  one  day  when  she  kills 
a  Nazi  soldier  who  had  discovered  the  hideaway.  Peck  falls 
in  love  with  Tamara,  causing  extreme  anguish  to  Maria. 
When  Maria  loses  her  life  in  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to 
carry  a  message  through  the  German  lines,  Tamara  and 
young  Vernon  volunteer  to  make  another  attempt.  Tamara 
succeeds  in  delivering  the  message,  but  Vernon,  who  had 
been  captured,  loses  his  life  when  he  courageously  refuses 
to  reveal  the  names  of  his  comrades.  When  word  comes  that 
combined  Russian  forces  will  launch  a  counter-attack  within 
twenty-four  hours,  Peck  and  his  gallant  guerrillas  use  them- 
selves as  decoys  to  attract  the  main  Nazi  army,  fully  realiz- 
ing that  they  will  die  in  the  effort.  Tamara  and  Peck  meet 
death  under  the  steel  treads  of  a  huge  Nazi  tank,  but  they 
die  happy  in  the  knowledge  that  they  had  sacrificed  their 
lives  for  a  just  cause. 

Casey  Robinson  wrote  the  screen  play  and  produced  it, 
and  Jacques  Tourneur  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Show  Business"  with  Eddie  Cantor, 
Joan  Davis,  George  Murphy 
and  Constance  Moore 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  92  min.) 

Unlike  most  musicals  that  depend  on  lavish  production 
numbers  for  its  entertainment,  this  one  depends  on  the 
talents  of  the  individual  players,  and  with  highly  enjoyable 
results.  It  is  a  lively  mixture  of  comedy,  romance,  music  and 
song,  the  sort  that  offers  good  mass  entertainment.  The 
story,  which  is  of  the  typical  backstage  variety,  is  light- 
weight, but  it  presents  so  many  amusing  situations  and  op- 
portunities for  gags  that  it  keeps  one  entertained  all  the  way 
through.  Eddie  Cantor,  to  whom  this  is  the  first  effort  at 
producing,  has  wisely  permitted  the  others  in  the  cast  to 
share  the  spotlight  with  him,  making  the  most  of  their 
talents.  Individually,  Cantor  and  Joan  Davis  can  provoke 
hearty  laughter  by  their  antics;  together  they  are  even  more 
comical,  for  neither  one  "cramps"  the  other's  style.  George 
Murphy  and  Constance  Moore  contribute  much  to  the  enter- 
tainment with  their  dancing  and  singing.  The  tunes  are  old 
favorites,  most  of  which  Cantor  popularized  during  his 
many  years  on  the  stage : — 

Making  his  debut  on  amateur  night,  in  1914,  Eddie 


Cantor  is  encouraged  by  George  Murphy,  a  song-and-dance 
man.  Amused  at  Cantor's  eagerness,  Murphy  makes  him 
his  stage  partner.  The  boys  meet  Constance  Moore  and  Joan 
Davis,  a  sister  act,  and  talk  the  girls  into  joining  with  them 
as  a  foursome.  Murphy  falls  in  love  with  Constance,  thus 
rousing  the  jealousy  of  Nancy  Kelly,  a  burlesque  singer. 
Meanwhile  Joan  pursues  Cantor.  Constance  and  Murphy 
marry  and,  together  with  Cantor  and  Joan,  work  their  way 
up  in  vaudeville,  eventually  playing  the  Palace  in  New  York. 
Expecting  a  baby,  Constance  withdraws  from  the  act  while 
the  other  three  continue  without  her.  On  the  night  of  the 
baby's  birth,  Nancy  deliberately  contrives  to  keep  Murphy 
away  from  the  hospital.  Constance,  depressed  because  her 
baby  had  died,  and  believing  that  Murphy  had  been  having 
a  good  time  with  Nancy  when  he  should  have  been  with  her, 
divorces  him.  Murphy  goes  to  France  during  World  War  I 
and,  upon  his  return,  seeks  a  reconciliation  with  Constance. 
Feeling  that  their  marriage  would  never  work  out  because  of 
Nancy,  Constance,  though  still  in  love  with  Murphy,  tells 
him  that  she  planned  to  marry  Don  Douglas,  an  agent,  who 
had  long  been  in  love  with  her.  Murphy  disappears.  Mean- 
while Constance  decides  that  she  docs  not  love  Douglas,  and 
returns  to  the  stage.  Months  later,  Cantor  finds  Murphy 
penniless  in  a  cheap  San  Francisco  cafe.  He  puts  Murphy 
back  on  his  feet  and  both  return  to  New  York  where,  with 
Joan,  they  are  featured  in  a  Ziegfcld  show.  Murphy  wins 
Constance  back  by  singing  a  romantic  song  to  her  from  the 
stage.  Cantor  succumbs  to  Joan  and  marries  her  at  a  double 
ceremony  with  Murphy  and  Constance. 

Joseph  Quillan  and  Dorothy  Bennett  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Eddie  Cantor  produced  it,  and  Edwin  L.  Marin  di- 
rected it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Seven  Days  Ashore"  with  Wally  Brown 
and  Alan  Carney 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  74  min.) 
This  semi-musical  is  no  better  than  the  two  previous  pic- 
tures with  these  would-be  comedians,  for  the  story  is  inane, 
and  the  comedy  forced.  The  action  is  slow  all  the  way 
through.  At  times  it  seems  as  if  the  spectator  is  asked  to 
stop  expecting  any  more  story  progress  until  the  actors  either 
finish  their  instrument-playing,  or  their  singing,  or  whatever 
the  author  set  out  to  make  them  do.  There  is  some  instru- 
mental and  some  vocal  music,  but  not  of  a  quality  to  save 
the  picture: — 

When  the  battle-scarred  freighter  Golden  Gate  puts  into 
San  Francisco  Bay  for  repairs,  Gordon  Oliver,  a  member  of 
the  crew  and  son  of  wealthy  parents,  is  met  at  the  pier  by 
three  girls — Elaine  Shepard,  a  society  girl,  whom  his  parents 
wanted  him  to  marry,  and  Virginia  Mayo  and  Amelita 
Ward,  two  girl  violinists  in  a  woman's  orchestra.  Oliver  is 
able  to  prevent  the  three  of  them  meeting  him  at  the  same 
time  by  turning  the  violinists  over  to  his  pals,  Wally  Brown 
and  Alan  Carney.  To  further  the  match,  Marjorie  Gateson, 
Oliver's  mother,  arranges  for  a  musicale  at  their  home  so 
that  Elaine  and  Oliver  would  be  together  as  much  as  possible 
and  thus  decide  to  marry.  But  Elaine  knows  of  Oliver's 
philandering  and  tells  him  that  she  will  not  marry  him. 
Aware  that  Oliver  was  bored  at  the  musicale,  his  pals  induce 
the  girl  orchestra  and  other  acts  of  the  "Indigo  Club"  to 
go  to  Oliver's  home  and  disrupt  the  party,  but  the  guests 
enjoy  the  "swing"  music  better.  Virginia  and  Amelita  serve 
on  Oliver  papers  for  breach  of  promise.  To  save  himself  from 
the  suits,  Oliver  induces  his  pals  to  pretend  that  they  are  in 
love  with  the  girls.  In  the  end,  each  of  his  pals  marry  one 
of  the  two  violinists,  and  before  long  all  misunderstandings 
are  removed  and  Gordon  and  Elaine  marry.  But  the  honey- 
moons are  interrupted  when  the  three  husbands  are  ordered 
to  their  ship  for  another  voyage. 

John  Auer  produced  and  directed  it  from  a  screen  play  by 
Edward  Verdier,  Irving  Phillips  and  Lawrence  Kimble. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


April  22,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


67 


"Address  Unknown"  with  Paul  Lukas 

(Columbia,  no  release  date  set;  time,  73  min.) 

A  forceful  but  depressing  anti-Nazi  drama.  Although  it 
is  not  a  cheerful  entertainment,  it  should  do  fairly  good 
business  because  of  the  popularity  of  Paul  Lukas,  this  year's 
Academy  Award  winner,  and  of  the  fact  that  the  film  is 
based  on  the  widely  read  short  story,  of  the  same  title,  which 
was  printed  also  in  Reader's  Digest,  in  condensed  form. 
The  story  is  a  tense,  though  somewhat  artificial,  dramatiza- 
tion of  the  subjugation  to  Nazism  of  a  genial,  well-respected 
German-American  business  man,  who  becomes  hopelessly 
enmeshed  in  the  Nazi  movement  when  he  returns  to  his 
homeland  on  a  visit.  All  the  players  do  well,  but  top  honors 
go  to  Paul  Lukas  for  his  dynamic  portrayal  of  a  man  who 
disintegrates  morally  and  physically  when  he  falls  victim  to 
the  very  cause  he  had  subscribed  to.  The  action  for  the  most 
part  is  slow-moving.  The  photography  and  production  values 
are  fairly  good: — 

Paul  Lukas,  a  Christian,  and  Morris  Carnovsky,  a  Jew, 
both  German-Americans,  operate  an  art  gallery  in  San 
Francisco.  Both  men  look  forward  to  the  pending  marriage 
of  K.  T.  Stevens,  Carnovsky's  daughter,  and  Peter  Van 
Eyck,  Lukas'  son.  When  Lukas  returns  to  Germany  with  his 
family  to  buy  art  treasures  for  the  business,  he  is  accom- 
panied by  Miss  Stevens,  who  wanted  to  study  drama  in 
Vienna.  Van  Eyck  remains  in  San  Francisco  to  help  Car- 
novsky with  the  business.  In  Germany,  Lukas  becomes 
friendly  with  Baron  Carl  Esmond,  a  Hitler  devotee.  The 
Baron  interests  Lukas  in  the  Nazi  ideology  and  makes  him 
an  important  official  soon  after  Hitler  comes  into  power. 
Lukas'  Nazi  feelings  are  reflected  in  his  letters  to  Carnovsky 
and  his  son,  much  to  their  disappointment.  When  it  becomes 
known  that  his  partner  in  America  was  Jewish,  Lukas  writes 
Carnovsky  and  asks  him  to  stop  corresponding.  Meanwhile 
Miss  Stevens,  making  her  first  appearance  on  a  Vienna 
stage,  defies  a  Nazi  edict  to  delete  certain  lines  from  the 
play.  She  is  denounced  as  a  Jewess  and  is  compelled  to  flee 
for  her  life.  She  makes  her  way  to  Lukas'  residence,  but 
Lukas  refuses  her  admission  and  cold-heartedly  lets  her  die 
at  the  hands  of  storm  troopers.  When  Carnovsky  writes 
Lukas  and  inquires  about  his  daughter,  Lukas  replies  that 
she  is  dead  and  demands  that  he  cease  further  correspond- 
ence. Angry  at  his  father  for  having  abandoned  his  fiancee, 
Van  Eyck  deliberately  incriminates  Lukas  with  the  Nazis  by 
sending  to  him  a  series  of  code  letters  that  make  no  sense, 
signing  Carnovsky's  name  to  them.  The  Nazis  refuse  to 
accept  Lukas'  explanation  that  it  was  a  plot  to  discredit  him. 
Deserted  by  his  friends  and  family,  Lukas,  maddened  by 
the  daily  arrival  of  the  letters,  eventually  is  shot  by  the 
Nazis  for  treason. 

Herbert  Dalmus  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  William 
Cameron  Menzies  produced  and  directed  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"Pin  Up  Girl"  with  Betty  Grable, 
Martha  Raye  and  Joe  E.  Brown 

(20th  Century-Fox,  May  release;  time,  83  min.) 

This  is  a  typical  Betty  Grable  vehicle,  though  not  as  good 
as  the  previous  musicals  in  which  she  has  appeared.  From  a 
box-office  point  of  view,  however,  it  should  do  as  well  as 
her  previous  pictures,  for  this  one,  too,  has  elaborately 
staged  production  numbers,  photographed  in  Technicolor, 
and  tuneful  music  of  the  popular  variety.  But  the  story, 
which  required  no  less  than  three  screen  play  writers,  is 
extremely  thin;  it  is  based  on  the  mistaken  identity  theme, 
and  serves  merely  as  a  means  to  introduce  the  musical  num- 
bers. Martha  Raye,  Joe  E.  Brown,  and  Eugene  Pallette 
handle  the  comedy,  some  of  it  amusing,  but  for  the  most  part 
the  script  has  failed  to  take  full  advantage  of  their  capa- 
bilities. Charlie  Spivak  and  his  orchestra  furnish  the  music: 

Betty  Grable,  accompanied  by  Dorothea  Kent,  her  girl- 
friend, leaves  her  home  town  in  Missouri  for  Washington, 
D.  C,  where  she  had  accepted  a  stenographer's  post  in  the 
Navy  Department.  When  they  stop  over  in  New  York 


while  en  route  to  Washington,  Betty  decides  that  it  would 
be  amusing  to  act  like  a  celebrity.  Together  with  the  un- 
willing Dorothea,  she  gains  entrance  to  Joe  E.  Brown's  night- 
club, where  Brown  was  giving  a  party  for  John  Harvey,  a 
Guadalcanal  hero.  Betty  poses  as  a  Broadway  singing  star 
and  wins  Harvey's  attentions.  Parting  with  Betty  at  the 
railroad  station,  Harvey  neglects  to  obtain  her  address. 
Weeks  later  in  Washington,  Betty  is  appalled  to  learn  that 
she  had  been  assigned  to  Harvey  to  help  him  with  his  re- 
ports on  Japanese  tactics.  She  hastily  disguises  herself  by 
wearing  Dorothea's  spectacles  and  succeeds  in  hiding  her 
identity  from  him.  Listening  to  him  rave  about  the  actress 
he  had  met  in  New  York  and  about  his  desire  to  meet  her 
again,  Betty  arranges  to  meet  him  that  evening  as  herself. 
Pleased  at  having  found  her,  and  desiring  that  she  remain 
in  Washington,  Harvey  arranges  with  Brown,  who  had 
opened  a  night  spot  in  Washington,  to  employ  her  as  his 
singing  star.  Betty  continues  the  deception — stenographer 
by  day,  and  cabaret  singer  by  night.  Annoyed  by  Betty's 
success,  Martha  Raye,  a  rival  singer,  causes  a  rift  between 
Betty  and  Harvey.  Things  come  to  a  head  when  Betty,  in 
her  role  as  stenographer,  is  taken  to  Brown's  night-club  by 
Harvey.  When  her  number  is  announced  and  she  leaves 
Harvey's  table  to  sing,  the  young  man  first  realizes  her 
elaborate  hoax.  He  hurries  backstage  after  her  number  and 
both  fall  into  each  other's  arms. 

Robert  Ellis,  Helen  Logan,  and  Earl  Baldwin  wrote  the 
screen  play,  William  LeBaron  produced  it,  and  Bruce 
Humberstone  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Dave  Willock, 
the  Condos  Brothers,  Marcel  Dalio  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Bermuda  Mystery"  with  Preston  Foster 
and  Ann  Rutherford 

(20th  Century-Fox,  May  release;  time,  66  min.) 

A  routine  program  murder-mystery  melodrama;  it  should 
satisfy  the  followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment,  for  the 
murderer's  identity  is  concealed  until  the  finish.  Whatever 
excitement  the  melodramatic  action  may  create  is  rendered 
ineffectual  by  the  weak  comedy  interpolations.  It  is  only  in 
the  closing  scenes  that  one  is  held  in  suspense — there  the 
murderer  is  trapped.  The  romantic  interest  is  developed  in  a 
routine  manner: — 

Convinced  that  the  death  of  her  wealthy  uncle  in  Ber- 
muda was  due,  not  to  heart  disease,  but  to  murder,  Ann 
Rutherford  determines  to  find  the  criminal.  She  believes 
that  the  crime  had  been  committed  by  one  of  five  men — 
Charles  Butterworth,  Theodore  Von  Eltz,  Roland  Drew, 
John  Eldredge  and  Kane  Richmond — World  War  I  buddies 
of  her  uncle,  who,  ten  years  previously,  had  joined  with  the 
dead  man  in  contributing  $10,000  each  to  a  trust  fund,  the 
money  to  be  divided  among  the  survivors  at  the  end  of  ten 
years.  Ann  goes  to  New  York,  where  she  enlists  the  aid  of 
Preston  Foster,  a  private  detective,  who  reluctantly  agrees 
to  help  her — Foster  had  closed  his  business  affairs  in  prepa- 
ration for  his  marriage  to  Helene  Reynolds  on  the  following 
day.  Foster's  interest  in  the  case  is  aroused  when  Ann  dis- 
covers Drew  dead,  the  victim  of  a  poisoned  cigarette.  Foster 
becomes  so  absorbed  in  the  investigation  that  he  neglects  to 
keep  his  marriage  appointment.  As  a  result,  Helene  leaves 
him.  In  the  course  of  the  investigation,  Von  Eltz,  Eldredge 
and  Richmond,  too,  are  murdered,  under  circumstances  that 
lead  the  police  to  suspect  Ann  and  Foster  of  the  crimes. 
Police  Inspector  Richard  Lane  sets  out  on  their  trail.  After 
a  series  of  incidents,  in  which  the  pair  track  down  numerous 
clues,  and  at  the  same  time  endeavor  to  elude  Lane,  Foster 
traps  Jean  Howard,  Butterworth's  wife.  He  proves  that  she 
had  killed  the  others  so  that  her  husband  would  gain  sole 
possession  of  the  trust  fund,  and  that  she  had  planned  to 
kill  Butterworth  so  that  the  money  would  revert  to  her. 
Foster  makes  new  marriage  plans,  this  time  with  Ann. 

W.  Scott  Darling  wrote  the  screen  play,  William  Girard 
produced  it,  and  Benjamin  Stoloff  directed  it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


08 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  22,  1944 


STILL  A  PUZZLE 

As  a  result  of  the  action  that  Ed  Kuykendall,  president  of 
the  Motion  Picture  Theatre  Owners  of  America,  took  at 
Washington  by  calling  on  Tom  Clark,  Assistant  Attorney 
General,  and  urging  him  to  scrap  the  Consent  Decree  and 
to  proceed  with  the  anti-trust  suit  against  the  major  com- 
panies, Joseph  Bernhard,  head  of  the  Warner  Brothers 
theatre  department,  resigned  as  a  member  of  the  MPTOA 
board  of  directors  on  the  grounds  that  Kuykendall's  action 
had  been  determined  by  the  board  at  a  meeting  during  which 
he  was  absent,  and  that  he  was  opposed  to  the  resolutions 
passed. 

With  Mr.  Bernhardt  resignation  ends,  I  am  sure,  also 
the  share  of  the  Warner  Brothers'  contribution  for  the  up- 
keep of  this  unnatural  exhibitor  organization. 

I  say  "unnatural"  exhibitor  organization  because  it  is 
kept  up  by  the  producers  merely  to  be  used  as  a  front  in 
battling  genuinely  independent  exhibitor  organizations  be- 
fore legislative  bodies.  The  legislators,  not  understanding 
the  difference  between  unaffiliated  and  affiliated  exhibitors, 
may  accept  either  the  protests  or  the  recommendations  of 
the  president  of  MPTOA  as  coming  from  truly  independent 
exhibitors. 

There  are,  of  course,  some  independent  exhibitors  in  the 
ranks  of  the  MPTOA  membership,  as  well  as  directorship, 
but  these  are  either  misinformed  as  to  the  nature  of  the 
organization,  or  well  informed  but  serving  their  own  selfish 
interests,  putting  forward  as  their  excuse  the  fact  that  they 
dislike  some  of  those  who  are  connected  with  Allied  States 
Association. 

Who  has  instigated  Kuykendall's  action  at  Washington? 
It  certainly  cannot  be  the  independent  exhibitors  who  belong 
to  MPTOA,  for  they  are  so  few  in  number  that  their  dues 
are  not  enough  to  cover  the  office  postage. 

Not  that  the  action  was  wrong;  but  it  was  not,  in  my 
opinion,  genuine,  and  I  am  sure  that  Tom  Clark  will  be 
influenced  in  his  decisions,  not  by  what  the  representatives 
of  MPTOA  have  recommended  but  by  what  has  been  put 
forward  by  the  representatives  of  the  truly  independent  ex- 
hibitors. 

Already  Ed  Kuykendall  is  "crawfishing."  He  has  issued 
a  statement  declaring  that  his  motives  have  been  misunder- 
stood. Certainly  Joe  Bernhard  did  not  misunderstand  his 
motives.  The  proof  of  it  has  been  the  fact  that  he  has  re- 
signed as  a  member  of  MPTOA's  board  of  directors. 

If  any  more  resignations  take  place,  I  fear  that  Ed  Kuyken- 
dall's meal  ticket  will  be  in  danger,  unless,  of  course,  the 
remaining  affiliated  circuits  increase  their  contributions  so 
as  to  cover  up  the  loss. 

If  Ed  Kuykendall  had  sought  the  advice  of  a  grammar 
school  child,  he  would  have  been  told  that  his  action  would 
prove  disastrous  to  his  organization's  finances. 

Last  week  I  said  that  Ed's  action  at  Washington  was  a 
puzzle.  It  is  still  a  puzzle. 


VIGOROUS  EXPLOITATION  OF 
MEDIOCRE  PICTURES  IS  HARMFUL 

Two  weeks  ago  it  was  announced  in  the  trade  papers  that 
Maurice  A.  Bergman,  Universal's  Eastern  advertising  and 
publicity  director,  went  to  Cincinnati  for  the  purpose  of 
completing  plans  for  the  simultaneous  opening  of  Walter 
Wanger's  "Ladies  Courageous"  in  seventy  cities,  reached  by 
the  radio  station  WLW,  with  which  the  exploitation  cam- 
paign is  tied. 

One  of  the  exploitation  features  will  be  to  pick  a  "lady 
courageous"  in  each  of  the  seventy  cities. 

That  the  campaign  will  be  a  success  no  one  can  have  any 
doubt;  the  theatres  that  will  play  this  picture  in  that  terri- 
tory and  in  all  other  territories  where  a  similar  campaign 
will  be  put  over  should  make  good  profits. 


But  here  is  the  question:  making  the  public  believe  that 
"Ladies  Courageous"  is  a  great  picture  and  attracting  them 
to  the  theatres  should  not  be  difficult  to  an  exploitation  man 
like  Maurice  Bergman,  particularly  when  he  works  under 
another  expert,  John  Joseph,  whose  hcadquaters  are  at  the 
studio.  But  what  will  be  the  after  effects?  Certainly  Joseph 
and  Bergman  do  not  believe  that  "Ladies  Courageous"  is  a 
great  picture — no  one  who  has  seen  it  believes  it  is.  The 
Loew  circuit,  which  is  playing  it  now,  does  not  seem  to 
think  so  if  we  arc  to  judge  by  the  kind  of  advertisements  it 
has  put  in  the  New  York  papers. 

There  are  times  when  critics  disagree  as  to  a  picture's 
entertaining  qualities;  some  of  them  think  they  are  excellent, 
while  some  that  they  are  very  bad.  In  such  an  event,  a  film 
company  is  justified  in  resorting  to  great  exploitation  cam- 
paigns, letting  the  public  be  the  judge.  But  there  seems  to 
be  no  division  of  opinion  as  to  "Ladies  Courageous."  For 
Universal,  then,  to  proceed  to  exploit  it  in  such  a  way  as  to 
make  the  public  believe  that  it  is  a  great  entertainment  may 
hurt,  not  only  Universal,  not  only  the  theatres  that  will  play 
it,  but  also  the  entire  industry,  for  if  the  practice  is  resorted 
to  often,  the  public  will  undoubtedly  lose  faith  in  picture 
advertisements  and  exploitation  campaigns. 

Let  us  use  moderation  in  our  claims  of  picture  entertain- 
ment. 


NOW  IT'S  UNANIMOUS 

The  front  page  of  the  March  29  Service  Bulletin  of  the 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  Association  of  Northern  Cali- 
fornia has  this  to  say  about  the  unanimity  of  independent 
exhibitor  organizations: 

"NOW  IT  IS  UNANIMOUS!— ALL  EXHIBITOR 
ORGANIZATIONS  are  together  on  what  to  do  with  the 
Consent  Decree— HERE'S  THE  LIST! 

"P.C.C.I.T.O. 

"M.P.T.O.A. 

"Allied  States  Association. 
"Independent  Exhibitors,  Inc. 
"l.T.O.  of  Iowa-Nebraska. 
"M.P.T.O.  of  Virginia. 

"Unaffiliated  Independent  Exhibitors  (New  York). 
"A.T.O.  of  Northwest,  Inc. 
"North-Central  A.I.  Theatres. 

"All  48  states  are  represented  in  the  above  group.  The 
above  organizations  are  the  Voice  of  the  Exhibitors  in  the 
U.  S.  A.  and  they  all  agree. 

"Agree  on  what? 

"The  distributors  can  no  longer  claim  the  Exhibitors  are 
helplessly  divided  in  thought  and  policy.  No  longer  are  they 
a  voice  in  the  darkness.  THEY  ARE  UNITED  AND 
KNOW  WHAT  THEY  WANT  AND  WHAT  IS  JUST. 

"The  Distributors  should  now  cease  their  Fifth  Column 
attempts  to  sow  seeds  of  dissention  in  Exhibitor  ranks — 
should  abandon  their  efforts  to  extricate  themselves  through 
pull  and  influence — should  recognize  that  the  Exhibitors  are 
united  in  purpose  and  effort  to  secure  the  necessary  reforms 
— should  cease  horsing  around  with  the  Department  of  Jus- 
tice and  proceed  either  to  negotiate  an  effective  Decree, 
which  will  afford  the  Exhibitors  the  measures  of  relief  for 
which  they  are  united,  or  else  join  issue  on  the  Government's 
suit  and  let  the  law  take  its  course." 


NEW  ENGLAND  EXHIBITORS 
REJOIN  ALLIED 

The  Washington  office  of  Allied  States  Association  of 
Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  announces  that  the  application 
of  the  Independent  Exhibitors,  Inc.,  of  New  England,  to 
again  become  a  member  of  National  Allied,  has  been  ap- 
proved by  the  board  of  directors  unanimously. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  APRIL  29,  1944  No.  18 


A  WELL  MERITED  PRAISE  FOR 

NATIONAL  SCREEN  SERVICE 

"ALLIED  STATES  ASSOCIATION 
"of 

"MOTION  PICTURE  EXHIBITORS 

"729  Fifteenth  Street,  N.  W. 

"Washington,  D.  C. 

"April  22,  1944 

"Dear  Pete: 

"Recurring  to  our  conversation  on  Thursday  evening,  I 
am  in  complete  agreement  with  you  that  the  motion  picture 
industry  as  a  whole  has  made  a  valuable  contribution  to  the 
war  effort  for  which  the  public,  unless  pressed  too  hard,  will 
yield  grateful  acknowledgement.  The  reason  I  qualify  this 
prediction  is  that  acts  of  patriotism,  like  acts  of  charity,  are 
more  meritorious  when  performed  modestly  than  when 
shouted  from  the  housetops. 

"There  is  a  grave  danger  of  an  unfavorable  reaction  from 
an  over-dose  of  self-laudation  in  the  guise  of  entertainment 
for  which  the  public  is  supposed  to  pay.  I  have  felt  that  cer- 
tain films — features,  shorts  and  newsreel  shots — showering 
praise  on  certain  executives  and  stars  for  doing  what  all 
good  citizens  are  expected  to  do,  were  in  questionable  taste. 
This  feeling  is  confirmed  by  the  scathing  review  of  'Follow 
the  Boys'  in  TIME  (4/24)  which  harks  back  to  an  old 
silent  sub-title  about  the  man  who  became  'musclebound 
from  patting  himself  on  the  back.'  The  reviewer  adds  that 
'the  air  gets  so  thick  with  self-congratulation  that  it  is  hard 
to  see  the  patriotism.' 

"However,  it  is  pleasant  to  record  that  in  addition  to  the 
noisy  ones  who  seemingly  think  of  patriotism  only  in  terms 
of  publicity,  the  industry  also  numbers  a  multitude  of  splen- 
did men  and  women  who  serve  only  for  the  privilege  of 
serving.  This  includes  thousands  of  independent  exhibitors 
who  would  be  barred  from  national  recognition  even  if  they 
sought  it. 

"But  I  have  in  mind  one  organization  whose  contribu- 
tions top  all  others  and  who  could  parade  their  patriotism 
before  the  industry  and  the  public  if  only  their  innate  mod- 
esty did  not  forbid.  I  refer  to  National  Screen  Service  Cor- 
poration, and  especially  to  Herman  Robbins  and  George 
Dembow.  When  one  thinks  of  the  great  work  of  that  or- 
ganization in  preparing  and  distributing  advertising  and 
trailers  for  all  the  great  drives,  one  realizes  what  serving 
the  country  really  means.  I  doubt  if  any  other  organization 
in  the  industry  has  made  a  comparable  contribution  to  the 
cause— certainly  not  in  comparison  to  size  and  resources. 

"It  is  even  more  pleasant  to  record  that  they  did  not  wait 
for  Pearl  Harbor  to  jar  them  into  a  sense  of  their  responsi- 
bility. National  Screen  made  a  patriotic  trailer  for  Allied, 
at  bare  cost  of  production,  as  long  ago  as  February,  1939. 
Men  like  that  make  the  industry  seem  grown-up. 

"Yours  very  truly, 

"Abram  F.  Myers 

"Mr.  P.  S.  Harrison, 
"Publisher,  Harrison's  Reports, 
"1270  Sixth  Avenue, 
"New  York  20,  N.  Y." 

I  am  in  full  accord  with  Mr.  Myers  in  the  tribute  he  pays 
to  National  Screen  Service  in  general,  and  to  Herman  Rob- 
bins  and  George  Dembow,  in  particular,  for  there  has  not  been 


a  cause  that  they  have  failed  to  serve  with  all  their  heart,  even 
though  the  cost  to  them  has  frequently  been  great.  Yet  they 
have  never  complained;  they  have  always  rolled  up  their 
sleeves  and  gone  to  work  for  any  worthy  cause  that  has  been 
presented  to  them,  particularly  for  causes  that  have  served 
the  national  interest. 

National  Screen  Service  has  been  rendering  a  great  serv- 
ice also  to  the  exhibitors.  Instead  of  trying  to  get  all  they 
could  from  the  exhibitors,  Messrs.  Robbins  and  Dembow 
have  so  adjusted  their  trailer-service  charges  as  to  make 
them  least  burdensome  to  the  exhibitors,  leaving  for  them- 
selves a  fair  profit  for  their  investment  and  for  the  work  they 
are  doing.  I  have  heard  it  said  that,  if  there  were  not  in 
existence  a  company  such  as  National  Screen  Service,  the 
industry  should  have  created  one. 

I  take  great  pleasure  in  joining  Mr.  Myers  in  paying  this 
tribute  to  the  men  who  have  worked  so  hard  to  earn  it. 


A  CHANCE  TO  USE  INGENUITY 

The  motion  picture  industry  is  celebrating  its  50th  anni- 
versary this  year,  for  it  was  on  April  14,  1894,  when  the 
first  motion  picture  was  projected,  at  115?  Broadway,  New 
York  City. 

The  industry's  Public  Information  Committee,  headed  by 
Si  Seadler,  advertising  manager  of  MGM,  has  prepared  a 
press  book  for  the  exhibitors  in  an  effort  to  aid  them  to  put 
over  a  celebration  locally  and  thus  benefit  their  box-offices. 
This  book  contains  the  history  of  the  motion  picture,  his- 
torical stills,  feature  stories  and  layouts.  Its  exploitation  sec- 
tion has  suggestions  for  theatre  displays,  for  local  celebra- 
tions and  for  radio  contests;  also  a  list  of  early  films  for 
showing. 

The  Public  Information  Committee  urges  the  exhibitors 
to  form  local  committees  that  will  assist  them  in  the  celebra- 
tion. There  has  been  already  organized  a  national  commit- 
tee, headed  by  Harold  Fitzgerald,  president  of  the  Fox- 
Wisconsin  theatre  circuit. 

Though  the  Public  Information  Committee  will  furnish 
you  with  whatever  aids  you  need  to  put  your  local  celebra- 
tion over,  there  is  room  for  your  ingenuity  to  supplement 
such  aid. 

The  50th  Anniversary  celebration  offers  every  one  of  you 
a  chance;  you  should  not  let  it  go  to  waste. 


BOB  O'DONNELL  HEADS  THE 
FIFTH  WAR  LOAN  DRIVE 

Robert  J.  O'Donnell,  general  manager  of  the  Interstate 
and  Texas  Consolidated  circuits,  has  been  appointed  chair- 
man for  the  industry's  participation  in  the  Fifth  War  Loan 
Drive,  which  will  take  place  between  June  12  and  July  8. 

Coming  immediately  after  the  "star  performance"  of 
Charles  Skouras,  who  was  the  industry's  chairman  for  the 
Fourth  War  Loan  Drive,  Mr.  O'Donnell  will  have  a  high 
mark  to  shoot  at  in  his  efforts  to  attain  similar  results.  Yet 
the  industry  must,  to  a  man,  roll  up  its  sleeves  to  help  him, 
for  it  cannot  fall  down — it  must  make  a  success  of  the  drive. 

Every  exhibitor  understands,  of  course,  that  the  purpose 
for  which  this  loan  is  sought  is  to  provide  our  armed  forces 
with  the  planes,  tanks,  ammunition,  ships  and  other  imple- 
ments needed  to  win  the  war,  and  because  of  it  no  exhibitor 
should  fail  to  do  his  utmost  to  bring  the  drive  to  a  success- 
ful conclusion. 


70 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  29,  1944 


"The  Hitler  Gang"  with  Robert  Watson, 
Martin  Kosleck  and  Victor  Varconi 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time.  99  min.) 
Supposedly  a  factual,  documented  story  of  the  rfce  to 
power  of  the  Nazi  leaders,  and  of  their  private  lives,  this 
historical-like  film,  though  fairly  interesting,  is  a  question- 
able box-office  entertainment.  In  all  probability  it  may  fare 
best  in  first-run  theatres  of  large  metropolitan  centers,  de- 
pending on  how  well  its  subject  matter  is  exploited,  for  it 
lacks  box-office  names.  The  story  covers  the  period  from  the 
Armistice  in  1918  to  the  present  day  and  traces  the  careers 
of  Hitler  and  his  associates,  beginning  with  Hitler's  release 
from  a  military  hospital  as  a  paranoiacal  victim  of  shock.  It 
shows  that,  with  the  collaboration  of  the  German  High  Com- 
mand, which  planned  to  overthrow  the  Weimar  Republic 
and  restore  militarism,  Hitler,  through  political  intrigue  and 
double-cross,  and  by  virtue  of  his  gift  of  hysterical  oratory, 
built  the  National  Socialist  Party  into  a  political  machine 
that  eventually  gained  control  of  the  government.  In  a 
subtle  manner,  the  film  hints  at  Hitler's  supposed  degeneracy, 
but  it  is  void  of  sensationalism.  Hitler  is  depicted  as,  not  a 
brilliant  leader,  but  an  egotistical  paranoiac,  unaware  that 
his  destinies  are  guided  by  his'  cunning  associates,  who  use 
him  as  a  symbol  of  Nazi  ideology,  a  means  by  which  to  hold 
the  German  nation  together. 

Among  the  film's  highlights  are  the  unsuccessful  1923 
putsch  against  the  state,  when  Hitler  had  the  support  of 
General  Von  Ludendorff;  Hitler's  supposed  murder  of  his 
niece,  with  whom  he  purportedly  had  been  in  love;  the  burn- 
ing of  the  Reichstag;  and  the  blood  purge  of  June,  1934, 
when  Hitler,  bowing  to  the  demands  of  the  High  Command, 
killed  many  of  the  men  who  had  put  him  in  power. 

Robert  Watson,  as  Hitler,  gives  a  good  performance,  as 
give  Roman  Bohnen,  as  Ernst  Rochm;  Martin  Kosleck,  as 
Joseph  Goebbels;  Victor  Varconi,  as  Rudolph  Hess;  Luis 
Van  Rooten,  as  Heinrich  Himmlcr;  Tonio  Selwart,  as  Alfred 
Rosenberg;  Alexander  Granach,  as  Julius  Streicher;  and 
Alexander  Pope,  as  Hermann  Goering.  Their  makeup  is  so 
good  that  one  feels  as  if  he  is  watching  the  real  characters. 

Great  care  has  gone  into  the  sets  to  make  them  look 
authentic. 

Frances  Goodrich  and  Albert  Hackett  wrote  the  screen 
play,  G.  B.  DeSylva  and  Joseph  Sistrom  produced  it,  and 
John  Farrow  directed  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"Man  from  Frisco"  with  Michael  O'Shea 
and  Anne  Shirley 

(Republic,  no  release  date  set;  time,  91  min.) 

A  fairly  good  melodrama,  revolving  around  an  aggressive, 
but  tactless  young  engineer,  who  establishes  new  methods  of 
shipbuilding,  despite  the  opposition  of  seasoned  shipyard 
workers,  whom  he  antagonizes  by  his  overbearing  attitude. 
While  no  mention  is  made  of  it,  one  assumes  that  the  story 
is  based  on  the  shipbuilding  career  of  Henry  Kaiser.  Better 
than  average  production  values,  and  competent  acting,  are 
the  film's  outstanding  features,  for  the  story  itself  is  ordi- 
nary, and  its  treatment  routine.  It  should,  however,  hold  the 
interest  of  an  average  audience,  for,  in  addition  to  the 
actual  scenes  that  depict  modern  shipbuilding  methods, 
which  are  informative,  the  story  has  human  appeal,  some 
comedy,  and  a  mild  romance.  The  only  situation  that  really 
thrills,  comes  near  the  end,  where  a  huge  pre-fabricated 
superstructure,  while  two  giant  cranes  were  raising  it,  falls 
on  the  ship's  deck  when  the  cables  snap.  Other  than  that 
sequence,  there  is  very  little  excitement: — - 

Michael  O'Shea,  dynamic  construction  engineer  with  a 
reputation  for  doing  the  impossible,  is  sent  to  the  Point 
Pleasant  Shipyards  to  carry  out  his  revolutionary  ideas  in 
the  construction  of  ships.  O'Shea's  gruff  attitude  and  gen- 
eral impatience  antagonizes  the  workers  and  the  towns- 
people, and  cause  Gene  Lockhart,  veteran  superintendent 
of  the  yard,  to  resign.  Anne  Shirley,  Lockhart's  daughter, 
remains  as  O'Shea's  secretary,  despite  her  apparent  dislike 


for  him.  Dan  Duryea,  a  foreman,  who  loved  Anne,  quits 
with  Lockhart.  O'Shea  imports  4000  workers  and  their 
families,  straining  the  town's  facilities  to  the  breaking  point 
and  causing  more  resentment  among  the  townspeople.  The 
attack  on  Pearl  Harbor,  however,  prevents  trouble  between 
the  old  workers  and  the  new,  and  introduces  relative  co- 
operation. As  the  weeks  go  by,  O'Shea  and  Anne  fall  in  love. 
One  evening,  Duryea  goes  to  O'Shea's  office  to  check  on  a 
blueprint  and  discovers  O'Shea  and  Anne  in  an  embrace. 
Angry,  Duryea  quits  the  job  and  neglects  to  check  on  the 
blueprint.  As  a  result  ,a  serious  accident  occurs,  causing  the 
death  of  Tommy  Bond,  Anne's  younger  brother.  Blaming 
the  accident  on  O'Shea's  new  methods  of  shipbuilding,  the 
workers  threaten  to  strike  unless  he  leaves  town.  O'Shea, 
to  prevent  a  slow-down  in  production,  turns  over  the  yard's 
management  to  Lockhart,  and  prepares  to  leave  town. 
Duryea,  realizing  that  the  accident  had  been  caused  by  his 
negligence,  confides  in  Lockhart.  The  veteran  superinten- 
dant  dispatches  Anne  to  find  O'Shea,  and  she  brings  him 
back  in  time  for  the  launching  of  the  first  Liberty  ship,  ap- 
propriately named  after  her  brother. 

Ethel  Hill  and  Arnold  Manhoff  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Albert  J.  Cohen  produced  it,  and  Robert  Florcy  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Ray  Walker,  Stephanie  Bachelor  and 
others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"Gamblers'  Choice"  with  Chester  Morris, 
Russell  Hayden  and  Nancy  Kelly 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  68  min.) 
A  routine  program  melodrama,  with  better  than  average 
production  values.  The  story  is  the  familiar  one  of  two  pals 
— one  a  policeman  and  the  other  a  racketeer — who  both  love 
the  same  girl,  with  the  policeman's  winning  the  girl  in  the 
end,  after  his  pal  becomes  regenerated  and  sacrifices  his  life 
for  him.  It  is  developed  without  one  new  twist;  neverthe- 
less, it  should  satisfy  those  who  enjoy  pictures  centering 
around  racketeers,  for  the  action  is  fast  and  exciting  through- 
out. The  story  takes  place  in  New  York's  Tenderloin  dis- 
trict during  1911,  and  the  sets  and  costumes  are  typical  of 
that  day: — 

Chester  Morris  and  Russell  Hayden,  boyhood  chums,  go 
different  ways  when  they  reach  manhood.  Morns  becomes 
a  croupier  in  Sheldon  Leonard's  gambling  house,  while  Hay- 
den becomes  a  lieutenant  on  the  police  force.  Both,  how- 
ever, remain  fast  friends.  Morris,  a  calculating  person,  quits 
Leonard  and  sets  up  a  rival  gambling  palace  with  the  backing 
of  Lee  Patrick,  a  rich  widow,  who  loved  him.  Leonard,  to 
compete  with  Morris,  engages  Nancy  Kelly,  a  sensational 
singer,  to  entertain  his  guests.  Visiting  Leonard's  club,  Mor- 
ris recognizes  Nancy  as  the  little  girl  with  whom  he  and 
Hayden  had  played  as  children.  He  induces  her  to  work 
for  him  instead  of  for  Leonard.  Both  Morris  and  Hayden 
become  friendly  rivals  for  Nancy's  love.  Employing  unscrup- 
ulous methods,  Morris  becomes  a  powerful  political  boss  and 
is  instrumental  in  promoting  Hayden  to  a  captaincy.  Mean- 
while Miss  Patrick,  jealous  over  Morris'  attentions  to  Nancy, 
plots  with  Leonard  to  murder  him.  Their  scheme  backfires, 
however,  when  their  henchmen  kill  a  policeman  instead  of 
Morris.  Roused  by  the  death  of  one  of  his  men,  Hayden 
raids  every  gambling  casino  in  the  Tenderloin,  including  the 
one  owned  by  Morris.  Angered,  Morris  arranges  for  Hayden 
to  be  reduced  to  a  patrolman.  The  Governor  of  the  state, 
impressed  by  Hayden's  record,  appoints  him  to  clean  up  the 
Tenderloin.  The  gambling  bosses,  to  protect  their  interests, 
meet  in  Leonard's  office  and  hit  upon  a  plan  to  frame  Hay- 
den, so  as  to  discredit  him  with  the  Governor.  Nancy  learn 
of  the  plan  and  appeals  to  Morris  to  protect  Hayden.  Realiz- 
ing that  Nancy  loved  Hayden,  Morris  prevents  the  frameup 
by  shooting  it  out  with  Leonard.  Both  men  die  of  mortal 
wounds. 

Maxwell  Shane  and  Irving  Reis  wrote  the  screen  play, 
William  Pine  and  William  Thomas  produced  it,  and  Frank 
McDonald  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Lloyd  Corrigan, 
Lyle  Talbot,  Tommy  Dugan  and  others. 

Adult  entertainment. 


April  29,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


71 


"Song  of  the  Open  Road"  with  Jane  Powell, 
Bonita  Granville  and  Jackie  Moran 

(United  Artists,  no  release  date  set;  time,  93  min.) 
Very  pleasant  entertainment;  it  is  light  and  puts  one  in 
an  amiable  mood.  Although  the  story  is  rather  thin,  it  should 
please  most  audiences,  for  it  has  both  popular  and  classical 
music,  the  adolescent  players  are  appealing,  and  there  is  con- 
siderable comedy  as  well  as  youthful  romance.  Jane  Powell, 
a  newcomer,  around  whom  the  story  revolves,  is  a  winsome 
young  miss,  delighting  one  with  her  charm,  her  fine  singing 
voice,  and  her  acting  ability.  The  Liphar  Four,  a  quartet  of 
child  acrobats,  are  exceptionally  good.  Hearty  laughter  is 
provoked  by  Edgar  Bergen  and  Charlie  McCarthy,  as  well 
as  by  W.  C.  Fields,  who  appear  in  a  few  short  sequences. 
Sammy  Kaye's  orchestra  and  Chuck  Faulkner's  band  handle 
the  music: — 

Because  the  demands  on  her  time  leave  her  no  opportunity 
to  associate  with  youths  of  her  own  age,  Jane  Powell,  four- 
teen-year-old Hollywood  star,  writes  a  goodbye  note  to  her 
mother  (Rose  Hobart),  dyes  her  blonde  hair  brown  and, 
assuming  another  name,  goes  to  the  Mossy  Rock  Youth 
Hostel,  where  she  joins  a  group  of  youngsters,  who  aid  the 
war  effort  by  helping  farmers  with  their  crops.  Jane's  in- 
ability to  do  her  share  of  the  work,  and  her  bungling  efforts 
to  straighten  out  the  romantic  troubles  between  Bonita 
Granville  and  Jackie  Moran,  cause  the  youngsters  to  ostra- 
cize her.  When  she  reveals  her  identity  and  the  youngsters 
ridicule  her  and  call  her  a  fabricator,  she  proves  her  state- 
ment by  singing  an  aria.  The  youngsters,  ashamed  because 
they  had  treated  her  shabbily,  take  her  to  their  hearts. 
Meanwhile,  Jane's  mother,  who  had  been  searching  for  her, 
arrives  on  the  scene.  The  youths,  understanding  Jane's  prob- 
lem, hide  her  and  convince  Miss  Hobart  that  she  is  not  with 
them.  Just  then  word  is  received  that  Moran's  brother,  owner 
of  a  big  orange  grove,  will  be  ruined  unless  the  oranges  are 
picked  before  the  start  of  a  wind  storm,  which  had  been 
forecast  for  the  following  day.  Jane  makes  her  presence 
known  to  her  mother  and,  with  her  consent,  she  goes  to 
Hollywood,  rounds  up  her  entertainer-friends,  and  brings 
them  to  the  grove.  News  of  the  celebrities'  arrival  is  broad- 
cast, and  a  large  crowd  of  fans  rush  to  the  grove.  There 
W.  C.  Fields,  acting  as  master  of  ceremonies,  talks  the  fans 
into  helping  pick  the  grove,  while  the  celebrities  entertain 
them. 

Albert  Mannheimer  wrote  the  screen  play,  Charles  R. 
Rogers  produced  it,  and  S.  Sylvan  Simon  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Reginald  Denny,  Regis  Toomey,  the  Condos 
Brothers,  and  others. 


"Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor"  with  June  Allyson, 
Gloria  DeHaven  and  Jimmy  Durante 

(MGM,  June;  time,  124  min.) 

An  excellent  musical;  it  should  go  over  with  the  masses 
very  well,  for  it  is  a  pleasurable  combination  of  music,  com- 
edy and  romance,  produced  lavishly.  Not  only  does  the  pic- 
ture offer  delightful  entertainment,  but  it  presents  a  captivat- 
ing personalty,  June  Allyson,  whose  charm  should  win 
everyone  who  sees  her;  she  sings  popular  songs  very  well, 
and  has  unusual  acting  ability.  The  story,  though  not  novel, 
is,  thanks  to  the  producer,  consistently  entertaining,  for  he 
has  endowed  it  with  good  comedy  situations,  with  human 
appeal,  and  with  a  charming  romance.  Jimmy  Durante  fur- 
nishes much  of  the  comedy,  provoking  hearty  laughter  by 
his  gags,  songs,  and  antics.  A  highly  amusing  sequence  is 
the  one  in  which  Gracie  Allen  gives  a  piano  recital,  playing 
with  one  finger,  and  off-key,  to  the  accompaniment  of  a 
symphony  orchestra  conducted  by  Albert  Coates.  Other 
highlights  are  songs  by  Lena  Home,  Helen  Forrest,  Lina 
Romay,  and  Virginia  O'Brien,  each  singing  in  her  inimitable 
style;  dancing  by  Ben  Blue;  a  piano  recital  by  Jose  Iturbi;  and 
the  music  of  Harry  James'  and  Xavier  Cugat's  orchestras: — 

Eager  to  do  their  bit  in  the  war  effort,  June  Allyson  and 
Gloria  DeHaven,  a  song-and-dance  sister  team,  entertain 
servicemen  at  their  apartment  after  they  finish  their  act  at 


a  swank  New  York  night-club.  One  night  the  girls  invite  to 
their  apartment  Tom  Drake,  a  soldier,  and  Van  Johnson,  a 
sailor.  Gloria,  a  flirtatious  sort,  attracts  both  men.  Jean,  a 
demure  type,  silently  adores  Johnson.  Neither  girl  realized 
that  Johnson  was  a  millionaire.  When  the  girls  casually  men- 
tion to  him  that  a  deserted  warehouse  next  door  would  make 
an  ideal  canteen,  Johrnson  quietly  buys  the  property  in  their 
name,  modernizes  it,  but  does  not  let  on  that  he  is  their 
benefactor.  Jean  eventually  learns  the  truth  and,  believing 
that  Johnson  loved  Gloria,  graciously  tries  to  bow  out  of  the 
picture.  Gloria,  at  first  delighted  that  a  millionaire  was  inter- 
ested in  her,  soon  comes  to  the  realization  that  Johnson  loved 
her  sister.  She  brings  them  together,  meanwhile  making  ar- 
rangements for  her  own  marriage  to  Drake. 

Richard  Connell  and  Gladys  Lehman  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Joe  Pasternak  produced  it,  and  Richard  Thorpe  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Frank  Jenks,  Frank  Sully,  Henry 
Stephenson,  Henry  O'Neill,  Carlos  Ramirez,  Donald  Meek 
and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Story  of  Dr.  Wassell"  with 
Gary  Cooper,  Laraine  Day,  Signe  Hasso 
and  Dennis  O'Keef e 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  136  min.) 
As  entertainment,  this  war  melodrama  is  only  fair,  but  the 
marquee  value  of  Gary  Cooper,  and  the  fact  that  it  was  pro- 
duced and  directed  by  Cecil  B.  DeMille,  and  in  Technicolor, 
with  his  customary  lavishness,  should  insure  its  box-office 
success.  The  story  revolves  around  the  heroic  exploits  of  Dr. 
Corydon  M.  Wassell,  USN,  the  Arkansas  country  doctor, 
who,  when  the  Japanese  gained  control  of  Java,  took  charge 
of  a  group  of  badly  wounded  sailors,  nursed  them,  and 
evacuated  them  safely  to  Australia,  overcoming  insurmount- 
able odds  in  one  of  the  most  daring  escapes  of  the  war.  In 
presenting  Dr.  Wassell's  story,  Mr.  DeMille  has  mixed  facts 
and  fiction.  The  results,  however,  are  unsatisfactory,  for  he 
has  resorted  largely  to  coincidence  to  tie  in  the  different 
events,  giving  the  story  a  cloak  of  artificiality  despite  the 
genuiness  of  most  of  the  incidents.  On  the  whole,  the  film 
is  a  spectacular  war  melodrama,  combining  war  action,  sus- 
pense, romance  and  comedy;  but  it  lacks  the  exceptional — 
it  presents  little  that  has  not  been  seen  in  countless  other 
war  pictures. 

The  story,  part  of  which  is  told  in  flashbacks,  opens  before 
the  war  in  Arkansas,  where  Dr.  Wassell  (Gary  Cooper) 
decides  to  give  up  his  practice  to  do  medical  research  work 
in  China  for  a  missionary  society.  In  China,  Dr.  Wassell 
falls  in  love  with  Madeline  Day  (Laraine  Day),  an  Amer- 
ican Red  Cross  nurse.  Erroneously  believing  that  she 
loved  another  doctor,  he  gives  up  his  work  in  China  and 
joins  the  Navy.  With  the  outbreak  of  war,  Dr.  Wassell  is 
assigned  to  Java.  There  he  takes  charge  of  a  group  of 
wounded  sailors  from  the  cruisers  Marblehead  and  Houston, 
taking  them  to  a  Dutch  military  hospital  in  the  interior. 
When  he  receives  word  that  the  Japanese  had  landed  on 
Java,  Dr.  Wassell,  in  defiance  of  orders  that  only  men  who 
can  fight  are  to  be  evacuated,  makes  an  unsuccessful  attempt 
to  get  his  charges  aboard  the  rescue  ship.  Left  to  the  mercy 
of  the  enemy,  Dr.  Wassell  determines  to  save  his  men.  De- 
spite numerous  attacks  by  Japanese  planes,  he  manages  to 
keep  his  charges  alive  by  his  medical  skill  and  inspires  them 
by  his  own  courage.  Eventually,  Dr.  Wassell  gets  them 
aboard  a  tramp  steamer  and,  after  a  hazardous  voyage, 
brings  them  safely  to  Australia.  There  he  is  awarded  the 
Navy  Cross,  and  becomes  reunited  with  Madeline. 

Gary  Cooper,  as  Dr.  Wassell,  gives  a  forceful  perform- 
ance. Good,  too,  are  Signe  Hasso,  as  a  Dutch  nurse,  and 
Carol  Thurston,  as  a  native  Javanese  nurse,  who  provide 
additional  romantic  interest  with  the  wounded  men. 

Alan  LeMay  and  Charles  Bennet  wrote  the  screen  play. 
Sidney  Biddell  was  associate  producer.  The  cast  includes 
Carl  Esmond,  Philip  Ahn,  Stanley  Ridges,  Elliot  Reid  and 
others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


72 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


April  29,  1944 


"And  the  Angels  Sing"  with  Dorothy  Lamour, 
Betty  Hutton  and  Fred  MacMurray 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  96  min.) 

A  pretty  good  comedy  with  music.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 
the  story  is  not  particularly  novel,  it  is  consistently  amusing 
because  of  the  snappy  dialogue  and  of  the  main  characters' 
antics.  And  the  predicaments  the  hero  gets  himself  into  as  a 
result  of  his  efforts  to  satisfy  the  romantic  inclinations  of 
two  sisters  without  their  learning  of  his  duplicity  are  further 
causes  for  laughter.  Betty  Hutton  is  particularly  good;  each 
time  she  appears,  she  brightens  things  up  considerably,  pro- 
voking hearty  laughter  by  what  she  says  and  by  her  exhu- 
berant  singing.  A  "jitter-bug"  sequence  with  Dorothy  La- 
mour and  with  her  "zoot-suited"  boy-friend  is  one  of  the 
film's  highlights.  The  musical  sequences  are  staged  attrac- 
tively, and  the  music  is  tuneful: — 

Betty  Hutton,  Dorothy  Lamour,  Diana  Lynn,  and  Mimi 
Chandler,  four  sisters,  make  a  good  singing  quartet,  but 
each  has  other  ambitions.  All,  however,  wanted  to  earn 
enough  money  to  buy  their  father  (Raymond  Walburn)  a 
farm.  When  the  girls  earn  ten  dollars  singing  at  a  country 
night-club,  Betty  gambles  the  money  and  wins  $190.  Learn- 
ing of  Betty's  good  fortune,  and  needing  money  to  pay  his 
orchestra,  Fred  MacMurray,  band  leader  at  the  club,  makes 
love  to  Betty  and  borrows  the  money  from  her  on  the  pre- 
text that  he  will  employ  her  with  his  band  as  a  singer.  On 
the  following  morning,  Betty  learns  that  MacMurray  had 
left  town.  The  girls,  angered,  go  to  New  York,  determined 
to  find  him.  Dorothy  locates  him  in  a  Brooklyn  night-club 
and  demands  that  he  return  the  money,  but,  before  the 
evening  is  over,  she,  too,  falls  in  love  with  him.  Persuaded 
by  MacMurray,  Dorothy  induces  her  sisters  to  sing  with  his 
orchestra,  thus  securing  his  position  with  the  night-club. 
With  Betty  and  Dorothy  interested  in  him  romantically  Mac- 
Murray  makes  love  to  both  of  them  in  order  to  keep  the 
quartet  intact.  But  they  eventually  learn  of  his  duplicity, 
quarrel,  and  break  up  the  team.  As  a  result,  MacMurray 
loses  his  job.  Weeks  later,  the  girls  find  MacMurray  and 
Eddie  Foy,  Jr.,  his  pal,  singing  in  a  cheap  cafe.  They  start 
a  fight  over  the  $190,  but  their  father  takes  matters  in  hand 
and  induces  them  to  rejoin  MacMurray's  band.  Dorothy  wins 
MacMurray,  and  Betty  consoles  herself  with  Foy. 

Melvin  Frank  and  Norman  Panama  wrote  the  screen  play, 
E.  D.  Leshin  produced  it,  and  George  Marshall  directed  it. 


"Henry  Aldrich  Plays  Cupid"  with 
Jimmy  Lydon  and  Vera  Vague 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  65  min.) 

This  latest  in  the  "Henry  Aldrich"  series  is  a  fair  program 
entertainment.  As  is  the  case  with  most  of  the  pictures  in 
this  series,  the  story  is  extremely  thin.  Yet  it  may  fit  ade- 
quately in  a  double-feature  program  in  neighborhood  thea- 
tres, where  patrons  are  not  too  discriminating,  since  the 
action  moves  steadily  and  there  is  plentiful  comedy.  This 
time  "Henry's"  troubles  begin  when  he  takes  it  upon  him- 
self to  find  a  wife  for  his  grouchy  school  principal.  As  is 
usual,  his  efforts  result  in  numerous  persons  becoming  in- 
volved in  a  series  of  awkward  situations,  many  of  which 
provoke  hearty  laughter.  Vera  Vague,  as  a  lovelorn  matron, 
adds  much  to  the  comedy: — 

When  Jimmy  Lydon  complains  to  his  mother  (Olive 
Blakeney)  that  Vaughn  Glazer,  the  school  principal,  had 
been  treating  him  unfairly,  she  innocently  remarks  that 
Glazer  would  not  be  a  grouch  if  he  had  a  wife.  This  gives 
Jimmy  an  idea  and,  together  with  Charlie  Smith,  his  pal, 
he  sets  out  to  find  Glazer  a  wife.  The  boys  answer  several 
matrimonial  ads  and,  lest  Glazer's  photo  discourage  the 
prospective  brides,  they  enclose  in  the  letters  a  photo  of 
Paul  Harvey,  a  handsome  Senator.  Vera  Vague,  a  lovelorn 
matron,  comes  to  Centerville,  arriving  there  just  as  Harvey 
steps  off  a  train;  he  had  come  to  town  to  investigate  the 
mismanagement  of  a  public  project,  of  which  John  Litel, 
Jimmy's  father,  was  chairman.  Harvey  is  flabbergasted  when 
Vera  embraces  him,  and  explains  to  reporters  that  the  inci- 
dent was  probably  arranged  by  Litel  in  an  attempt  to  dis- 
credit him.  The  boys  take  Vera  in  hand  and  arrange  for  her 
to  meet  the  principal.  Matters  become  even  more  complicated 
when  Barbara  Pepper,  a  scheming  blonde,  arrives.  She,  too, 
embraces  Harvey  publicly.  The  boys  confess  the  hoax  to 
Barbara  only  to  find  themselves  faced  with  a  demand  for 
$500  as  her  price  for  silence.  Meanwhile  Harvey  and  Litel 
wrangle  over  the  investigation  and  accuse  one  another  of 
trickery  because  of  the  incidents  involving  Vera  and  Bar- 
bara. Faced  with  exposure,  Jimmy  goes  to  Harvey  and  tells 


him  the  truth.  It  all  ends  with  Litel  being  cleared  of  mis- 
managing the  public  project,  Vera  marrying  Harvey,  and 
Glazer  reconciling  with  his  wife,  from  whom  he  had  been 
separated  for  over  twenty  years. 

Muriel  Roy  Bolton  and  Val  Burton  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Michel  Kraikc  produced  it,  and  Hugh  Bennett  directed  it. 


"Double  Indemnity"  with  Barbara  Stanwyck, 
Fred  MacMurray  and  Edward  G.  Robinson 

(Paramount,  no  release  dale  set;  time,  106  mm.) 

A  very  good  murder  melodrama,  although  an  unpleasant 
one.  The  story  is  demoralizing,  for  it  shows  the  methods 
employed  by  the  hero  and  heroine  in  planning  and  commit- 
ting the  murder  of  her  husband,  making  it  look  like  an  acci- 
dent so  that  they  might  collect  the  insurance  money.  Al- 
though it  is  not  entertainment  for  children,  adults  who  go 
in  for  this  type  of  picture  will  find  it  to  be  one  of  the  season's 
best  melodramas,  for  it  is  filled  with  suspense  and  the  plot 
developments  are  both  fascinating  and  logical.  The  un- 
pleasantness is  owed  to  the  fact  that  the  main  characters  are 
ruthless  persons.  The  performances  are  very  good: — 

Fred  MacMurray,  an  insurance  salesman,  falls  in  love 
with  Barbara  Stanwyck  and  lets  her  involve  him  in  a  scheme 
to  murder  her  husband  (Tom  Powers),  with  whom  she  was 
unhappy.  After  tricking  Powers  into  signing  a  $50,000 
accident  insurance  policy,  with  a  double  indemnity  clause, 
MacMurray  plans  to  commit  the  perfect  crime.  Aided  by 
Barbara,  he  murders  Powers  and  ingeniously  sets  up  the 
cause  for  his  death,  making  it  appear  as  if  the  man  had  been 
killed  in  a  freak  train  accident.  The  crime  defies  police 
detection,  but  Edward  G.  Robinson,  head  claim  adjustor  for 
the  insurance  company  and  MacMurray's  boss,  figures  out 
that  it  had  been  murder,  and  suspects  Barbara;  he  felt  that 
she  had  been  aided  by  an  accomplice,  who,  if  found,  would 
prove  his  charge.  MacMurray,  apprehensive  of  Robinson's 
ability  to  detect  false  insurance  claims,  loses  his  nerve  and 
tries  to  break  relations  with  Barbara,  but  she  insists  that 
he  carry  out  his  end  of  the  bargain  to  collect  the  insurance 
money.  Learning  that  Barbara  planned  to  pin  the  murder 
on  the  innocent  fiance  of  her  step-daughter  (Jean  Heather), 
and  realizing  that  her  love  for  him  was  superficial,  Mac- 
Murray  murders  Barbara  after  she  shoots  him  with  the  same 
thought  (murder)  in  mind.  Before  dying  of  his  wound,  he 
makes  to  Robinson  a  full  confession. 

Billy  Wilder  and  Raymond  Chandler  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Joseph  Sistrom  produced  it,  and  Mr.  Wilder  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Porter  Hall,  Fortunio  Bonanova,  Rich- 
ard Gaines  and  others. 


"Slightly  Terrific"  with  Leon  Errol 

(Universal,  May  5;  time,  61  min.) 

Unlike  its  title,  this  is  a  minor  program  musical  with  an 
appeal  strictly  to  those  who  enjoy  listening  to  popular  music 
and  watching  dance  numbers.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 
players  try  hard,  they  are  hampered  by  trite  and  ridiculous 
story  material.  For  this  reason,  they  fail  to  make  an  impres- 
sion. Leon  Errol,  cast  in  a  dual  role,  reminiscent  of  the  part 
he  played  in  RKO's  "Mexican  Spitfire"  series,  provides  the 
comedy,  but  except  for  one  or  two  situations  his  antics  pro- 
voke no  more  than  a  grin.  Discriminating  audience  may  be 
considerably  bored  with  it: — 

Mistaking  James  P.  Tuttle  (Leon  Errol)  for  John  P. 
Tuttle  (also  Leon  Errol),  his  millionaire  brother,  Eddie 
Quillan,  a  young  producer,  induces  James  to  back  his  mu- 
sical revue.  When  James  learns  that  his  brother  would  be 
absent  during  the  annual  Stefanik,  111.,  festival,  which  the 
millionaire  always  sponsored,  he  schemes  to  stage  Quillan's 
revue  at  the  festival.  James  transports  the  members  of  the 
show  to  Stefanik  in  his  trailer  and,  posing  as  his  millionaire 
brother,  sees  to  it  that  they  are  given  hotel  accommodations 
and  that  they  are  featured  on  the  festival  program.  All  sorts 
of  complications  ensue  when  the  wealthy  brother  arrives  un- 
expectedly, causing  James  to  hide  in  his  room  lest  he  be 
found  out.  After  a  series  of  events,  in  which  the  members  of 
the  cast,  believing  there  is  only  one  J.  P.  Tuttle,  are  held  in 
a  constant  state  of  bewilderment  because  of  the  supposed 
changing  moods  of  their  backer,  the  millionaire  unmasks 
his  brother  as  the  black  sheep  of  the  family  and  promises  to 
back  Quillan's  show  on  Broadway. 

Edward  Dein  and  Stanley  Davis  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Alexis  Thurn-Taxis  produced  it,  and  Edward  F.  Cline  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Betty  Kean,  Richard  Lane, 
Donald  Novis,  Lillian  Cornell,  the  Star  Dusters,  the  Maritza 
Dancers,  the  Eight  Rhythmeers  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  MAY  6,  1944  No.  19 


TOM  CONNORS  CLARIFIES  A  POLICY 

Tom  Connors,  vice-president  in  charge  of  world-wide 
distribution  of  Twentieth  Century-Fox  films,  has  just  come 
back  from  a  trip  during  which  he  visited  several  of  the 
company's  exchanges  and  lunched  with  local  exhibitors  with 
a  view  to  coming  in  direct  contact  with  those  who  might 
have  complaints  against  the  company's  sales  policies  and  to 
accept  suggestions  from  them  for  improvement. 

During  his  peregrination  the  trade  papers  reported  him 
as  having  stated  that  he  has  given  his  local  men  complete 
authority  to  make  adjustments  of  the  rentals  paid  by  exhibi- 
tors for  his  company's  pictures  if  an  exhibitor  should  prove 
to  the  local  branch  manager  that  what  he  took  in  from  a 
picture  did  not  come  up  to  a  point  that  would  leave  him  a 
fair  profit. 

After  the  Philadelphia  meeting,  some  exhibitors  expressed 
the  feeling  that,  though  his  decision  to  let  the  local  men 
make  adjustments  was  praiseworthy,  what  they  really  needed 
was  fair  contracts  so  that  they  might  not  be  compelled  to 
go  to  the  branch  managers,  hat  in  hand,  to  ask  for  adjust- 
ments, for  they  consider  such  a  procedure  a  humiliation. 

Upon  his  return  from  his  trip,  Mr.  Connors  invited  the 
trade  press  to  a  luncheon  at  the  Hotel  Astor  so  that  we  might 
have  an  opportunity  to  ask  him  questions. 

Naturally  I  grasped  the  opportunity  to  call  Mr.  Connors' 
attention  to  this  grievance  and  asked  him  to  give  me  an 
explanation.  Mr.  Connors  assured  me  that  no  price  is  set  on 
a  theatre  until  the  staff  of  the  local  exchange  takes  all  fac- 
tors into  consideration  and  with  a  view  to  letting  the  exhibi- 
tor make,  not  only  a  good  salary,  but  also  a  good  profit. 

There  are  times,  Mr.  Connors  said,  when  a  film  may  fail 
to  bring  in  the  revenue  contemplated  because  of  some  un- 
forseen  conditions  such  as  those  caused  either  by  the  weather 
or  by  some  unexpected  competition.  In  such  an  event,  the 
local  men  are  always  ready  to  make  a  satisfactory  adjustment. 

I  can  say  this,  that  Mr.  Connors,  during  the  question- 
ing and  answering,  was  very  frank  and  always  willing  to 
reply  candidly  and  to  avoid  sophistry.  The  only  hope  I  have 
is  that  the  local  men  will  carry  out  the  spirit  of  his  wishes  in 
every  detail. 

Even  Willis  Vance,  that  tough  Cincinnati  exhibitor,  who 
publishes  the  Independent  Exhibitors  Forum  bulletin,  had 
something  nice  to  say  about  Mr.  Connors  in  his  May  1  bul- 
letin. He  said  partly: 

"The  charge  of  hoarding  cannot  be  made  against  20th 
Century-Fox.  Although  the  company  has  reduced  the  num- 
ber of  features,  it  has  but  a  reasonable  backlog  of  product. 
The  company  has  undergone  an  extensive  revamping  of  its 
production  department,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  will 
once  more  set  the  producing  wheels  in  motion,  full  speed 
ahead." 


Stating  that  "the  company's  sales  representatives  are  con- 
tinually bickering  with  exhibitors  because  of  the  extremely 
high  allocations  and  terms,"  Mr.  Vance  expressed  the  hope 
that  "perhaps  Mr.  Connors  in  his  travels  has  noted  the 
increasing  dissatisfaction  and  will  realize  that  something  is 
wrong  which  can  and  should  be  corrected  immediately,  not 
by  the  adjustment  method  which  is  embarrasing  and  obliga- 
tory, but  by  pricing  the  product  on  a  fair  live-and-let-live 
basis." 


STEFFES  PLACES  SUCCESS  OF  FIFTH 
WAR  LOAN  ABOVE  HIS  HEALTH 

W.  A.  Steffes,  popularly  known  as  "Al,"  formerly  presi- 
dent of  Allied  Theatre  Owners  of  the  Northwest  and  a 
prominent  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  Allied  States 
Association,  who  several  years  ago  retired  from  organiza- 
tional activities  on  account  of  ill  health,  has  so  regained  his 
health  that  he  has  accepted  the  chairmanship  of  the  Fifth 
War  Loan  Drive  in  the  State  of  Minnesota.  He  was  pre- 
vailed upon  to  accept  this  chairmanship  by  John  J.  Friedl, 
chairman  of  the  War  Activities  Committee  for  the  Minne- 
apolis exchange  area,  who  is  serving  as  Fifth  War  Loan 
Campaign  director. 

Those  who  know  "Al"  feel  confident  that  he  will,  not 
only  reach  the  quota  for  his  territory,  but  exceed  it,  for  he 
is  so  well  liked  that  no  one  serving  under  him  will  want  to 
fall  down  on  the  job. 

Bob  O'Donnell,  National  Chairman,  is  highly  pleased 
that  Steffes  should  have  come  out  of  retirement,  and  attrib- 
utes it  to  the  urgency  of  the  Fifth  War  Loan  Campaign. 
Al  told  him  that  his  health  is  of  secondary  consideration 
to  the  war  effort. 


TOUGH  "PETE"  WOOD  IS  SOFT 

If  any  one  from  among  the  other  side  of  the  fence  thinks 
that  Pete  Wood,  executive  secretary  of  the  Independent 
Theatre  Owners  of  Ohio,  is  all  toughness  and  no  softness, 
he  had  better  revise  his  views.  And  here  is  the  proof : 

"Columbus,  Ohio 
"May  2,  1944 

"Mr.  P.  S.  Harrison 
"Publisher,  Harrison's  Reports 
"New  York,  20,  N.  Y. 
"Dear  Pete: 

"Supplementing  the  article  in  your  issue  of  April  29  in 
which  Mr.  Myers  says  so  many  nice  things  about  Herman 
Robbins  and  George  Dembow,  my  only  comment  is: — 
Agreed! 

"Cordially  yours, 

"P.  J.  Wood,  Secretary 


74 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  6,  1944 


"Follow  the  Leader" 
with  the  East  Side  Kids,  Jack  LaRue 
and  Joan  Marsh 

(Monogram,  June  3;  time,  65  min.) 

A  pretty  good  addition  to  the  "East  Side  Kids"  series  of 
program  comedy-melodramas.  This  time  the  "Kids,"  under 
the  leadership  of  Leo  Gorcey,  solve  a  series  of  warehouse 
robberies,  including  a  murder,  thus  clearing  one  of  their 
pals  who  had  been  unjustly  accused  of  the  crime.  Despite 
a  routine  plot,  it  offers  followers  of  the  series  the  type  of 
exciting  action  and  comedy  that  they  enjoy.  Moreover,  the 
story  has  substantially  more  heart  interest  than  the  stories 
of  the  previous  "Kid"  pictures: — 

Leo  Gorcey  and  Huntz  Hall  return  to  their  neighborhood 
from  an  army  camp,  supposedly  on  a  furlough.  Actually, 
Gorcey  had  been  honorably  discharged  because  of  a  physical 
defect,  but  he  tells  no  one  of  this.  When  Gorcey  learns  that 
Dave  Durand,  a  member  of  his  gang,  was  in  jail,  accused 
of  stealing  medical  supplies  from  a  warehouse  where  he 
worked,  he  decides  to  investigate.  He  notices  that  Billy 
Benedict,  a  new  member  of  the  gang,  had  an  unusual 
amount  of  money  on  his  person.  Shrewdly  boasting  to 
Benedict  that  he  was  dishonorably  discharged  from  the 
army  for  thievery,  Gorcey  gains  the  young  man's  confidence. 
Benedict,  who  was  employed  with  Durand  at  the  warehouse, 
confides  to  Gorcey  that  it  was  he,  not  Durand,  who  was 
responsible  for  the  robberies.  He  reveals  to  Gorcey  that  Jack 
LaRue,  operator  of  a  night-club,  where  Joan  Marsh,  Gorcey's 
sister,  worked  as  a  cigarette  girl,  paid  him  handsomely  for 
the  stolen  goods.  Gabriel  Dell,  one  of  LaRue's  henchmen, 
kills  Benedict  when  he  learns  that  Gorcey  had  been  let  in 
on  the  deal.  After  managing  to  get  a  job  in  the  warehouse, 
Gorcey  contacts  Dell  and  arranges  to  help  him  obtain  more 
stolen  goods.  Actually,  Gorcey  was  working  with  the  Army 
authorities  in  a  secret  plan  to  trap  the  gangsters.  Supported 
by  the  members  of  his  gang,  Gorcey,  with  the  aid  of  Joan 
and  the  police,  captures  the  thugs  as  they  take  valuable 
medical  supplies  into  the  basement  of  LaRue's  night-club. 
Durand  is  cleared  of  suspicion,  and  Gorcey  is  given  a  cita- 
tion by  the  army. 

William  X.  Crowley  and  Beryl  Sachs  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Sam  Katzman  and  Jack  Dietz  produced  it,  and  William 
Beaudine  directed  it.  Barney  Sarecky  was  associate  pro- 
ducer. The  cast  includes  Mary  Gordon,  J.  Farrell  Mac- 
Donald,  Gene  Austin  and  the  Sherrill  Sisters,  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"This  Is  the  Life"  with  Donald  O'Connor, 
Susanna  Foster  and  Peggy  Ryan 

(Universal,  June  2;  time,  87  min.) 

Although  this  is  not  as  good  as  the  last  two  or  three 
comedies  with  music  featuring  Donald  O'Connor,  it  is  a 
satisfactory  entertainment  of  program  grade.  Except  for  a 
few  musical  sequences  in  which  O'Connor  sings  and  dances 
with  Peggy  Ryan  with  their  usual  "jitterbug"  exhuberance, 
his  antics  are  toned  down  considerably  in  his  conventional 
role  of  a  rejected  adolescent  suitor.  He  plays  the  part  well, 
but  one  wishes  that  he  were  given  more  opportunity  to  dis- 
play his  comedy  talents;  it  might  have  relieved  the  tedious- 
ness  of  the  story,  which  lags  considerably  in  spots.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  outside  of  his  occasional  bursts  of  comedy, 
and  of  the  delightful  singing  of  Susanna  Foster,  the  proceed- 
ings are  quite  dull.  Moreover,  its  running  time  is  much  too 
long  for  the  story  it  has  to  tell:- — 

On  her  eighteenth  birthday,  Susanna  Foster,  reared  in  a 
small  New  England  town,  receives  a  modest  inheritance, 
which  enables  her  to  travel  to  New  York  with  her  aunt 
(Dorothy  Peterson),  ostensibly  to  pursue  a  singing  career. 
Actually,  Susanna  wanted  to  visit  Patric  Knowles,  a  dis- 
tinguished army  surgeon,  with  whom  she  had  become  in- 


fatuated during  his  summer  vacation  in  New  England. 
Susanna's  departure  depresses  Donald  O'Connor,  her  child- 
hood friend,  who  had  sensed  her  infatuation  for  Knowles. 
To  comfort  the  love-sick  boy,  Jonathan  Hale,  Donald's 
father,  invents  an  errand  on  which  to  send  him  to  New 
York.  Once  there  Donald  discovers  that  Susanna  had  be- 
come Knowles'  fiancee,  although  it  was  obvious  to  him  that 
Knowles  had  agreed  to  the  engagement  in  a  gallant  effort 
to  humor  her.  When  Donald,  by  chance,  meets  Louise  All- 
bntton,  Knowles'  divorced  wife,  he  surmises  that  she  still 
loved  Knowles  and  decides  to  do  something  about  it.  He 
engineers  a  number  of  "co-incidental"  meetings  between 
the  divorced  couple,  awakening  their  romantic  interest  in 
each  other.  As  a  result,  Susanna  comes  to  the  realization 
that  Louise,  not  she,  was  meant  for  Knowles.  At  a  recital 
arranged  by  Knowles  for  her  formal  debut  as  a  concert 
singer,  Susanna  is  instrumental  in  effecting  a  complete  re 
conciliation  between  Knowles  and  Louise.  Meanwhile  Don- 
ald had  joined  the  army.  Realizing  that  she  really  loved 
Donald,  Susanna  becomes  reunited  with  him  during  a  USO 
show  at  his  camp. 

Wanda  Tuchock  wrote  the  screen  play,  Bernard  Burton 
produced  it,  and  Felix  Feist  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Eddie  Quillan,  Frank  Jenks,  Ray  Eberle  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


"The  Black  Parachute"  with  Larry  Parks, 
John  Carradine  and  Osa  Massen 

(Columbia.  May  4;  time.  66  mm.) 
A  minor  program  war  melodrama,  with  an  appeal  strictly 
for  those  action  fans  who  have  no  regard  for  the  plausibility 
of  a  plot.  Discriminating  audiences,  however,  will  snicker 
at  the  ease  with  which  an  American  newspaperman,  aided 
by  the  "underground,"  disguises  himself  as  a  Nazi  officer 
and  rescues  the  king  of  a  fictitious,  conquered  European 
country.  The  best  that  can  be  said  for  it  is  that  the  action 
moves  along  swiftly,  and  that  it  has  some  tense  moments, 
but  these  are  not  enough  to  overcome  the  mediocrity  of  the 
material: — 

En  route  home  from  the  European  war,  Larry  Parks,  an 
American  newspaperman,  is  prevailed  upon  by  two  "under- 
ground" patriots  to  fly  to  a  balkan  kingdom  to  rescue  their 
ground"  patriots  to  fly  to  a  Balkan  kingdom  to  rescue  their 
king  (Jonathan  Hale),  who  had  been  taken  captive  by  the 
Nazis.  Parks  flies  to  the  kingdom  and  bails  out  of  the  plane. 
He  lands  near  a  guerilla  stronghold,  and  makes  contact  with 
the  "underground."  When  a  Nazi  detachment  attacks  the 
guerillas  in  a  mountain  fight,  Parks  kills  a  German  officer, 
dons  his  uniform,  and  makes  his  way  to  the  castle  where 
the  king  was  held.  There  John  Carradine,  the  commanding 
Nazi  general,  mistakes  Parks  for  the  dead  German  officer, 
who  had  been  used  by  the  Nazis  to  impersonate  the  voice 
of  the  king  in  broadcasts  to  the  people.  Osa  Massen,  Car- 
radine's  favorite  and  a  "Quisling,"  suspects  Parks.  She 
gains  his  confidence  by  leading  him  to  believe  that  she  was 
a  patriot.  Through  Jaen  Bates,  daughter  of  the  "under- 
ground" leader,  Parks  sends  the  guerillas  information  that 
aids  them  to  effect  the  rescue  of  the  king.  Meanwhile  Car- 
radine discovers  that  Parks  is  an  imposter  and  throws  him 
into  a  cell.  Osa  frees  Parks  and  urges  him  to  take  her  to  the 
hideout  where  the  guerillas  had  taken  the  king.  Parks  dis- 
covers too  late  that  Osa  had  been  leading  Caradine  and  his 
soldiers  to  the  hideout.  The  guerillas,  however,  kill  Osa  and 
spirit  Parks  and  the  king  out  of  the  country  before  the 
Nazis  can  stop  them.  Setting  up  a  government-in-exile,  the 
king  broadcasts  to  his  subjects  and  urges  them  to  resist  the 
Nazis. 

Clarence  Upson  Young  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jack  Fier 
produced  it,  and  Lew  Landers  directed  it. 
Morally  unobjectionable. 


May  6,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


75 


"Pardon  My  Rhythm"  with  Gloria  Jean, 
Patric  Knowles  and  Mar jorie  Weaver 

(Universal,  May  19;  time,  61  min.) 

This  latest  comedy  with  music  to  come  off  the  Universal 
assembly-line  should  get  by  as  a  supporting  feature  in  neigh- 
borhood and  small-town  theatres;  it  should  appeal  particu- 
larly to  young  folk.  The  story  itself  is  unimportant,  but  it 
has  comedy  of  the  farcical  type,  romantic  interludes,  and 
peppy  music  of  the  popular  variety.  Gloria  Jean,  now  a 
charming  'teen-aged  miss,  shows  marked  improvement  in  her 
acting  ability,  and  continues  to  please  with  her  delightful 
singing.  Bob  Crosby  and  his  orchestra  furnish  the  music: — 

Gloria  Jean,  singer  with  a  juvenile  swing  band  that  was 
competing  in  a  national  band  contest,  brings  the  youngsters 
to  her  home  for  rehearsals.  The  band  pinned  its  hopes  of 
winning  the  contest  on  Mel  Torme,  Gloria's  sweetheart,  who 
was  an  expert  drummer.  On  the  day  of  the  state  finals,  Bob 
Crosby,  one  of  the  judges,  becomes  impressed  with  Torme's 
virtuosity.  The  band  wins  the  contest,  and  Crosby,  seeking 
Torme's  services  at  a  nominal  salary,  arranges  with  Mar- 
jorie  Weaver,  his  girl-friend  and  vocalist,  to  lure  the  young 
man  into  signing  a  contract.  Lest  Torme  leave  the  youngsters 
and  hurt  their  chances  of  winning  the  contest,  Gloria  ap- 
peals to  Patric  Knowles,  her  father  and  successful  play- 
wright, to  woo  Marjorie  away  from  Torme,  and  thus  dis- 
suade him  from  joining  Crosby's  orchestra.  Knowles  reluc- 
tantly agrees  to  the  scheme  because  of  Evelyn  Ankers,  his 
fiancee.  By  evincing  an  interest  in  Marjorie's  acting  ambi- 
tions, Knowles  makes  her  forget,  not  only  Torme,  but  also 
Crosby.  Complications  arise  when  Marjorie  resigns  as  vo- 
calist with  Crosby's  band,  and  Torme,  peeved  because  Mar- 
jorie had  thrown  him  over  for  Knowles,  rejects  the  contract 
offered  to  him  by  Crosby  and  refuses  to  play  with  the 
youngsters  in  the  national  finals.  To  complicate  matters 
further,  Evelyn  misunderstands  when  she  comes  upon  Mar- 
jorie and  Knowles  rehearsing  a  torrid  love  scene  from  one 
of  his  plays.  After  a  series  of  mixups  Gloria,  at  the  last 
moment,  induces  Torme  to  take  his  place  with  the  young- 
sters, thus  enabling  them  to  win  the  national  finals.  Knowles 
and  Evelyn  become  reconciled,  and  Marjorie  resumes  her 
career  with  Crosby's  band. 

Val  Burton  and  Eugene  Conrad  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Bernard  W.  Burton  produced  it,  and  Felix  E.  Feist  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Walter  Catlett,  Patsy  O'Connor  and 
others. 

Morally  unobjectionable. 


"Shake  Hands  with  Murder" 
with  Iris  Adrian,  Frank  Jenks  and 
Douglas  Fowley 

(PRC,  April  22;  time,  63  min.) 

An  entertaining  murder  mystery  melodrama,  with  com- 
edy. The  plot  is  far-fetched  and  even  silly;  but,  since  the 
action  moves  along  at  a  fast  pace,  and  the  situations  are  at 
times  quite  comical,  the  picture  should  serve  its  purpose 
well  enough  as  a  suitable  filler  in  double-feature  programs. 
The  spectators'  attention  is  held  fairly  well,  for  the  identity 
of  the  murderer  is  not  divulged  until  the  end.  The  perform- 
ances are  engaging, and  the  production  values  fairly  good: — 

When  Douglas  Fowley,  an  investment  company  execu- 
tive indicted  on  a  charge  of  embezzlement,  disappears,  Iris 
Adrian,  co-owner  of  a  bail  bond  business,  becomes  con- 
cerned; her  partner,  Frank  Jenks,  had  used  all  their  money 
to  bail  Fowley  out  of  jail.  To  save  her  firm  from  bank- 
ruptcy, Iris  decides  to  find  Fowley,  turn  him  over  to  the 
police,  and  cancel  the  bail  bond  as  a  bad  risk.  Added  to 
Iris'  woes  was  the  fact  that  Fowley's  employer  (Herbert 
Rawlinson)  had  been  found  murdered,  and  the  police  sus- 
pected Fowley  of  the  crime.  Iris  catches  up  with  Fowley  at 
Rawlinson's  mountain  lodge.  He  convinces  her  of  his  in- 


nocence and  induces  her  to  help  him  search  for  the  securi- 
ties he  was  accused  of  stealing;  Fowley  believed  that  they 
were  hidden  in  the  lodge.  After  a  thorough  search,  they  find 
the  securities  hidden  in  a  secret  wall  compartment  that  had 
been  rigged  up  as  a  booby  trap;  the  opening  of  the  com- 
partment automatically  set  off  a  hidden  gun  pointed  at  the 
person  opening  the  secret  panel.  Fowley  barely  escapes  being 
shot.  Convinced  that  a  member  of  his  firm's  board  of  direc- 
tors was  the  thief  and  murderer,  Fowley  tricks  the  board 
members  into  coming  to  the  lodge.  He  asks  them  one  by  one 
to  open  the  compartment,  telling  them  that  the  missing 
securities  were  hidden  within.  All  are  willing  to  open  it, 
except  Stan  Jolley,  who  reveals  himself  as  the  guilty  per- 
son. Jolley  draws  a  gun  and  threatens  to  shoot  Fowley,  but 
Iris,  who  had  been  hiding,  distracts  his  attention,  enabling 
Fowley  to  subdue  him.  Iris  saves  her  investment,  and  wins 
Fowley  as  a  husband. 

John  T.  Neville  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Donald  C. 
McKean  and  Albert  Herman  produced  it.  Mr.  Herman  di- 
rected it. 

Morally  unobjectionable. 

"Three  Men  in  White" 
with  Lionel  Barrymore,  Van  Johnson, 
Keye  Luke  and  Marilyn  Maxwell 

(MGM,  June;  time,  85  min.) 
Followers  of  the  "Dr.  Gillespie"  pictures  should  find  this 
latest  in  the  series  a  very  satisfactory  entertainment,  for  it 
is  a  pleasing  blend  of  heart  interest,  comedy,  and  romance, 
despite  the  familiarity  of  the  material.  The  story  is  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  friendly  rivalry  between  Barrymore's  two 
assistant  internes,  and  of  Barrymore's  problem  in  selecting 
one  of  them  as  this  sole  assistant.  There  is  plentiful  comedy 
throughout;  the  laughter  is  provoked  mainly  by  Barry- 
more's roguishness,  and  by  his  constant  feuding  with  the 
hospital  staff : — 

Faced  with  the  problem  of  choosing  either  Van  Johnson 
or  Keye  Luke  as  his  permanent  assistant,  Lionel  Barrymore, 
head  doctor  of  Blair  Hospital,  decides  to  give  each  interne 
a  difficult  medical  case  so  as  to  select  the  one  that  showed 
the  better  judgment.  Luke  is  assigned  to  diagnose  and  cure 
the  illness  of  a  little  girl,  who  suffered  convulsions  because 
of  a  sugar  allergy.  Meanwhile  Johnson  meets  Ava  Gardner, 
apparently  intoxicated,  and  brings  her  to  the  hospital  for 
treatment.  He  discovers  that  the  girl  had  been  drugged. 
Ava,  however,  refuses  to  reveal  her  identity,  and  leaves  the 
hospital.  Sensing  something  wrong,  Johnson  investigates  the 
girl  and  discovers  that  she  had  broken  her  engagement  to 
the  boy  she  loved,  in  order  to  be  with  her  crippled  mother, 
a  victim  of  incurable  arthritis.  Johnson  chooses  Ava's  mother 
as  his  test  case.  Luke,  aided  by  hints  from  Barrymore,  makes 
fine  progress  with  his  case,  but  Johnson  is  unsuccessful  in 
his  efforts  to  help  Ava's  mother.  Through  a  friendly  tip 
from  Luke,  Johnson  learns  that  his  patient's  legs  are  of 
uneven  length,  and  that  specially  constructed  shoes  would 
relieve  her  pain  and  permit  her  to  walk  and  take  care 
of  herself,  even  though  her  ailment  could  not  be  cured. 
One  the  day  set  for  Barrymore  to  choose  his  assistant,  John- 
son disappears  from  the  hospital,  and  leaves  Barrymore  a 
note  stating  that  Luke  is  the  better  man  for  the  post.  John- 
son was  unaware  of  the  fact  that  Barrymore,  to  retain  both 
of  his  proteges,  had  arranged  for  Luke's  appointment  as  a 
lieutenant  in  the  Chinese  Medical  Corps,  to  be  assigned  to 
him  for  research  work.  With  the  aid  of  Marilyn  Maxwell, 
a  rich  social  worker  who  loved  Johnson,  Barrymore,  to- 
gether with  members  of  the  hospital  staff,  prevents  Johnson 
from  leaving  town  and  brings  him  back  to  the  hospital. 

Martin  Berkely  and  Harry  Ruskin  wrote  the  screen  play, 
and  Willis  Goldbeck  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Alma 
Kruger,  "Rags"  Raglund,  Nell  Craig,  Walter  Kingsford, 
and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


76 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  6,  1944 


THE  NEW  TAX  ON  AMUSEMENTS 
OPPRESSIVE 

Part  of  a  news  item  that  has  appeared  in  the  Thursday, 
May  4,  issue  of  the  New  York  Times  reads  as  follows: 

"Attendance  at  legitimate  theatrical  productions  has  been 
on  the  decline  since  April  1,  when  the  Federal  admission 
tax  jumped  from  10  to  20  per  cent,  and  theatre  managers 
believe  the  tax  increase  is  responsible,  Lee  Shubert,  pro- 
ducer and  theatre  operator,  said  yesterday.  All  but  the 
smash  hits  have  felt  the  slump,  he  said  .  .  . 

"Meyer  Davis,  band  leader  and  an  investor  in  legitimate 
shows,  in  an  interview  yesterday,  described  the  tax  in- 
crease  as  'destructive'  and  predicted  that  it  would  force  the 
closing  of  at  least  ten  legitimate  shows  within  the  next  few 
weeks.  He  said  that  one  large  booking  agency  had  advised 
him  that  theatre  attendance  last  Monday,  a  balmy  spring 
evening,  was  the  lowest  Monday  night  in  years  .  .  ." 

The  Times  said  that  night  clubs  and  cabarets  have  been 
hit  by  the  new  tax  schedule,  which  is  30%,  harder  than 
the  theatres. 

It  seems  too  early  yet  to  evaluate  the  effect  the  20%  tax 
has  had  on  picture  theatres,  but  organization  leaders  should 
begin  gathering  the  necessary  information  so  that,  if  the 
added  tax  has  hit  the  picture  theatres  hard,  they  may  join 
forces  with  the  theatrical  and  night  club  leaders  for  im' 
mediate  action  by  Congress.  A  tax  is  put  on  business  for 
revenue;  but,  when  the  revenue  derived  from  a  new  tax 
schedule  is  less  than  the  intake  under  the  old  tax  schedule, 
such  a  tax  should  be  modified. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  Allied  States  Association  is  an 
exhibitor  organization  with  the  largest  independent  exhib- 
itor membership,  you  should  send  your  facts  either  to  Mr. 
Martin  Smith,  president  of  the  organization,  at  519  Main 
Street,  Toledo  5,  Ohio,  or  to  Mr.  Abram  F.  Myers,  general 
counsel,  at  729  Fifteenth  Street,  N.  W.  Washington,  D.  C. 
The  voice  of  these  leaders,  joined  with  the  voice  of  every 
regional  organization  not  affiliated  with  Allied  States, 
should  exert  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  councils  of  those 
who  may  attempt  the  modification  of  the  tax. 


"The  Adventures  of  Mark  Twain" 
with  Fredric  March  and  Alexis  Smith 

(Warner  Bros.,  no  national  release  date;  time,  130  min.) 

Warner  Brothers  deserves  praise  for  the  intelligent  and 
sincere  way  in  which  they  have  presented  the  story  of 
Samuel  Clemens,  better  known  as  Mark  Twain,  one  of 
America's  greatest  humorists.  It  is  an  excellently  produced, 
heart-warming  human-interest  drama,  well  acted  and  di- 
rected. Frederic  March  portrays  Twain  with  deep  under- 
standing. The  picture's  appeal,  however,  will  be  directed 
chiefly  to  the  high-brows,  who  have  read  Mark  Twain's 
works  and  love  them,  and  not  to  the  rank  and  file,  for  the 
action  is  slow  and  the  story,  which  is  episodic,  is  told  mostly 
by  dialogue.  The  story  takes  in  the  seventy-five  years  span 
of  Twain's  life  and  covers  his  adventures  as  an  imaginative 
youngster,  river  pilot,  humorist,  author,  and  his  experiences 
as  a  gold  miner  and  a  publisher.  The  romance  between 
Twain  and  his  wife,  before  and  after  their  marriage,  is  ap- 
pealing. The  film  is  replete  with  humorous  incidents,  many 
of  which  are  well  known  to  the  American  public. 

The  story  opens  with  Twain's  birth  in  1835  as  Halley's 
Comet  flashes  across  the  heavens.  Except  for  an  extraordi- 
nary imagination,  Twain  showed  no  sign  of  his  coming 
greatness  during  his  boyhood  days  in  Hannibal,  Mo.,  with 
his  boon  companions,  Tom  Sawyer  and  Huckelberry  Finn. 
Always  fascinated  by  the  Mississippi  River,  Twain,  in  his 
early  youth,  becomes  a  cub  pilot  and  studies  the  river's 
every  whim.  He  becomes  a  full-fledged  pilot  in  later  years 
and,  on  one  of  his  trips,  makes  the  acquaintance  of  Charles 
Langdon  (Bill  Henry),  a  wealthy  young  man,  by  restoring 
to  him  personal  possessions  that  had  been  stolen  by  a  pick- 
pocket, among  which  was  a  photograph  of  Olivia  Langdon 
(Alexis  Smith),  Charles'  sister.  Twain  determines  to  make 


her  his  bride.  To  acquire  the  wealth  he  felt  was  necessary 
to  approach  Olivia,  Twain  goes  West  in  search  of  gold.  He 
is  unsuccessful  as  a  miner,  but  his  luck  changes  when  he 
becomes  a  newspaper  reporter  in  Virginia  City,  Nevada, 
where  he  writes  the  story  of  a  frog-jumping  contest,  in  which 
he  had  participated.  The  story,  published  in  every  news- 
paper in  the  country,  wins  the  public's  fancy  and  launches 
Twain  on  his  literary  career.  He  gains  fame  as  a  humorist 
and,  at  a  lecture,  meets  Olivia.  He  pursues  her  and  succeeds 
in  making  her  his  bride,  despite  the  opposition  of  her 
family.  Spurred  on  by  Olivia,  Twain  writes  some  of  his 
most  famous  stories.  His  writings  bring  him  great  wealth. 
He  finances  an  automatic  typesetter,  which  fails  to  work, 
and  founds  a  publishing  house,  which  he  operates  in  an 
unbusinesslike  manner.  Both  ventures  lead  him  into  bank- 
ruptcy. To  pay  his  creditors,  Twain,  now  an  aging  man, 
embarks  on  a  lecture  tour  of  the  world  and  succeeds  in 
liquidating  his  debt.  Shortly  thereafter,  Olivia  dies,  and 
Twain  reaches  the  apex  of  his  career  when  Oxford  Univer- 
sity confers  on  him  an  honorary  degree.  Bedridden,  Twain 
dies  in  1910  in  his  Stormfield,  Conn.,  home,  just  as  Halley's 
comet  streams  across  the  sky. 

Alan  LeMay  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jesse  L.  Lasky  pro- 
duced it,  and  Irving  Rappier  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Donald  Crisp,  Alan  Hale,  C.  Aubrey  Smith,  John  Carra- 
dine,  Percy  Kilbride  and  many  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Allergic  to  Love"  with  Martha  O'Driscoll, 
Noah  Beery,  Jr.  and  David  Bruce 

(Universal,  no  release  date  set,  time,  65  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  program  comedy-farce.  The 
story  itself  is  familiar  and  at  times  silly,  but  it  has  been 
given  a  few  novel  twists  and  there  are  several  situations 
that  provoke  considerable  laughter.  And,  since  the  action 
is  kept  moving  at  a  steady  pace,  one's  interest  does  not  lag. 
Like  most  comedies  of  this  type,  the  story  does  not  have 
much  human  appeal;  nor  are  the  actions  of  the  characters 
such  as  to  awaken  the  spectator's  sympathy.  The  perform- 
ances are,  however,  satisfactory: — 

The  romantic  ups-and-downs  of  Martha  O'Driscoll,  whose 
father  owned  a  motor  company,  and  of  Noah  Beery,  Jr., 
whose  father  owned  an  airplane  company,  cause  the  stock 
of  both  companies  to  either  rise  or  drop,  because  of  the 
public's  interest  in  the  possible  amalgamation  of  the  two 
companies.  Ignoring  the  elaborate  plans  that  had  been  made 
for  their  wedding,  the  young  couple  elope.  David  Bruce,  a 
young  physician  and  fraternity  brother  of  Beery's,  witnesses 
their  marriage.  On  the  following  day,  Martha  and  Beery 
accompany  Bruce  to  a  boat  to  see  him  off  on  a  trip  to  South 
America.  The  newlyweds  suddenly  decide  to  remain  aboard 
the  boat  and  make  the  cruise  their  honeymoon.  Bruce,  to 
celebrate  their  decision,  visit  the  ship's  store  and  buys  a 
bottle  of  perfume  for  Martha  and  a  shaving  kit  for  Beery. 
Shortly  after  sailing,  Martha  suffers  severe  sneezing  attacks, 
which  recur  whenever  Beery  is  near  her.  As  long  as  she 
and  Beery  are  separated,  Martha  remains  free  of  the  at- 
tacks. In  Rio  de  Janeiro  Bruce  suggests  that  Martha  accom- 
pany him  to  a  sanitarium  in  Buenos  Aires  that  specialized 
in  allergies.  Beery,  unable  to  accompany  her  because  of 
business  reasons,  reluctantly  permits  her  to  go.  Rumors  that 
Martha  had  left  him  for  Bruce  rouses  Beery's  jealousy.  He 
rushes  to  Buenos  Aires,  quarrels  with  Martha,  and  threatens 
to  divorce  her.  His  presence  causes  a  recurrence  of  Martha's 
sneezing  attacks.  Through  a  subtle  ruse,  Martha  lures  Beery 
to  another  sanitarium,  where  Bruce  and  other  doctors  sub- 
ject him  to  many  tests  in  an  unsuccessful  effort  to  learn  the 
cause  of  Martha's  allergy.  By  accident,  Martha  herself  dis- 
covers that  the  shaving  soap  Bruce  had  presented  to  Beery 
was  the  cause  of  her  spells.  The  young  couple  become  recon- 
ciled, and  Beery  vows  never  to  shave. 

Warren  Wilson  wrote  the  screen  play  and  produced  it. 
Edward  Lilley  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Franklin  Pang- 
born,  Maxie  Rosenbloom,  Fuzzy  Knight,  Henry  Armetta 
and  others. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  R™t™1R19  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  Room  ioi«  Publisher 

Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  p.  s.  Harrison,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain   16.50  A  MoUon  pjcture  Reviewing  Service 

ureat  Britain  ............  ±o.<o  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

Australia,  New  Zealand,     

India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      Jtg  EdUorial  policy.  No  problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

35c  a  Copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  MAY  13,  1944 


No.  20 


A  GET-RICH-QUICK  POLICY 


I  have  received  from  an  out-of-town  exhibitor  for 
comment  the  following  letter,  which  was  sent  by  Rube 
Jackter,  Columbia's  Assistant  Sales  Manager,  to  all 
Columbia  branch  managers: 

"COLUMBIA  PICTURES  CORPORATION 
"729  Seventh  Avenue 
"New  York,  N.  Y. 

(Name  and  address  omitted)        "May  1st,  1944 

"By  this  time  you  have  already  been  advised  of  our 
plans  to  improve  our  income  on  'Cover  Girl.'  In  every 
situation  where  'Cover  Girl1  is  played  flat  rental,  we 
have  asked  you  to  improve  the  playing  time  on  a 
100%  pro-rata  basis. 

"However,  as  we  continue  to  see  the  sensational 
business  'Cover  Girl'  is  doing,  it  becomes  more  and 
more  evident  that  our  present  flat  rental  terms  fall 
far  short  of  what  we  should  be  receiving  on  this  pro- 
duction. 

"Therefore,  in  order  to  come  closer  to  what  we 
are  entitled  to  get  from  'Cover  GuT  where  it  has 
been  sold  on  a  flat  rental  basis,  we  are  asking  you  to 
secure  25%  more  on  this  picture  than  you  received 
on  'The  More  the  Merrier1  out  of  your  total  number 
of  flat  rental  situations. 

"What  we  want  you  to  do  immediately  is  to  set  up 
from  your  records  a  list  of  the  rentals  received  from 
every  flat  rental  account  in  your  office  on  'The  More 
the  Merrier,'  and  then  add  25%  to  that  rental.  This 
will  be  the  basis  for  reaching  your  quota  in  the  flat 
rental  situations  on  'Cover  Girl.'' 

"We  are  not  particularly  concerned  whether  you 
get  this  increase  in  each  situation  or  whether  you  get 
it  on  an  over-all  basis  in  increased  rentals,  increased 
playing  time  or  additional  runs  in  the  flat  rental  situa- 
tions. Our  main  interest  is  that  you  reach  the  new 
quota  set  up  for  'Cover  Girl1  in  the  flat  rental  spots. 

"Will  you  please  confirm  your  understanding  of 
the  above,  and  go  over  this  plan  immediately  with 
your  organisation.  Also,  will  you  please  send  us  a 
report  every  two  weeks  on  the  progress  your  office  is 
making  in  this  direction. 

"Kind  personal  regards. 

"Sincerely  yours, 
"Rube  Jackter 

"Asst.  Sales  Manager" 

For  reasons  well  understood,  I  have  omitted  the 
name  and  address  of  the  branch  manager  as  well  as  of 
the  exhibitor  so  as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any 
consequences. 


In  order  that  you  may  realize  the  full  significance 
of  Columbia's  ruthlessness  in  this  matter,  let  me  re- 
mind you  that  "Cover  Girl"  is  one  of  the  three  Rita 
Hayworth  pictures  that  Columbia  failed  to  deliver  to 
its  1942-43  contract-holders,  but  sold  to  its  1943-44 
customers.  The  three  Rita  Hayworth  pictures  were, 
as  most  of  you  know,  part  of  the  nine  top  productions 
Columbia  promised  but  failed  to  deliver  in  the  1942- 
43  season. 

After  failing  to  keep  its  promises,  and  after  selling 
"Cover  Girl"  to  many  exhibitors  twice,  Columbia 
now  comes  along  and  seeks  to  mulct  them  by  instruct- 
ing its  salesmen  to  add  25%  to  what  these  exhibitors 
paid  for  "The  More  the  Merrier,"  its  best  production 
for  1942-43. 

And  Columbia  does  not  care  what  methods  its 
salesmen  employ  to  exact  the  increased  rental  out  of 
the  exhibitor.  Read  again  the  fifth  paragraph  of  the 
Jackter  letter,  and  you  will  be  convinced  of  the  fact : 
We  are  not  particularly  concerned  whether  you 
get  this  increase  in  each  situation  or  whether  you 
get  it  on  an  over-all  basis  in  increased  rentals,  in- 
creased playing  time  or  additional  runs  in  the  flat 
rental  situations.  Our  main  interest  is  that  you 
reach  the  new  quota  set  up  for  'Cover  Girl'  in  the 
flat  rental  spots. 

In  other  words,  the  salesmen  have  been  told  in  ef- 
fect :  "You  must  meet  that  new  quota,  and  we  don't 
give  a  darn  what  methods  you  use  to  meet  it." 

The  following  is  what  might  happen.  If  your  neigh- 
boring exhibitor  should  be  a  tough  one  and  in  a  posi- 
tion to  resist  the  salesman's  demands,  the  salesman 
will  concentrate  on  you  in  an  effort  to  wear  you  down 
until  you  become  so  weary  that  you  are  willing  to 
pay,  not  only  the  25%  increase  allocated  to  you,  but 
also  the  25%  increase  that  he  failed  to  obtain  from 
your  neighbor.  Hence,  instead  of  paying  25%  more 
than  you  paid  for  "The  More  the  Merrier,"  you 
might  be  made  to  pay  anywhere  from  50%  to  100%, 
and  even  more,  the  percentage  depending  on  how 
many  of  your  neighbors  were  in  a  position  to  resist 
the  salesman's  demands. 

And  that  is  not  all :  the  instructions  from  the  home 
office  are  so  broad  that  they  give  to  the  salesmen  an 
opportunity  to  play  favorites.  For  example,  if  your 
past  relations  with  a  particular  salesman  had  been 
marred  by  disputes,  or  if  he  doesn't  like  the  color  of 
your  necktie,  there  is  no  telling  how  far  he  will  go 
in  his  demands. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


78 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  13,  1944 


"Between  Two  Worlds"  with  John  Garfield, 
Sydney  Greenstreet  and  Paul  Henreid 

(Warner  Bros.,  May  20;  time,  1  12  mm.) 

This  story  was  produced  in  1931  under  the  title, 
"Outward  Bound,"  which  was  taken  from  the  Sut- 
ton'Vane  stage  play,  which  created  a  sensation  when 
it  was  first  presented  in  London.  Because  "Outward 
Bound"  was  produced  when  all-talking  pictures  were 
still  new,  it  impressed  the  picture  critics  as  heing  a 
fine  picture,  and  one  out  of  the  ordinary.  Yet  it  made 
a  box-office  failure.  Before  showing  "Between  Two 
Worlds"  to  the  reviewers,  the  Warner  Bros.,  public 
ity  staff  showed  them  "Outward  Bound"  first,  and 
then  "Between  Two  Worlds,"  so  as  to  give  them  a 
chance  to  see  the  progress  of  the  art.  It  seems  as 
though  those  critics  who  had  seen  "Outward  Bound" 
in  1931  had  to  confess  that,  from  the  present  day 
point  of  view,  the  picture  did  not  appeal  to  them  as 
it  did  in  1931.  And  "Between  Two  Worlds,"  despite 
the  progress  of  the  technique,  is  not  any  better — 
worse  in  some  respects.  "Outward  Bound"  proved  a 
box-office  failure,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  new 
version  will  fare  better,  despite  its  artistry,  for  the 
reason  that  those  who  seek  to  be  entertained  by  pic- 
tures do  not  relish  seeing  pictures  in  which  the  char- 
acters are  dead  people.  It  is  true  that  two  pictures 
dealing  with  dead  people  have  made  a  box-office  suc- 
cess, but  both  these  have  been  comedies,  whereas 
"Between  Two  Worlds"  is  a  serious,  and  rather  de- 
pressing, picture. 

The  story  deals  with  people  who  find  themselves 
on  a  fog-shrouded  boat  going  to  an  undisclosed  des- 
tination, and  who  eventually  come  to  the  realization 
that  they  are  dead.  Most  of  them  had  taken  their  own 
lives.  Two  of  the  newcomers,  a  young  boy  and  a 
young  girl,  are  desperately  in  love  with  each  other; 
they  had  committed  suicide  by  gas.  But  while  they 
were  on  the  boat,  those  in  life  had  notified  the  police 
about  their  suicide,  and  firemen  with  pulmotors 
rushed  to  the  scene.  Fresh  air  was  let  into  the  room 
by  a  window  which  had  been  broken  accidentally, 
and  the  firemen  were  able,  by  the  use  of  the  pul- 
motors to  bring  the  young  couple  back  to  life. 

The  alterations  of  the  original  play  have  not  been 
radical. 

The  picture  was  produced  by  Mark  Hellinger  and 
directed  by  Edward  A.  Blatt  from  a  screen  play  by 
Daniel  Fuchs*  The  cast  includes  George  Tobias, 
George  Coulouris,  Edmund  Gwenn,  Faye  Emerson, 
Eleanor  Parker  and  others. 

There  are  no  objectionable  situations  in  it,  but  it 
is  hardly  a  picture  for  children  under  15. 


"Gaslight"  with  Ingrid  Bergman, 
Charles  Boyer,  and  Joseph  Cotten 

(MGM,  May;  time,  114  min,) 
An  excellent  psychological  thriller;  it  will  appeal  to 
the  intelligentsia  because  of  the  fine  direction  and  act- 
ing, and  to  the  rank  and  file  because  of  the  sustained 
suspense  and  the  general  tenseness  of  the  story.  Based 
on  Patrick  Hamilton's  stage  play,  which  is  currently 
playing  on  Broadway  under  the  title  of  "Angel 
Street,"  the  story  revolves  around  a  fiendish  criminal 
who,  under  the  guise  of  kindliness,  tries  to  drive  his 
wife  insane  in  an  effort  to  prevent  detection  of  a 
murder  he  had  committed  years  previously,  and  to 
obtain  a  fortune  in  hidden  jewels.  The  mood  of  the 
story  is  one  of  brooding  terror  and  cumulative  sus- 


pense, in  which  Miss  Bergman's  resistance  is  gradually 
worn  down  as  Boyer,  by  accusing  her  of  petty  mis- 
deeds, which  he  had  pre-arranged  himself,  slowly  tor- 
tures her  and  convinces  her  that  she  is  really  losing 
her  mind.  The  manner  in  which  Joseph  Cotten,  as  a 
detective,  tracks  down  Boyer  leads  up  to  an  exciting 
climax.  The  action  takes  place  in  England,  during  the 
Victorian  period,  and  the  production  values  are  first 
rate : — 

At  the  request  of  Charles  Boyer,  her  husband,  whom 
she  had  just  married,  Ingrid  Bergman  opens  her  Lon- 
don home,  which  had  been  left  to  her  by  her  aunt,  a 
famous  singer,  who  had  been  murdered  mysteriously 
twenty  years  previously.  The  house  had  been  closed 
since  her  death.  Within  a  few  months  after  their  mar- 
riage, Ingrid  becomes  frightened  and  concerned  over 
the  actions  of  Boyer.  He  constantly  nags  her,  accuses 
her  of  things  she  docs  not  remember  doing,  and  uses 
different  devices  to  lead  her  to  believe  that  her  mind 
was  failing.  Life  becomes  intolerable  for  Ingrid  when 
Boyer  disgraces  her  publicly  by  accusing  her  of  steal' 
ing  his  watch  while  both  were  attending  a  smart  Lon- 
don musicale.  Ingrid's  hysteria  is  noticed  by  Joseph 
Cotten,  a  young  Scotland  Yard  detective,  who,  in  his 
boyhood  days,  had  been  a  great  admirer  of  Ingnd's 
aunt.  Cotten,  who  had  his  own  theories  about  the 
famous  singer's  unsolved  murder,  quietly  investigates 
Ingrid's  peculiar  behavior  and  learns  of  Boyer's  at- 
tempts to  drive  her  insane.  Keeping  a  careful  check  on 
Boyer's  movements,  Cotten  gains  entrance  into  the 
house  one  evening  while  Boyer  was  absent.  He  wins 
Ingrid's  confidence  and  assures  her  that  she  was  not 
going  mad  but  that  she  was  the  victim  of  a  diabolical 
plot  by  which  Boyer  hoped  to  dispose  of  her  by  slowly 
driving  her  insane  and  committing  her  to  an  institu- 
tion, thus  gaining  for  himself  a  free  hand  to  search 
the  house  thoroughly  for  her  dead  aunt's  hidden 
jewels,  a  fortune  Ingrid  knew  nothing  about.  After 
rifling  Boyer's  desk  and  discovering  evidence  that 
definitely  identifies  him  as  the  murderer  of  Ingrid's 
aunt,  Cotten  traps  Boyer  in  the  attic  of  the  house  and 
exacts  from  him  a  confession  of  the  crime. 

John  Van  Druten,  Walter  Reisch  and  John  L.  Bal- 
derston  wrote  the  screen  play,  Arthur  Hornblow,  Jr., 
produced  it,  and  George  Cukor  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Dame  Mae  Whitty,  Angela  Lansbury,  Bar- 
bara Everest  and  others.  Adult  entertainment. 


"The  Scarlet  Claw"  with  Basil  Rathbone 
and  Nigel  Bruce 

(Universal,  May  26;  time,  75  min.) 

A  fair  addition  to  Universale  series  of  mystery 
melodramas  based  on  the  adventures  of  "Sherlock 
Holmes";  it  should  have  no  trouble  satisfying  as  a  sup- 
porting feature.  This  time  "Holmes"  uses  his  amazing 
powers  of  deduction  to  unravel  several  murders  com' 
mitted  by  a  mystic  killer,  a  ghostly  monster  who  runs 
amok  on  the  Canadian  marshes  and  terrifies  the  na- 
tives of  a  French-Canadian  village.  Like  most  of  the 
stories  in  the  series,  this  one,  too,  is  far-fetched,  but 
it  has  enough  action  and  suspense  to  sustain  one's 
interest  all  the  way  through : — 

The  reappearance  on  the  fog-shrouded  Canadian 
marshes  of  the  legendary  monster  of  La  Morte  Rouge, 
a  village  near  Quebec,  frightens  the  townspeople.  At 
a  meeting  of  the  Royal  Canadian  Occult  Society,  in 
Quebec,  Paul  Cavanaugh,  an  English  nobleman,  who 
lived  in  the  village,  is  unable  to  convince  Sherlock 
Holmes  (Basil  Rathbone)  that  psychic  phenomena 


May  13,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


79 


was  the  basis  of  the  crimes  committed  by  the  murder- 
ous apparition.  In  the  midst  of  the  meeting,  word  ar- 
rives  that  Cavanaugh's  wife  had  been  murdered  by 
the  "monster."  Holmes,  together  with  Dr.  Watson 
(Nigel  Bruce) ,  his  friend,  goes  to  La  Morte  Rouge  to 
investigate.  He  searches  the  treacherous  marshes  and 
narrowly  escapes  death  at  the  "monster's"  hands,  him- 
self. He  manages,  however,  to  obtain  a  clue  that  con- 
vinces him  that  the  monster  was  one  of  the  towns- 
people in  disguise.  Through  further  investigation 
Holmes  establishes  that  the  killer  was  a  paranoiac  ex- 
actor, an  escaped  murderer,  who  sought  vengeance  on 
a  group  of  people  connected  with  his  conviction, 
among  whom  was  Cavanaugh's  wife,  who  had  been  a 
former  actress.  After  several  subsequent  killings, 
Holmes  succeeds  in  trapping  the  murderer  and  rid- 
ding the  townspeople  of  their  fears. 

Edmund  L.  Hartman  and  Roy  William  Neill  wrote 
the  screen  play,  and  Mr.  Neill  produced  and  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Arthur  Hohl,  Lou  Harding,  Miles 
Mander  and  others.  Morally  unobjectionable. 


A  POLICY  OTHER  DISTRIBUTORS 
SHOULD  EMULATE 

Under  the  heading,  "Analysis  of  Product  and 
Policy,"  Willis  Vance,  the  Cincinnati  exhibitor  and 
publisher  of  the  "Independent  Exhibitors  Forum," 
has  this  to  say  about  MGM  and  Bill  Rodgers  in  his 
May  8  Forum: 

"For  twenty  years,  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  has 
been  one  of  the  major  film  companies,  and  for  many 
of  those  years  MGM  has  been  the  top  company. 
Leadership  implies  responsibility,  and  MGM  has  not 
been  a  shirker.  Both  in  the  production  and  distribu- 
tion, the  company  has  been  a  leader.  Since  MGM  is 
celebrating  its  20th  anniversary  in  a  few  weeks,  it  is 
fitting  and  proper  that  this  organization  felicitates 
the  company  and  wishes  it  continued  success  for 
many  more  years. 

"MGMs  product  has  been  the  backbone  of  the 
countless  theatres.  Its  success  has  also  been  the  suc- 
cess of  many  exhibitors.  While  in  1942-43,  the  prod- 
uct did  not  measure  up  to  one  or  two  other  com- 
panies insofar  as  top  pictures  are  concerned,  the  pro- 
gram product  was  of  very  good  quality.  The  present 
season,  comprising  thus  far,  two  blocks  of  twelve  pic- 
tures each,  has  brought  out  four  top  features,  'Thou- 
sands Cheer,1  'A  Guy  Named  Joe,'  'Lassie  Come 
Home,'  and  'Salute  to  the  Marines.'  Possibly  the  only 
criticism  one  can  make  of  some  MGM  features  is 
their  excessive  length. 

"The  company  does  an  excellent  job  of  selling  its 
pictures  to  the  public.  Publicity  includes  national  and 
local  radio  programs,  national  magazine  advertising, 
advance  newspaper  ads,  etc. 

"So  much  for  the  product — we  can  analyze  the 
policy  by  first  writing  about  the  men  who  put  it  into 
effect.  No  other  man  in  the  entire  motion  picture 
industry  commands  the  respect  and  loyalty  of  both 
exhibitors  and  his  own  employees  as  does  William  F. 
Rodgers,  MGM's  general  sales  manager.  He  is  a  tire- 
less leader  and  as  is  the  case  with  truly  big  men,  he 
is  sympathetic  and  understanding  to  the  problems  of 
the  little  man.  One  cannot  ask  for  more.  The  three 
sales  managers  and  the  various  district  managers  are 
all  of  unquestioned  ability  and  extremely  high  cali- 
bre. H.  M.  Richey  is  an  excellent  public  relations 
man.  The  branch  managers  are  given  executive  pow- 
ers and  their  judgement  in  approving  deals  and  mak- 


ing adjustments  is  not  questioned.  The  local  leader  is 
E.  M.  Booth,  who  has  been  the  Cincinnati  territory 
manager  for  1 7  years.  Serving  hundreds  of  accounts, 
he  has  survived  individual  and  organizational  on- 
slaughts and  castigations,  and  yet,  he  has  proved  to 
his  company  that  he  has  done  a  good  job  for  17  years. 
For  MGM  could  not  be  the  'friendly  company'  were 
Eddie  Booth  to  be  anything  but  a  'right  guy.'  We 
hope  he  is  here  for  17  more  years,  not  that  he  is  a 
sucker,  but  he  is  a  reflection  of  the  Bill  Rodgers'  policy 
of  friendly  business. 

"Like  every  other  company,  MGM  has  made  mis- 
takes; it  has  oversold  in  some  cases,  but  it  has  backed 
up  its  work.  It  makes  adjustments  when  they  are 
deserved.  It  has  confused  exhibitors  because  of  its 
method  of  blind  selling,  but  thus  far  it  has  not  taken 
advantage  of  blind  selling,  knowing  that  exhibitors 
have  confidence  in  the  company,  and  that  this  confi- 
dence must  remain  for  MGM  to  continue  its  leader- 
ship. 

"Were  MGM's  calming  influence  not  at  hand  to 
check  the  greedy,  selfish  and  utterly  ruthless  demands 
of  some  of  the  other  companies,  exhibitors  would 
either  be  in  extremely  tough  circumstances  or  out  of 
business.  We  hope  that  Leo  the  Lion  roars  for  many 
more  years."   

MONOGRAM  FOR  BETTER  PICTURES 

On  May  2nd,  Trem  Carr,  production  head  of 
Monogram  Pictures,  gave  a  luncheon  to  the  trade  in 
which  he  stated  that  the  new  policy  of  the  produc- 
tion department  is  to  cooperate  closely  with  the  dis- 
tribution department.  The  heads  of  the  two  depart- 
ments get  together  to  discuss  the  proposed  purchase 
of  a  story,  and  unless  they  see  eye  to  eye  as  to  its  pro- 
duction as  well  as  selling  possibilities,  the  story  is  not 
purchased. 

Again,  if  a  story  possesses  possibilities  by  proper 
treatment  and  they  purchase  the  story,  they  work  to- 
gether so  that  the  treatment  that  is  given  to  the  story 
may  bring  the  best  selling  results  possible. 

Mr.  Carr  attributes  the  improvement  of  its  prod- 
uct to  this  policy. 

Another  announcement  that  Mr.  Carr  made  was 
to  the  effect  that  their  production  will  be  flexible. 
In  other  words,  they  will  be  ready  to  produce  more 
pictures  than  they  have  been  producing  if  the  market 
can  absorb  them. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  glad  that  Monogram  is 
ever  alert  to  improve  its  product,  for  a  time  may 
come  when  the  business  will  not  be  so  lush,  and  pic- 
ture quality  will  count  much  more  than  it  counts 

today.   

REPUBLIC  FORGES  ON 

Herbert  Yates,  head  of  Consolidated  Laboratories, 
which  controls  Republic  Pictures,  has  announced 
that,  during  the  1944-45  season,  Republic  will  pro- 
duce 68  feature  pictures,  at  an  expenditure  of  $17,- 
750,000,  in  addition  to  the  $2,700,000,  which  has 
been  set  aside  for  advertising  and  exploitation. 

The  announcement  that  Republic  will  produce 
sixty-eight  feature  pictures,  coming  at  a  time  when 
other  companies  are  reducing  the  number  of  pictures 
they  will  produce  during  the  1944-45  season,  cannot 
help  encouraging  the  independent  exhibitors. 

In  the  last  few  years  Republic,  under  the  guidance 
of  Herbert  Yates,  has  made  so  great  a  progress  that 
it  can  rightfully  be  considered  as  one  of  the  major 
companies. 


80 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  13,  1944 


Harrison's  Reports  does  not  advise  against  your 
giving  "Cover  Girl"  twice  the  playing  time  that  your 
contract  calls  for,  if  you  can  make  a  reasonable  profit, 
but  it  does  advise  against  permitting  Columbia  to  in- 
crease either  your  playing  time  or  your  agreed  ren- 
tals, thus  establishing  a  dangerous  precedent,  unless 
Columbia  agrees  to  permit  you,  wherever  you  have 
contracted  for  a  picture  and  it  has  proved  in  other 
theatres  to  be  a  flop,  to  decrease  the  number  of  play- 
ing days  with  a  proportionate  rental  allowance  for 
the  "dropped"  days.  That  would  be  a  fair  exchange 
of  courtesies. 

But  can  Columbia  be  fair  to  you?  Judging  by  the 
number  of  pictures  it  has  withheld  from  one  season 
and  sold  them  either  to  you  or  to  some  other  exhibitor 
in  a  subsequent  season  for  higher  terms,  I  doubt  it. 
And  when  it  attempts  to  obtain  more  rental  on 
"Cover  Girl"  not  only  from  prospective  customers, 
but  also  from  exhibitors  to  whom  "it  has  been  sold" 
on  a  flat  rental  basis,  I  am  sure  that  Columbia  does 
not  want  to  be  fair. 

Those  of  you  who  might  consider  giving  "Cover 
Girl"  extended  playing  time  would  do  well  to  take 
into  consideration,  before  agreeing  on  rental  terms, 
the  fact  that  the  picture  may  be  given  over-extended 
playing  time  in  the  runs  prior  to  your  run.  As  all  of 
you  undoubtedly  know,  over-extending  the  playing 
time  of  a  picture  serves  to  "milk"  it  dry  and  to  de- 
crease its  potential  income  for  the  subsequent-run 
exhibitor.  Consequently,  some  of  you  may  find  your- 
selves in  the  unfortunate  position  of  being  committed 
to  an  extended  run  at  increased  rental  terms,  with- 
out sufficient  patronage  to  take  care  of  even  a  normal 
run,  at  normal  rentals. 

"Cover  Girl"  has  just  completed  a  highly  success- 
ful six  weeks'  engagement  at  the  Radio  City  Music 
Hall,  in  this  city,  and,  from  all  indications,  it  should 
turn  out  to  be  one  of  the  top  box-office  pictures  of  the 
season.  If  ever  Columbia  "muffed"  an  opportunity  to 
get  back  into  the  good  graces  of  the  exhibitors,  it  is 
now — through  its  failure  to  establish  on  this  picture 
an  exhibitor  favoring  sales  policy.  Here  was  a  chance 
for  Columbia  to  tell  its  customers:  "We  hope  this 
good  picture  will  help  make  up  for  some  of  our  bad 
ones,  as  well  as  for  those  we  failed  to  deliver." 

If  those  of  you  who  still  have  Columbia's  an- 
nouncement of  its  1943-44  program  will  examine  it, 
you  will  find  the  following  statement  over  the  signa- 
ture of  Abe  Montague,  Columbia's  general  sales  man- 
ager: "Proud  as  we  are  of  the  record  we  are  making 
we  know  the  future  u;ill  exceed  it." 

And  how! 


WILL  COLUMBIA  PERFORM 
A  MIRACLE? 

Just  to  show  you  how  Columbia  deals  with  its  cus- 
tomers, let  us  review  the  promises  made  by  Abe  Mon- 
tague early  in  February,  when,  in  connection  with 
Columbia's  annual  sales  campaign,  which  terminates 
on  June  22,  he  announced  a  group  of  features  his 
company  would  release  during  the  period  covered  by 
the  campaign. 

I  have  before  me  Columbia's  release  schedule  as  of 
May  1,  which  contains  a  listing  of  all  features  re- 
leased and  to  be  released  up  to  July  6.  Omitting  those 
pictures  listed  in  the  release  schedule,  I  find  that, 
among  the  important  pictures  promised  for  release 
during  the  sales  campaign,  Columbia  has  failed  to  set 


dates  for  the  following:  "Tonight  and  Every  Night," 
a  Technicolor  picture  starring  Rita  Hayworth;  "Road 
to  Yesterday,"  starring  Irene  Dunne;  and  a  Kay 
Kyser  musical. 

"Tonight  and  Every  Night,"  according  to  the  re- 
ports in  the  trade  papers,  was  to  have  gone  before 
the  cameras  on  May  8th,  with  a  79  days  shooting 
schedule.  Accordingly,  barring  mishaps,  the  produc- 
tion should  be  completed  some  time  in  August,  which 
means  that  it  will  not  be  ready  for  release  until  late 
in  the  fall.  "Road  to  Yesterday"  has  not  yet  been  put 
into  production.  Yet  both  these  pictures  were  prom- 
ised for  release  by  June  22. 

The  Kay  Kyser  picture  is  now  in  production. 
Whether  or  not  it  will  be  released  this  season  is  as 
questionable  as  a  Columbia  promise. 

Here  are  some  more  facts.  They  are,  in  the  opinion 
of  Harrison's  Reports,  a  pretty  definite  indication 
of  how  far  Columbia  will  go  in  either  keeping  or 
breaking  its  promises  to  the  1943-44  contract-holders. 
Promised  on  the  1943-44  program  and  as  yet  unde- 
livered are  the  following  important  productions: 
"Tonight  and  Every  Night"  and  "Gone  are  the 
Days,"  both  in  Technicolor,  starring  Rita  Hayworth; 
"The  Impatient  Years,"  with  Jean  Arthur;  "Road  to 
Yesterday,"  with  Irene  Dunne;  "The  Life  of  Al  Jol- 
son";  "At  Ni^ht  We  Dream,"  with  Paul  Muni;  and 
"Knights  Without  Armor." 

Of  these  seven  important  production,  three — 
"Road  to  Yesterday,"  "The  Life  of  Al  Jolson,"  and 
"Knights  Without  Armor"- — have  not  been  started 
and,  should  a  start  be  made  on  them  within  the  next 
few  months,  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  will  be  re- 
leased on  the  1943-44  program.  "At  Night  We 
Dream,"  the  Paul  Muni  picture,  was  completed  early 
in  March.  Columbia  has  been  unusually  quiet  about 
this  picture;  it  did  not  mention  it  as  one  of  the  pro- 
ductions to  be  released  during  the  sales  campaign, 
nor  has  it  set  a  release  date  for  later  on  in  the  season. 
The  picture  is  completed.  Why  is  it  being  held  back? 
"The  Impatient  Years,"  the  Jean  Arthur  picture,  has 
been  in  production  for  some  time,  and  "Tonight  and 
Every  Night,"  as  said,  was  to  have  gone  . before  the 
cameras  on  May  8. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  Columbia's  release  sched- 
ule is  set  up  to  July  6,  which  is  only  seven  weeks 
before  the  close  of  the  1943-44  season,  it  is  hardly 
probable  that  Columbia  will  release  any  of  the  afore- 
mentioned pictures  during  that  period,  particularly 
since  the  remaining  time  of  the  season  will  be  mid- 
summer, when  theatre  attendance  declines.  What  it 
will  release  will  probably  be  of  program  grade. 

Within  the  next  six  weeks  Columbia  should  make 
an  announcement  of  its  1944-45  program.  It  does  not 
take  the  powers  of  a  clairvoyant  to  predict  that  most 
of  the  aforementioned  pictures  will  be  offered  again 
on  the  new  program,  some  for  the  second  time,  and 
others  for  the  third. 

Harrison's  Reports  hopes,  for  your  sake,  that  it 
will  be  compelled  to  retract  its  predictions  by  Colum- 
bia's living  up  to  its  promises,  but,  having  the  utmost 
confidence  that  Columbia  will  maintain  its  unbroken 
record  of  broken  promises,  it  feels  that  no  need  for 
retraction  will  arise. 

This  paper  will  be  happy  to  retract  its  predictions 
if  Columbia  will  perform  the  miracle  of  adopting  a 
new  policy — a  policy  of  delivering  pictures  as  prom- 
ised. Such  a  miracle  is  well  within  Columbia's  power 
to  perform. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  TWO 

HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  MAY  13,  1944  No.  20 

(Partial  Index  No.  3 — Pages  53  to  76  Incl.) 


Titles  of  Pictures  Reviewed  on  Page 

Address  Unknown — Columbia  (73  min.)   67 

Adventures  of  Mark  Twain,  The — Warner  Bros. 

(130  min.)    76 

Allergic  to  Love — Universal  (65  min.)   76 

And  the  Angels  Sing — Paramount  (96  min.)   72 

Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble— MGM  (107  min.) ...  58 

Bermuda  Mystery — 20th  Century-Fox  (66  min.)   67 

Black  Parachute,  The — Columbia  (66  min.)   74 

Days  of  Glory— RKO  (86  min.)   66 

Detective  Kitty  O'Day — Monogram  (61  min.)   58 

Double  Indemnity — Paramount  (106  min.)   72 

Farmyard  Follies— Republic  (see  "Hoosier 

Holiday")  1943  138 

Follow  the  Boys — Universal  (120  min.)   54 

Follow  the  Leader — Monogram  (65  min.)   74 

Gambler's  Choice — Paramount  (68  min.)   70 

Girl  in  the  Case — Columbia  (65  min.)   62 

Guns  of  the  Law — PRC  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Henry  Aldrich  Plays  Cupid — Paramount  (65  min.) ...  72 

Her  Primitive  Man — Universal  (80  min.)   60 

Hey  Rookie — Columbia  (77  min.)   62 

Hitler  Gang,  The— Paramount  (99  min.)   70 

Jamboree — Republic  (72  min.)   54 

Lumber  Jack — United  Artists  (64  min.)  not  reviewed 

Man  from  Frisco — Republic  (91  min.)   70 

Meet  the  People— MGM  (100  min.)   58 

Monster  Maker,  The— PRC  (63  mm.)   62 

Moon  Over  Las  Vegas — Universal  (70  min.)   60 

Pardon  My  Rhythm — Universal  (61  min.)   75 

Pin  Up  Girl— 20th  Century-Fox  (83  min.)   67 

Seven  Days  Ashore— RKO  (74  min.)   66 

Shake  Hands  with  Murder— PRC  (63  min.)   75 

Show  Business— RKO  (92  min.)   66 

Slightly  Terrific — Universal  (61  min.)   72 

Song  of  the  Open  Road — United  Artists  (93  min.)..  71 

Story  of  Dr.  Wassell— Paramount  (136  min.)   71 

Swing  High— PRC  (see  "Jive  Junction")  1943  195 

Tampico — 20th  Century-Fox  (72  min.)   55 

This  is  the  Life — Universal  (87  min.)   74 

Three  Men  in  White— MGM  (85  min.)   75 

Trocadero — Republic  (74  min.)   59 

Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor— MGM  (124  min.)   71 

Uncertain  Glory — Warner  Bros.  (102  min.)   59 

Weird  Woman — Universal  (63  min.)   59 

Whistler,  The— Columbia  (61  min.)   54 

Wyoming  Hurricane — Columbia  (58  min.)  ..  not  reviewed 

Yellow  Canary,  The— RKO  (84  min.)   63 


RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 
Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave..  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 

5013  Hey,  Rookie— Miller-Parks  Mar.  9 

5039  Two-Man  Submarine — Savage-Neal  Mar.  16 

5205  Sundown  Valley — Starrett  (55  m.)  Mar.  23 

5032  The  Whistler— Dix-Stuart   Mar.  30 

Cover  Girl — Hay  worth-Kelly  Apr.  6 

5015  Jam  Session — Ann  Miller  Apr.  13 

5028  Girl  in  the  Case — Carter-Lowe  Apr.  20 

5206  Wyoming  Hurricane — Russell  Hayden 

(58  min.)   Apr.  20 

The  Black  Parachute — Carradine-Parks  May  4 

Once  Upon  a  Time— Grant-Blair  May  11 

Underground  Guerrillas — English  cast  May  18 

Riding  West— Starrett  May  18 

Stars  on  Parade — Merrick-Parks  May  25 

Address  Unknown — Lukas-Stevens   June  1 

They  Live  in  Fear — Kruger-Parrish  June  15 

Secret  Command — O'Brien-Landis   June  22 

The  Last  Horseman — Hayden  June  22 

She's  a  Soldier  Too — Bondi-Barker  June  29 

Mr.  Winkle  Goes  to  War — Robinson  July  6 


Me tro-Goldwyn- Mayer  Features 

(1540  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  19, H-  Y.) 
Block  6 

413  Thousands  Cheer — Grayson-Kelly  January 

414  Cross  of  Lorraine — Aumont-Kelly  January 

415  Lost  Angel — O'Brien-Craig  January 

417  Cry  "Havoc" — Sullavan-Sothern  February 

422  Song  of  Russia — Taylor-Peters  February 

490  Madame  Curie — Garson-Pidgeon  February 

416  A  Guy  Named  Joe — Tracy-Dunne  March 

418  Rationing — Beery-Main  March 

419  Broadway  Rhythm — Murphy-Simms  March 

420  See  Here,  Private  Hargrove  March 

421  Heavenly  Body — Powell-Lamarr  April 

423  Swing  Fever — Kay  Kyser  April 

Block  7 

424  Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble — Rooney  May 

425  Gaslight — Boyer-Bergman-Cotten  May 

426  Meet  the  People— Ball-Powell  May 

427  Three  Men  in  White — Barrymore  June 

428  Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor — James-Durante  June 

Special 

466  Tunisian  Victory — Documentary  April  28 


Monogram  Features 

(630  Hinth  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 

321  Sweethearts  of  the  U.S.A. — Merkel-Novis.  .  .Mar.  18 

363  Arizona  Whirlwind — Trail  Blazers  (59  m.) .  .Mar.  18 
353  Partners  of  the  Trail — J.  M.  Brown  (55  m.)  .  .Apr.  1 

301  Lady  Let's  Dance — Belita  Apr.  15 

314  Hot  Rhythm — Lowery-Drake   Apr.  22 

364  Law  Men — J.  M.  Brown  May  6 

322  Detective  Kitty  O'Day — Jean  Parker  May  13 

321  The  Chinese  Cat — Sidney  Toler  May  20 

312  Follow  the  Leader — East  Side  Kids  June  3 

365  Sonora  Stage  Coach — Trail  Blazers  June  10 

Return  of  the  Ape  Man — Lugosi-Carradine .  .  .June  17 

355  Range  Law — J.  M.  Brown  June  24 

Johnny  Doesn't  Live  Here  Anymore — Simon- 
Ellison-Terry   June  24 

Call  of  the  Jungle — Ann  Corio  July  1 


4316 
4317 
4318 

4321 
4322 
4323 
4324 
4325 

4335 
4336 
4337 
4338 


Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  Hew  Tor\  18,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  4 

The  Navy  Way — Lowery-Parker  

The  Hour  Before  the  Dawn — Lake-Tone  

You  Can't  Ration  Love — Johnston-Rhodes  

Block  5 

And  the  Angels  Sing — MacMurray-Lamour-Hutton. 

Henry  Aldrich  Plays  Cupid — Lydon- Vague  

The  Hitler  Gang — Watson-Kosleck  

Gambler's  Choice — Morris-Kelly  

Double  Indemnity — Robinson-Stanwyck-MacMurray . 
Specials 

Going  My  Way — Grosby-Fitzgerald  

Lady  in  the  Dark — Rogers-Milland  

The  Story  of  Dr.  Wassell — Cooper-Day  

For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls — Cooper-Bergman  


PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  22,  H-  Y.) 

462  Frontier  Outlaw — Crabbe  No.  5  (58  m.)  Mar.  4 

414  Lady  in  the  Death  House — Atwill-Parker  Mar.  15 

463  Thundering  Gun  Slingers — 

Crabbe  No.  5  (60  m.)  Mar.  25 

413  The  Amazing  Mr.  Forrest — Kruger-Horton 

(formerly  "Gangsters'  Den")  Mar.  29 

455  Guns  of  the  Law — Texas  Rangers  No.  5  ( 55m.)  Apr.  10 

419  The  Monster  Maker — Naish-Morgan  Apr.  15 

422  Shake  Hands  with  Murder — Adrian-Jenks. . .  Apr.  22 
(Continued  on  next  page) 


May  13,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  B 


PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(Continued  from  first  page) 

456  The  Pinto  Bandit — Texas  Rangers  No.  6  Apr.  27 

420  Men  of  the  Sea — English  cast  Apr.  30 

464  Valley  of  Vengeance — Crabbe  No.  6  May  5 

418  The  Contender — Crabbc-Judge  May  10 

415  Waterfront — Carradinc-Naish  May  24 

404  Minstrel  Man— Fields-George  (reset)   June  1 

457  Spook  Town — Texas  Rangers  No.  7  June  3 

416  Delinquent  Daughters — Tilton-Mann  June  25 


3302 
354 
311 

377 
312 
378 

355 
366 
313 
3303 
315 
314 
316 
342 

3311 
3304 
317 
343 


Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway  Hew  York  19,  H-  Y.) 

The  Big  Show — Autry  (reissue)  (71m.)  Mar.  1 

Beneath  Western  Skies — Livingston  (56  m.)  .Mar.  3 
The  Fighting  Seabees — Wayne-Hayward 

(reset)   Mar.  10 

The  Mojave  Firebrand — Elliott-Hayes(55m)  .Mar.  19 

My  Best  Gal— Withers-Lydon  Mar.  28 

Hidden  Valley  Outlaws — Elliott-Hayes 

(56  m.)  Apr.  2 

The  Laramie  Trail — Livingston  (56  m.). .  .  .Apr.  3 
Outlaws  of  Sante  Fe — Don  Barry  (56  m).  .Apr.  4 

Rosie,  the  Riveter — Frazee-Albertson  Apr.  9 

Oh,  Susanna — Autry  (reissue)  (59  m.)....Apr.  15 
The  Lady  and  the  Monster — Von  Stroheim.  .Apr.  17 

Trocadero — Lane-Purcell  Apr.  24 

Jamboree — Ruth  Terry   May  5 

Cowboy  and  the  Senorita — Roy  Rogers 

(78  m.)  May  12 

Tuscon  Raiders — Elliott-Hayes   May  14 

Melody  Trail— Autry  (reissue)  June  1 

Silent  Partner — Henry-Withers  June  9 

Yellow  Rose  of  Texas — Roy  Rogers  June  24 


RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  20,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  4 

416  Tender  Comrade — Rogers-Ryan   

417  Passport  to  Destiny — Lanchester-Oliver  

418  Curse  of  the  Cat  People — Simon-Smith  

419  Escape  to  Danger — Portman-Dvorak  

420  Action  in  Arabia — Sanders-Bruce  

Block  5 

421  The  Falcon  Out  West — Conway  

422  Days  of  Glory — Peck-Toumanova  

423  Yellow  Canary — Neagle-Greene  

424  Seven  Days  Ashore — Carney-Brown  

425  Show  Business — Cantor-Murphy-Davis  

Specials 

451  The  North  Star — Baxter-Huston  

452  Up  in  Arms — Danny  Kaye  

Snow  White  and  the  Seven  Dwarfs  (reissue) . 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 

(444  W.  56th  St.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 
Block  8 

422  The  Purple  Heart — Andrews-Levene  Mar. 

423  Four  Jills  in  a  Jeep — Francis-Raye-Landis  Mar. 

Block  9 

424  Buffalo  Bill— McCrea-O'Hara  Apr. 

425  Tampico — Robinson-Bari   Apr. 

426  Shrine  of  Victory — Documentary  Apr. 

Block  10 

427  Pin  Up  Girl— Grable-Raye  May 

428  Bermuda  Mystery — Foster-Rutherford  May 


United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 

Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey — Bari-Calhern  Feb.  11 

Texas  Masquerade — Hopalong  Cassidy  (59  m.)  . . .  .Feb.  18 

Knickerbocker  Holiday — Eddy-Coburn   Mar.  17 

It  Happened  Tomorrow — Powell-Darnell  Apr.  7 

Voice  in  the  Wind — Gurie-Lederer  Apr.  21 

Lumber  Jack — Hopalong  Cassidy  (64  m.)  Apr.  28 

Song  of  the  Open  Road — Bergen-O'Neill  not  set 

Up  in  Mabel's  Room — Patrick-O'Keefe  not  set 

The  Hairy  Ape — Bendix-Hayward  not  set 

Summer  Storm — Sanders-Darnell  not  set 

Since  You  Went  Away — Colbert-Cotten  not  set 

Sensations  of  1945 — Fields-Powell  not  set 


8031 
8084 
8065 
8044 
8027 
8016 
8037 
8036 
8006 
8032 
8019 
8085 
8012 


Universal  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave..  Hew  York  20,  H-  T.) 

Hat  Check  Honey— McDonald-Errol  Mar.  10 

Oklahoma  Raiders — Tex  Ritter  (57  m.)  Mar.  17 

Ladies  Courageous — Young-Fitzgerald  Mar.  17 

Hi,  Good  Lookin' — Harriet  Hilliard  Mar.  24 

Weird  Woman — Chaney-Gwynne   Apr.  14 

Her  Primitive  Man — Allbritton-Paige  Apr.  21 

Moon  Over  Las  Vegas — Jean-Bruce  Apr.  28 

Slightly  Terrific — Errol-Rooney  May  5 

Cobra  Woman — Montez-Hall   May  12 

Pardon  My  Rhythm — Jean-Knowles  May  19 

The  Scarlet  Claw — Rathbonc-Bruce  May  26 

Boss  of  Boointown — Rod  Cameron  May  26 

This  is  the  Life — O'Connor-Foster  June  2 

The  Invisible  Man's  Revenge — Hall-Ankers. June  9 

South  of  Dixie — Gwynne-Brucc  June  16 

Ghost  Catchers — Olsen  O1  Johnson  June  30 

("Follow  the  Boys,"  originally  an  April  7  release, 
has  been  withdrawn.) 


Warner-First  National  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St..  Hew  York  18,  H-  T.) 

311  In  Our  Time — Henreid-Lupino  Feb.  19 

325  Frisco  Kid — Cagney  (reissue)  (77  m.)  Mar.  4 

312  Passage  to  Marseille — Bogart-Rains  Mar.  11 

313  Shine  on  Harvest  Moon — Sheridan-Morgan.  .Apr.  8 

314  Uncertain  Glory — Flynn-Lucas  Apr.  22 

316  Between  Two  Worlds — Garfield-Henreid  May  20 

317  Make  Your  Own  Bed — Carson-Manning  June  10 

224  This  Is  the  Army — Leslie-Murphy  (re-release)  June  24 

The  Mask  of  Duiiitrios — Greenstreet-Lorre.  .  . July  1 


SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 

Columbia — One  Reel 

5601  Amoozin'  But  Confoozin' — Li'l  Abner 

(8  m.)   Mar.  3 

5706  Lionel  Lion — Phantasies  (6  m.)  Mar.  3 

Why  of  Wartime  Taxes— OWI  (Free) 

(10  m.)  Mar.  9 

5660  Community  Sings  No.  10  (10  min.)  Mar.  17 

5858  Screen  Snapshots  No.  8  (8  m.)  Mar.  24 

5807  Golden  Gloves— Sports  (9|/2  m.)  Mar.  31 

5707  Giddy-Yapping — Phantasies  (6m.)   Apr.  7 

5904  Traditions  of  Mexico — Panoramic 

(8  m.)  (re.)  Apr.  18 

5859  Screen  Snapshots  No.  9  (9|/2  m.)  Apr.  21 

5955  Film  Vodvil  No.  5  )10m.)  (re.)  Apr.  21 

5753  The  Dream  Kids— Fox  6?  Crow 

(7l/2  m.)  (re.)  Apr.  28 

5602  Sadie  Hawkins  Day — Li'l  Abner  (7  m.)  May  4 

5808  Table  Tennis  Topnotchers — Sports  (9  m.)..May  5 

5661  Community  Sings  No.  11  (10  m.)  May  16 

5504  The  Disillusioned  Bluebird — Color  Rhap  May  26 

5860  Screen  Snapshots  No.  10  (9J/2)  June  2 

5708  Tangled  Travels — Phantasies   June  9 

5809  Give  and  Take — Sports  June  19 

5603  A  Peekoolyar  Sitcheeayshun — Li'l  Abner.  .  .June  30 


5405 
5169 
5433 
5170 
5171 
5434 
5173 
5174 
5406 
5435 

5411 
5140 
5422 
5141 
5142 

5143 
5144 

5407 
5145 


Columbia — Two  Reels 

Crash  Goes  the  Hash — Stooges  (17  m.)  Feb.  5 

The  Fire  Princess — The  Phantom  (20  m.)  . .  .Feb.  11 

Bachelor  Daze — Summerville  (18  m.)  Feb.  17 

The  Emerald  Key — The  Phantom  (20  m.) .  .  .Feb.  18 
The  Fangs  of  the  Beast — Phantom  (20  m.) .  .Mar.  3 

His  Tale  is  Told— Clyde  (lV/2  m.)  Mar.  4 

A  Lost  City — The  Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  10 

Peace  in  the  Jungle — Phantom  (20  m.)  Mar.  17 

Busy  Buddies — Stooges  (16'/2  m-)  Mar.  18 

Defective  Detectives — Lang-Brendel 

(16</2m.)  Apr.  3 

Oh,  Baby!— Hugh  Herbert  (18|/2  m.)  Apr.  17 

The  Twin  Brothers — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  .  .Apr.  26 

Crazy  Like  a  Fox — Gilbert  (l8]/2  m.)  May  1 

The  Evil  Eye — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  May  3 

The  Mark  of  the  Scimitar — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  May  10 

A  Caliph's  Treachery — Desert  Hawk  (18m.)  May  17 
The  Secret  of  the  Palace — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  May  24 

The  Yoke's  On  Me — Stooges  (16  m.)  May  26 

The  Feast  of  the  Beggars — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  May  31 


Page  C 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


May  13,  1944 


5436 
5146 
5147 
5148 

5149 
5150 

5151 

5152 
5153 
5154 


You  Were  Never  Uglier — Clyde  (18  m.).  .  .June  2 
Double  Jeopardy — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.) .  .  .June  7 
The  Slave  Traders — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  .  .June  14 
The  Underground  River — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  June  21 

The  Faithful  Wheel — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.).June  28 
The  Mystery  of  the  Mosque — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)   July  5 

The  Hand  of  Vengeance — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)   July  12 

Sword  of  Fate — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  July  19 

The  Wizard's  Story — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.) .  .July  26 
The  Triumph  of  Kasim — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)   Aug.  2 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

W-456  Innertube  Antics — Cartoon  (7  m.)  Jan.  22 

C-499  Radio  Bugs— Our  Gang  (11m.)  Apr.  1 

C-500  Dancing  Romeo— Our  Gang  (10  m.)  Apr.  29 

(End  of  Season) 

1943-  44 

T-511  Through  the  Colorado  Rockies — Traveltalk 

(10  m.)  Oct.  23 

T-512  Grand  Canyon,  Pride  of  Creation — 

Traveltalk  (9m.)  Nov.  27 

M-581  My  Tomato — Miniature  (7  m.)  Dec.  4 

M'583  No  News  is  Good  News — Miniature  (9m). Dec.  18 
M-582  Kid  in  Upper  Four — Miniature  (11  m.) . .  .Dec.  25 
T'513  Salt  Lake  Diversions — Traveltalk  (9  m.) . .  .Dec.  25 

S-551  Practical  Joker— Pete  Smith  (11  m.)  Jan.  8 

T-514  A  Day  in  Death  Valley— Traveltalk  ( 10  m.)  .Jan.  22 
T-515  Visiting  in  St.  Louis — Traveltalk  (9  m.)...Feb.  19 

S-552  Home  Maid— Pete  Smith  (9  m.)  Feb.  19 

W-531  Zoot  Cat— Cartoon  (7  m.)  Feb.  26 

T'516  Mackinac  Island— Traveltalk  (9  m.)  Mar.  18 

W'532  Screwball  Squirrel — Cartoon  (7m.)  Apr.  1 

S-553  Groovie  Movie — Pete  Smith  (9  m.)  Apr.  8 

T-517  Along  the  Cactus  Trail— Traveltalk  ( 10m.)  Apr.  15 

M-584  Tale  of  a  Dog— Miniature  (11m.)  Apr.  15 

M-585  A  Great  Day's  Coming — Miniature  (11m.)  Apr.  22 
S'554  Sportsman's  Memories — Pete  Smith  (10  m.)  Apr.  22 

W-533  Batty  Baseball — Cartoon  (6m.)  Apr.  22 

M-586  Important  Business — Miniature  (11  m.)..  Apr.  29 

W-534  Million  Dollar  Cat— Cartoon  (7  m.)  June  6 

T-518  Colorful  Colorado— Traveltalk   June  26 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 

1942-  43 

A-404  Main  Street  Today — Special  (20  m.)  . :  Mar.  25 

A-405  Patrolling  the  Ether — Special  (20  m.)  Apr.  22 

1943-  44 

X-510  Danger  Area — Special  Release  (22  m.)....Jan.  1 


Paramount — One  Reel 

L3-3  Unusual  Occupations  No.  3  (10  m.)  Mar.  3 

U3-4  Say  Ah,  Jasper— Mad.  Mod.  (8  m.)  Mar.  10 

Y3-3  In  the  Newsreels — Speak,  of  Animals  (9  m.)  Mar.  17 
R3-6  Heroes  on  the  Mend — Sportlight  (9  m.)  .  .  .  .Mar.  24 

P3-3  Cilly  Goose — Noveltoons  (9  m.)  Mar.  24 

D3-3  Lulu  Gets  the  Birdie — Little  Lulu  (8  m.) .  .  .May  19 

J3-4  Popular  Science  No.  4  (10  m.)  Apr.  17 

E3-3  We're  on  Our  Way  to  Rio — Popeye  Apr.  21 

P3-4  Suddenly  It's  Spring — Noveltoons  Apr.  28 

R3-7  Trail  Breakers — Sportlight  (9  m.)  Apr.  28 

U3-5  And  to  Think  I  Saw  It  on  Mulberry  St. — 

Mad.  Mod  May  5 

L3-4  Uusual  Occupations  No.  4  (10  m.)  May  12 

D3-4  In  Hollywood — Little  Lulu  May  19 

Y3-4  In  Your  Pet  Problem — Speak  of  Animals. .  .May  19 

E3-4  Moving  Aweigh — Popeye  May  26 

R3-8  Winged  Couriers — Sportlight  June  9 

D3-5  Lucky  Lulu — Little  Lulu  June  30 

Paramount — Two  Reels 

FF3-1  Mardi  Gras — Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  Oct.  1 

FF3-2  Carribean  Romance — Musical  Parade (20m)  .Dec.  17 
FF3-3  Lucky  Cowboy — Musical  Parade  (20  m.)..Feb.  11 
FF3-4  Showboat  Serenade — Musical  Parade (20m)  .Apr.  14 
FF3-5  Fun  Time — Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  June  16 


RKO — One  Reel 

1942-  43 

34114  Trombone  Trouble — Disney  (7  m.)  Feb.  18 

34115  How  to  Play  Golf— Disney  (8  m.)  Mar.  10 

34116  Donald  Duck  6?  the  Gorilla— Disney  (7  m.)  Mar.  31 

34117  Contrary  Candor — Disney  (7  m.)  Apr.  21 

34118  Commando  Duck — Disney  (7  m.)   May  12 

(End  of  1942-43  Season) 

1943-  44 

44201  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  1  (9  m.)  Sept.  5 

44301  Field  Trial  Champions — Sportscope  (9m). Sept.  10 

44202  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  2  (9  m.)  Oct.  1 

44302  Joe  Kirkwood — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Oct.  8 

44203  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  3  (9  m.)  Oct.  29 

44303  Stars  and  Strikes — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Nov.  5 

44204  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  4  (9  m.)  Nov.  26 

44304  Mountain  Anglers — Sportscope  (9  m.)....Dec.  3 

44205  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  5  (9  m.)  Dec.  24 

44305  Co-ed  Sports — Sportscope  (8  m.)  Dec.  31 

44206  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  6  (9  m.)  Jan.  21 

44306  Basket  Wizards  Sportscope  (8  m.)  Jan.  28 

44207  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  7  (10  m.)  Feb.  18 

44307  Mallard  Flight — Sportscope  (9  m.)  Feb.  25 

44308  On  Paint — Sportscope  (8  m.)  Mar.  24 

RKO — Two  Reels 

43104  Mail  Call— This  is  America  (17  m.)  Feb.  11 

43704  Say  Uncle— Leon  Errol  (18  m.)  Feb.  18 

43404  Love  Your  Landlord — Edgar  Kennedy 

(18  m.)  Mar.  3 

43105  News  Front — This  is  America  (16  m.)  Mar.  10 

43106  Aircraft  Carrier — This  Is  America 

(18<4  m.)   Apr.  7 

43705  Pappa  Knows  Worst — Leon  Errol  (17  m.).Apr.  14 

43405  Radio  Rampage— Edgar  Kennedy  (16  m.).Apr.  28 


Republic — Two  Reels 

381  The  Masked  Marvel — Steele-Currie 

(12  episodes)   Nov.  6 

382  Captain  America — Purcell-Atwill 

(15  episodes)   Feb.  5 

383  The  Tiger  Woman— Stirling-Lane 

(12  episodes)   May  27 


Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 

4512  A  Day  in  June — Terry  toon  (7  m.)  Mar.  3 

4153  Steamboat  on  the  River— Magic  Carpet 

(9  m.)   Mar.  10 

4513  The  Champion  of  Justice — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  .Mar.  17 
4201  Sails  Aloft — Adventure  (9  m.)  Mar.  31 

4514  The  Frog  ii  the  Princess — Terry.  (7  m.)  Apr.  7 

4303  Fun  for  All — Sports  (9  m.)  Apr.  14 

4515  Mighty  Mouse  Meets  Jekyll  ii  Hyde  Cat — 

Terrytoon  (6  m.)  Apr.  28 

4203  Mailman  of  Snake  River — Adventure  (9  m.)  May  5 

4516  My  Boy,  Johnny — Terrytoon  (6J/2  m.)  May  12 

4351  Nymph  of  the  Southland — Sports  May  26 

4517  Wolf!  Wolf!— Terrytoon  June  2 

4902  Lew  Lehr  Makes  the  News  June  9 

4518  Eliza  on  the  Ice — Terrytoon  June  16 

4304  Gridiron  Highlights — Sports  June  30 

4519  The  Green  Line — Terrytoon  July  7 

4352  Blue  Grass  Gentleman — Sports  July  14 

4520  Carmen's  Veranda.  .Terrytoon   July  28 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 

Vol.  10  No.  6  Sweden's  Middle  Road — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Jan.  28 

Vol.  10  No.  7  Post  War  Jobs?— March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Feb.  25 

Vol.10  No.  8  South  American  Front — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Mar.  24 

Vol.  10  No.  9  The  Irish  Question — March  of  Time 

(18  m.)   Apr.  21 


May  13,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  D 


8357 
8376 
8377 
8232 

8358 
8238 
8378 
8359 
8233 
8379 
8360 


8127 
8881 

8128 
8882 

8883 

8884 

8129 
8885 

8886 

8887 

8888 

8889 

8890 

8891 

8892 

8893 


Universal — One  Reel 

Animal  Tricks — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Feb.  21 

The  Barefoot  Judge— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Feb.  28 

Aviation  Expert — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Mar.  20 

The  Greatest  Man  in  Siam — Swing  Symphony 

(7  m.)  Mar.  27 

Hobo  News — Var.  Views  (9m.)  Mar.  27 

Barber  of  Seville — Cartune  (7  m.)  Apr.  10 

Foster's  Canary  College — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  .  .Apr.  24 

Fraud  by  Mail — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Apr.  24 

Jungle  Jive — Swing  Symphony  (7  m.)  May  15 

Varga  D?  His  Beauties — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  May  22 

Mr.  Chimp  Goes  South— Var.  Views  (9  m.)  .May  29 

Universal — Two  Reels 

Fellow  on  a  Furlough — Musical  (15  m.) .  .  .  .Mar.  29 
Shipwrecked  Among  the  Icebergs — Great 

Alaskan  Mystery  No.  1  (20  m.)  Apr.  25 

Stars  and  Violins — Musical  (15  m.)  Apr.  26 

Thundering  Doom — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  2  (20  m.)  May  2 

Battle  in  the  Clouds — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  3  (20  m.)  May  9 

Masked  Murder — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  4  (20  m.)  May  16 

Melody  Garden — Musical  (15  m.)  May  17 

The  Bridge  of  Disaster — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  5  (20  m.)  May  23 

Shadowing  Doom — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  6  (20  m.)  May  30 

Crashing  Timbers — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  7  (20  m.)  June  6 

In  a  Flaming  Plane — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  8  (20  m.)  June  13 

Hurtling  Through  Space.  .Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  9  (20  m.)  June  20 

Tricked  by  a  Booby  Trap — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  10  (20  m.)  June  27 

The  Tunnel  of  Terror — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  11  (20  m.)  July  4 

Electrocuted — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  12  (20  min.)  July  11 

The  Boomerang — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  13  (20  m.)  July  18 


Vitaphone — One  Reel 

9404  Struggle  for  Life — Varieties  (10  m.)  Mar.  4 

9703  I've  Got  Plenty  of  Mutton — Mer.  Mel  (7m. Mar.  11 

9307  The  Bear's  Tale— Mer.  Mel.  (reissue)  (7m). Mar.  11 

9607  South  American  Sway — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  .  .Mar.  18 

9506  Chinatown  Champs — Sports  (10  m.)  Mar.  18 

9704  The  Weakly  Reporter— Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)..  .Mar.  25 

9705  Tick  Tock  Tuckered— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Apr.  8 

9308  Sweet  Sioux — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue)  (7  m.). .  .Apr.  8 

9405  Jungle  Thrills— Varieties  (10  m.)  Apr.  15 

9608  Rudy  Vallee's  Coast  Guard  Band — Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)  Apr.  15 

9722  Bugs  Bunny  Nips  the  Nips — Mer.  Mel. 

(7  m.)  Apr.  22 

9507  Backyard  Golf— Sports  (10  m.)  Apr.  22 

9706  The  Swooner  Crooner — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  . .  .May  6 

9309  Of  Fox  &  Hounds— Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)  May  13 

9509  Mexican  Sportland — Sports  (10  m.)  May  13 

9707  Russian  Rhapsody — Mel.  Mas.  (7  m.)  May  20 

9708  Duck  Soup  to  Nuts— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  May  27 

9310  Thugs  with  Dirty  Mugs — Mer.  Mel. 

(reissue)   June  3 

9723  Hare  Ribbon — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  June  3 

9606  Songs  of  the  Range — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.). .  .June  17 

9709  Angel  Puss— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  June  17 

9311  A  Wild  Hare— Mer.  Mel.  (reissue)  (7  m.) .  .June  24 

9508  Filipino  Sports  Parade — Sports  (10  m.)  (re.)  June  24 

9710  Slightly  Daffy— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  July  1 

9510  Cattlemen's  Days — Sports  (10  m.)  July  1 

9711  Brother  Brat— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  July  15 

9312  The  Cat  Came  Back— Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)   July  15 

9511  Colorado  Trout — Sports  (10  m.)  July  22 

9609  All-Star  Melody  Masters— Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  July  22 
9406  Throwing  the  Bull — Varieties  (10  m.)  July  29 

9724  Hare  Force — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  July  29 


Vitaphone — Two  Reels 

9103  Grandfather's  Follies — Featurette  (20  m.).. 

9110  Roaring  Guns — Sante  Fe  Western  (20  ra.). 

9105  Nights  in  Mexico  City — Featurette  (20  m.) . 

9111  Wells  Fargo  Days— Sante  Fe  Western  (20m) 

9104  Our  Frontier  in  Italy — Featurette  (20  m.). 
9005  Winners  Circle — Special  (20  m.).... 
9004  Devil  Boats— Special  (20  min.)  , 

9112  Trial  by  Trigger — Sante  Fe  Western  (20  m.) 

9106  Halls  of  Montezuma — Featurette  (20  m.).. 


.Feb.  5 
.Feb.  19 
Mar.  25 
Apr.  1 

Apr.  29 
.  May  6 
May  27 
June  10 
.July  8 


NEWS  WEEKLY 
NEW  YORK 
RELEASE  DATES 


45278 
45179 


Pathe  News 

45175  Sat.  (O).  .May  13 
45276  Wed.  (E).May  17 
45177  Sat.  (O)  . . May  20 
Wed.  (E).May  24 
Sat.  (O).  .May  27 
45280  Wed.  (E).May  31 
45181  Sat.  (O) .  .June  3 
45282  Wed.  (E).June  7 
45183  Sat.  (O).  .June  10 
45284  Wed.  (E).June  14 
45185  Sat.  (O).  .June  17 
45286  Wed.  (E). June  21 
45187  Sat.  (O).  .June  24 
45288  Wed.  (E). June  28 
45189  Sat.  (0)..July  1 


Fox  Movietone 

73 

Tues. 

(O). 

.  .May  16 

74 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .May  18 

75 

Tues. 

(O). 

.  .May  23 

76 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .May  25 

77 

Tues. 

(O). 

.  .May  30 

78 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .June  1 

79 

Tues. 

(O). 

. .June  6 

80 

Thurs. 

(E). 

. .June  8 

81 

Tues. 

(O). 

. .June  13 

82 

Thurs. 

(E). 

, .June  15 

83 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.June  20 

84 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.June  22 

85 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.June  27 

86 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.June  29 

87 

Tues. 

(O). 

..July  4 

Universal 


292  Fri.  (E) . . 

293  Wed.  (O) 

294  Fri.   (E) . . 

295  Wed.  (O) 

296  Fri.   (E) . . 

297  Wed.  (O), 

298  Fri.  (E)... 

299  Wed.  (O). 

300  Fri.  (E) . . . 

301  Wed.  (O). 

302  Fri.  (E) . . . 

303  Wed.  (O). 

304  Fri.  (E) . . . 

305  Wed.  (O). 

306  Fri.  (O) . . . 


.May  12 
.May  17 
.May  19 
.May  24 
.May  26 
.May  31 
.June  2 
.June  7 
•June  9 
.June  14 
.June  16 
June  21 
.June  23 
June  28 
June  30 


Paramount  News 

73  Sunday  (O).. May  14 

74  Thurs.  (E). .  .May  18 

75  Sunday  (O).  .May  21 

76  Thurs.  (E)...  May  25 

77  Sunday  (O)  .  .May  28 

78  Thurs.  (E)..  June  1 
Sunday  (O)  .  June  4 
Thurs.  (E).  .  June  8 
Sunday  (O).  June  11 

82  Thurs.  (E). .  June  11 

83  Sunday  (O)  .  June  18 

84  Thurs.  (E)... June  22 

85  Sunday  (O)  .  June  25 

86  Thurs.  (E).  .  June  29 

87  Sunday  (O)  .  July  2 


79 
80 
■SI 


Metrotone  News 


271  Tues. 

272  Thurs. 

273  Tues. 

274  Thurs. 

275  Tues. 

276  Thurs. 

277  Tues. 

278  Thurs. 

279  Tues. 


(O).  .May  16 
(E).  .May  18 
•  May  23 
.May  25 
.May  30 
June  1 
June  6 
June  8 
June  13 


(O). 
(E). 
(O). 
(E). 
(O). 
(E). 
(O). 

280  Thurs.  (E).  June  15 

281  Tues.   (O).  June  20 

282  Thurs.  (E).  June  22 

283  Tues.   (O).  June  27 

284  Thurs.  (E)  .  June  29 

285  Tues.    (O).  July  4 


All  American  News 

81  Friday   May  12 

82  Friday   May  19 

83  Friday   May  26 

84  Friday   June  2 

85  Friday   June  9 

86  Friday   June  16 

87  Friday   June  23 

88  Friday   June  30 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


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oreat  Britain  . ...........  ±o.<o             Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  MAY  20,  1944 


No.  21 


A  CLASSIC! 

You  remember,  I  am  sure,  that  Mr.  Joseph  Bern' 
hard,  head  of  the  Warner  Bros,  theatre  department, 
resigned  from  the  board  of  directors  of  Motion  Picture 
Theatre  Owners  of  America,  because  Ed  Kuykendall 
and  other  members  of  the  board  went  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  Justice  and  recommended  that  the  Depart- 
ment proceed  with  the  suit  against  the  major  com- 
panies. 

In  an  effort  to  appease  Mr.  Bernhard  and  probably- 
other  affiliated  members  of  the  board,  and  thus  save 
his  meal  ticket,  Ed  Kuykendall  issued  a  bulletin,  dated 
April  12,  among  which  is  contained  the  following 
classic,  under  the  head  heading,  "MPTOA  Indepen- 
dent Members'  Views  Only  Presented  to  the  D.  of  J." : 

"Nevertheless  it  should  be  noted  that  these  pro- 
posals are  (were)  presented  by  and  on  behalf  of  the 
unaffiliated  or  independent  members  of  MPTOA,  who 
are  in  the  vast  majority  in  the  MPTOA  group  of  state 
and  regional  exhibitor  associations.  Neither  the  affili- 
ated nor  the  partly  affiliated  exhibitors  represented  in 
the  MPTOA  organisations  were  consulted  in  the  mat- 
ter nor  participated  in  the  conference  that  drafted 
the  statement  for  Mr.  Clark.  Inasmuch  as  they  are  de- 
fendants in  the  suit,  they  are  represented  exclusively 
by  their  own  counsel  in  connection  with  the  Consent 
Decree,  and  in  no  wise  by  MPTOA." 

Before  commenting  on  this  classic,  I  want  to  state 
that  Ed's  statement  to  the  effect  that  the  independent 
exhibitors  in  the  MPTOA  group  are  in  the  "vast 
majority,"  that  is,  in  numbers  that  can  always  over- 
ride any  decisions  that  the  affiliated  group  may  take  as 
to  the  policies  of  MPTOA,  is  a  pipe  dream  of  his. 
But  he  has  been  able  to  make  this  pipe  dream  be  ac- 
cepted as  a  reality  by  many  persons  outside  the  indus- 
try, particularly  by  some  members  of  Congress,  be- 
cause Ed  is  able  to  travel  far  and  wide  on  the  money 
put  up  by  affiliated  theatres,  and  is  assisted  by  capable 
publicity  men. 

What  really  happened  in  Washington  is  this,  as  I 
have  learned  from  authoritative  sources:  Ed  called  a 
meeting  of  the  unaffiliated  members  of  the  MPTOA 
board  of  directors  with  a  view  to  influencing  them  to 
compose  a  petition  to  the  Department  of  Justice  re- 
questing the  dropping  of  the  suit  against  the  major 
companies  and  to  grant  to  the  exhibiors  some  reforms 
that  might  appease  them.  But  his  board  revolted  on 
him,  because  they  have  been  hurt  by  the  high  prices 
they  have  had  to  pay  for  film,  and  drafted  an  entirely 
different  resolution.  Kuykendall  then  found  himself 
in  a  position  from  which  he  could  not  retreat. 

Ed's  statement  to  the  effect  that  the  petition  to  the 
Department  of  Justice  represented  only  the  indepen- 


dent exhibitors  in  MPTOA,  who  are  "in  the  vast 
majority,"  is  purely  "bunk."  What  dues  Ed  collects 
from  truly  independent  exhibitors  each  year  is  not 
enough  to  pay  for  the  postage  consumed  by  the  or- 
ganization. 


NEW  THEATRES  IN  AREAS  THAT 
REQUIRE  THEM 

Early  this  month  Mr.  H.  V.  Harvey,  president  of 
Independent  Theatres  Owners  of  Northern  Califor- 
nia, with  headquarters  in  San  Francisco,  wrote  a  letter 
to  Mr.  R.  W.  Longstreth,  Regional  Director  of  the 
War  Production  Board  of  the  Office  of  Civilian  Re- 
quirement, expressing  concern  over  his  office's  recent 
announcement  to  the  effect  that  additional  theatre 
facilities  are  required  in  the  San  Francisco  area,  and 
that  applications  for  priority  orders  for  theatre  con- 
struction would  be  considered  by  that  office  with 
favor.  Mr.  Harvey  expressed  the  fear  lest  speculators, 
inexperienced  in  the  operation  of  motion  picture  the- 
atres, may  undertake  to  obtain  permits  to  build  the- 
atres in  localities  where  the  existing  facilities  are 
adequate,  with  the  result  that  the  new  theatres  would, 
not  only  fail  to  serve  the  Department's  purpose,  but 
also  cause  great  economic  waste  both  during  and  after 
the  war. 

If  the  Office  of  Civilian  Requirements,  says  Mr. 
Harvey,  had  the  necessary  manpower  to  investigate 
each  application  before  issuing  a  priority  order,  it 
would  be  a  different  matter,  but  since  such  facilities 
do  not  exist  at  present,  Mr.  Harvey  has  offered  the 
services  of  his  organization  in  furnishing,  upon  re- 
quest, whatever  information  it  possesses. 

At  the  request  of  the  board  of  directors  of  his  or- 
ganization, Mr.  Harvey  called  the  attention  of  Mr. 
Longstreth  to  the  reports  in  the  trade  papers  to  the 
effect  that  theatre  circuits,  either  controlled  by  or  affili- 
ated with  producing  interests  and  presumably  barred 
by  the  terms  of  the  Consent  Decree,  have  asked  for 
blanket  authorization  to  construct  new  theatres  in  the 
San  Francisco  Bay  area,  thus  hoping,  through  the 
Offices  of  Civilian  Requirements,  to  circumvent  the 
anti-expansion  policy  of  the  Department  of  Justice. 

"If  in  the  opinion  of  the  Office  of  Civilian  Require- 
ments," writes  Mr.  Harvey,  "any  new  theatres  are 
necessary  in  this  area,  independent  theatre  owners 
already  operating  in  this  locality  and  not  in  violation 
of  the  anti-trust  laws,  are  themselves  ready  and  will- 
ing, and  financially  able,  to  provide  additional  theatre 
facilities  at  any  point  or  points  requiring  them. 

"It  may  be  that  the  Regional  office  has  already 
determined  upon  the  localities  where  it  believes  new 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


HZ 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  20,  1944 


"The  Eve  of  St.  Mark"  with  Anne  Baxter, 
William  Eythe  and  Michael  O'Shea 

(20th  Century-Fox,  ]une;  time,  96  min.) 

Based  on  Maxwell  Anderson's  successful  Broadway 
stage  play  of  the  same  title,  this  is  a  carefully  produced 
war  drama,  one  of  the  better  pictures  of  its  type.  But 
because  the  public  has  shown  resistance  to  war  pk' 
tures,  and  because  this  one  lacks  what  might  set  it 
apart  from  numerous  other  good  war  pictures,  it  will 
require  selling  to  put  it  over.  Perhaps  the  fame  of  the 
stage  play  will  be  of  considerable  help.  Though  the 
film  is  based  on  an  original  play,  it  offers  little  that 
has  not  been  said  or  done  many  times.  Moreover,  there 
is  more  talk  than  action.  A  good  summation  of  what 
the  film  amounts  to  is  the  remark  of  one  reviewer,  who 
said:  "It  is  one-half  'See  Here  Private  Hargrove'  and 
the  other  half  'Bataan.'  " 

The  story,  which  begins  in  1941,  revolves  around  a 
group  of  inductees  and  concerns  their  reactions  to 
army  life  and  the  cause  for  which  they  fight.  Among 
those  included  in  the  group  are  William  Eythe,  an 
idealistic  young  man,  son  of  a  farmer  ,who  was  deeply 
in  love  with  Anne  Baxter,  a  neighbor's  daughter; 
Vincent  Price,  a  cynical,  poetical  Southern  aristocrat; 
and  Michael  O'Shea,  a  tempestuous  but  lovable  Irish- 
man. Following  their  adventures  in  camp,  and  the 
tender  moments  that  Eythe  spends  with  his  parents 
and  Anne,  while  on  leave,  the  men  are  shipped  over- 
seas. With  the  attack  on  Pearl  Harbor,  the  action 
shifts  to  a  Philippines  island,  where  the  three  men  are 
part  of  a  small  group  fighting  a  delaying  action  against 
the  Japs.  They  suffer  untold  hardships  as  the  relent- 
less bombing  attacks  by  the  Japanese  slowly  decreases 
their  ranks.  Fever-ridden  and  short  of  supplies,  all  are 
overjoyed  when  orders  arrive  giving  them  permission 
to  evacuate  the  island,  but  pointing  out  the  importance 
of  every  hour  they  hold  out.  When  Eythe  remarks 
that  they  ought  to  remain,  he  is  shouted  down  by  the 
others  who  bitterly  give  their  reasons  for  favoring 
immediate  evacuation.  When  a  vote  is  taken,  how- 
ever, they  unanimously  agree  to  fight  on.  Unlike  the 
stage  play's  ending,  in  which  the  men  sacrifice  their 
lives,  the  film  indicates  that  they  make  their  escape 
after  fighting  a  successful  delaying  action. 

The  performances  are  excellent  throughout,  with 
that  of  Vincent  Price's  outstanding. 

George  Seaton  wrote  the  screen  play,  William  Perl- 
berg  produced  it,  and  John  M.  Stahl  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Ruth  Nelson,  Ray  Collins,  Stanley 
Prager,  Dickie  Moore,  Murray  Alper  and  many 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Summer  Storm"  with  George  Sanders, 
Linda  Darnell  and  Edward  Everett  Horton 

(United  Artists,  no  release  date  set;  time,  107  min.) 

This  is  a  finely  produced,  interest-holding,  drama. 
It  should  appeal  chiefly  to  sophisticates,  for  the  story 
is  boldly  sexy.  Its  subject  matter  is  somewhat  un- 
pleasant, but  in  view  of  the  fact  that  "Of  Human 
Bondage"  and  "The  Moon  and  Sixpence,"  which  were 
based  on  similar  themes,  proved  successful  at  the  box- 
office,  this  picture,  too,  should  go  over  well.  As  far  as 
small  towns  are  concerned,  its  success  will  depend  on 
the  exploitation  it  receives  in  the  key-city  runs.  The 
leading  characters  are  unsympathetic,  particularly 
the  hero  and  heroine.  Linda  Darnell,  who  is  cast  in  a 
"Theda  Bara"  role,  is  presented  as  a  fickle,  vicious, 
and  immoral  woman,  using  her  physical  charm  to  en- 


tice men  and  degrade  them  in  an  effort  to  better  her 
position  in  life.  George  Sanders  is  shown  as  a  weak- 
ling, because  of  his  inability  to  resist  her  wiles,  though 
fully  aware  of  her  worthlessness.  Their  actions  tend 
to  hurt  an  innocent  person,  Miss  Darnell's  husband, 
for  whom  one  feels  sympathy.  The  action  takes  place 
in  a  small  Russian  village,  in  1911,  furnishing  an 
interesting  background: — 

Although  in  love  with  Anna  Lee,  daughter  of  a 
newspaper  publisher,  George  Sanders,  a  judge,  finds 
himself  fascinated  by  Linda  Darnell,  daughter  of  Sig 
Ruman,  a  drunken  woodcutter  working  on  the  estate 
of  Edward  Everett  Horton,  a  prosperous  and  profli- 
gate Russian  Count.  Linda,  to  better  her  station  in 
life,  agrees  to  marry  Hugo  Haas,  Horton's  middle- 
aged  overseer.  As  a  whim,  Horton  arranges  for  the 
wedding  to  be  held  in  his  home.  Sanders  attends  the 
party  with  Anna.  After  the  ceremony,  Sanders  finds 
himself  alone  with  Linda  and  realizes  that  he  is  madly 
in  love  with  her.  Anna  discovers  them  in  an  embrace 
and  leaves  the  party  abruptly.  Though  depressed  by 
the  break  between  Anna  and  himself,  Sanders  con- 
tinues the  love  affair  with  Linda,  only  to  learn  that 
she  was  beginning  to  accept  the  attentions  of  Horton 
as  well.  When  Linda  leaves  her  husband  to  accept 
Horton's  proposal  of  marriage,  Sanders,  realizing  that 
she  had  ruined  his  life  and  Anna's,  stabs  her  to  death. 
Guilt  for  the  murder  is  fastened  on  Haas,  who  is  sen- 
tenced to  life-long  labor  in  Siberia.  Sanders  allows  the 
realization  of  his  guilt  to  eat  into  his  soul,  and  un- 
burdens himself  by  writing  of  the  crime.  Years  later, 
Sanders,  reduced  to  poverty,  lives  with  Horton,  whose 
estate  had  been  confiscated  by  the  Soviets.  Horton, 
believing  that  Sanders  had  been  writing  a  novel,  takes 
the  manuscript  to  Anna,  now  a  publisher,  and  offers 
it  to  her  for  publication.  Learning  of  this,  Sanders 
rushes  to  Anna.  She  returns  the  manuscript  to  him 
in  an  envelope  addressed  to  the  police.  Remorseful, 
Sanders  drops  it  into  a  mail  box,  but  a  moment  later 
tries  to  retrieve  it  from  the  mailman.  In  the  fight  that 
ensues,  the  police  shoot  him  dead. 

Rowland  Leigh  and  Douglas  Sirk  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Seymour  Nebenzal  produced  it,  and  Mr.  Sirk 
directed  it.  Rudolph  Joseph  was  the  associated  pro- 
ducer. The  cast  includes  John  Philliber,  Andre  Char- 
lot,  John  Abbott  and  others. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"Cobra  Woman"  with  Maria  Montez, 
Jon  Hall  and  Sabu 

(Universal,  May  12;  time,  70  min.) 
Mediocre.  Latest  in  Universale  series  of  Techni- 
color fantasies,  featuring  Maria  Montez  and  John 
Hall,  it  falls  far  below  the  entertainment  level  of  the 
previous  pictures.  Its  main  appeal  may  be  directed  to 
children,  who  should  find  some  of  the  proceedings 
highly  exciting,  and  to  those  patrons  whose  demands 
are  easily  satisfied  by  stupendous  sets,  Technicolor 
photography,  and  sarong-clad  girls.  Reasonably  intel- 
ligent adults,  however,  will  find  it  all  a  bit  too  ludi- 
crous. This  time  the  action  takes  place  on  a  mythical 
South  Sea  island  inhabited  by  a  tribe  of  snake  wor- 
shipers, and  the  fable  revolves  around  the  efforts  of 
an  island  beauty  to  end  the  ruthless  reign  of  her 
wicked  twin  sister,  a  High  Priestess.  Maria  Montez, 
who  plays  a  dual  role,  makes  the  most  of  every  oppor- 
tunity to  display  her  physical  charms,  which  seem  to 
be  the  main  purpose  of  the  film,  and  Jon  Hall  is  again 
the  dashing  hero  who  rescues  the  damsel  in  distress: — 


May  20, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


83 


On  the  day  of  her  marriage  to  Ramu  (Jon  Hall) , 
Tollea  (Maria  Montez)  is  kidnapped  and  taken  to 
Cobra  Island,  where  she  learns  from  a  kindly  old 
Queen  (Mary  Nash)  that  she  was  the  elder  twin  sister 
of  Nadja  (also  Maria  Montez),  the  island's  wicked 
High  Priestess,  who  exacted  heavy  tribute  from  the 
natives  under  penalty  of  death.  The  Queen  wanted 
Tollea  to  assume  her  rightful  place  as  High  Priestess 
and  to  bring  an  end  to  Nadja's  cruel  reign.  Mean- 
while  Ramu,  accompanied  by  Kado  (Sabu),  his  native 
boy,  comes  to  Cobra  Island  to  rescue  Tollea.  He  is 
captured  and  imprisoned  by  Martok  (Edgar  Barrier) , 
Nadja's  minister  of  affairs,  but,  with  Kado's  aid, 
manages  to  escape  and  to  contact  Tollea.  The  old 
Queen  begs  Ramu  to  help  bring  about  the  abdication 
of  Nadja.  Aware  that  her  rule  was  endangered,  Nadja 
orders  Martok  to  murder  the  Queen.  Tollea,  aroused, 
engages  Nadja  in  a  fight  to  the  death  and  come  out  the 
victor.  She  dresses  herself  in  Nadja's  robes  and,  assum- 
ing her  place  as  High  Priestess,  calls  a  halt  to  the 
persecution  of  the  natives.  Martok,  in  defiance,  chal- 
lenges her  rule,  but  he  and  his  men  are  subdued  by 
Ramu  and  Kato,  who  come  to  Tollea's  aid. 

Gene  Lewis  and  Richard  Brooks  wrote  the  screen 
play,  George  Waggner  produced  it,  and  Robert  Siod- 
mak  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Lon  Chaney,  Lois 
Collier,  Moroni  Olsen  and  others. 

"Make  Your  Own  Bed"  with  Jack  Carson, 
Jane  Wyman,  Alan  Hale  and  Irene  Manning 

(Warner  Bros.,  June  10;  time,  83  min.) 

Poor.  Using  as  its  basic  theme  the  domestic  help 
shortage,  this  is  a  boresome  comedy,  tedious  and  long 
drawn  out.  The  story  is  made  up  of  a  series  of  time- 
worn  comedy  situations,  and  it  falls  into  a  rut  at  the 
very  beginning  from  which  it  never  succeeds  in  ex- 
tricating  itself.  The  comedy  is  forced,  and  most  of  it 
fails  to  provoke  even  as  much  as  a  grin.  The  characters 
are  made  to  behave  in  so  ridiculous  a  manner  that  the 
spectator  becomes  impatient  with  them  all.  There  is  no 
human  interest.  Jack  Carson  and  Jane  Wyman 
showed  promise  as  a  comedy  team  in  their  last  pic- 
ture, ''Princess  O'Rourke,"  but  they  will  need  better 
story  material  than  this  to  continue  their  success: — 

Alan  Hale,  a  wealthy  manufacturer,  finds  it  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  household  servants  because  of  the  man- 
power shortage.  To  solve  his  problem,  Hale  tricks 
Jack  Carson,  a  private  detective,  into  posing  as  his 
butler  while  investigating  a  supposed  romance  be- 
tween his  wife  (Irene  Manning)  and  his  next  door 
neighbor  (George  Tobias) .  To  make  sure  that  Carson 
remains  on  the  job,  Hale  also  tells  him  that  Nazi  spies 
planned  to  blow  up  his  factory.  Carson,  who  had  just 
been  discharged  by  Robert  Shayne,  head  of  a  detec- 
tive agency  and  his  rival  for  the  love  of  Jane  Wyman, 
gladly  accepts  the  position.  Jane,  eager  to  see  Carson 
get  ahead  agrees  to  help  him  by  posing  as  the  maid. 
Having  started  a  hoax,  Hale  continues  it  by  employing 
a  group  of  actors  to  spend  the  week-end  at  his  home 
and  to  pose  as  Nari  spies.  Shayne,  however,  learns  of 
the  hoax  and  informs  Jane  about  it.  Meanwhile  Car- 
son learns  of  the  deception  when  he  overhears  Hale 
and  the  actors  plotting  to  stage  a  fake  hold-up  in  the 
library.  In  a  desperate  attempt  to  win  back  Jane's 
love  and  confidence,  Carson  tells  her  that  the  actors 
are  really  spies  and  invites  her  into  the  library  to 
prove  it.  Much  to  his  surprise,  his  assertion  proves 
correct.  The  spies,  who  had  been  posing  as  actors, 


overpower  Carson  and  tie  him  up.  But  with  the  aid  of 
one  of  the  spies,  who  turns  out  to  be  an  FBI  agent, 
Carson  frees  himself  and  helps  capture  the  gang.  He 
ends  up  a  hero,  with  Jane  in  his  arms. 

Frances  Swann  and  Edmund  Joseph  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Alex  Gottlieb  produced  it,  and  Peter 
Godfrey  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Tala  Birell, 
Ricardo  Cortes,  Kurt  Katch  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Hairy  Ape"  with  William  Bendix, 
Susan  Hayward  and  John  Loder 

(United  Artists,  no  release  date  set;  time,  91  min.) 
By  reason  of  William  Bendix's  fine  acting,  this  pic- 
ture, which  has  been  produced  artistically,  turns  out 
to  be  an  interesting  drama.  The  story  is  based  on 
Eu  gene  O'Neill's  play,  which  was  produced  on  the 
Broadway  stage  in  1922,  with  the  late  Louis  Wolheim 
in  the  lead.  The  picture  is  really  more  of  a  character 
study  than  a  connected  story.  It  revolves  around  a 
brutal,  boastful  coal  stoker  on  board  a  ship,  proud  of 
his  massive  strength,  whose  sensitivities  are  touched 
deeply  when  a  beautiful  rich  girl  insultingly  calls  him 
a  "hairy  ape."  The  most  gripping  situation  is  near  the 
finish,  where  Bendix,  under  a  nervous  tension  and 
about  to  kill  the  girl,  becomes  satisfied  in  his  own  mind 
that  he  was  not  beneath  the  level  of  his  insulter,  de- 
spite their  difference  in  social  positions,  and  once 
again  becomes  master  of  his  domain — the  stokehold. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  the  rank  and  file  will  catch  the 
spirit  of  O'Neill's  play,  but  they  should  be  enter- 
tained by  the  sheer  force  of  Bendix's  performance: — 

In  Lisbon,  on  the  eve  of  their  sailing  for  New  York, 
William  Bendix,  chief  stoker  of  an  old  coal  burning 
ship,  and  his  two  pals,  Roman  Bohnen  and  Tom  Fad- 
den,  start  a  riot  in  a  cafe  and  are  saved  from  the  police 
by  the  timely  intervention  of  John  Loder,  the  ship's 
second  engineer.  During  the  voyage,  Susan  Hayward, 
a  wealthy  and  spoiled  socialite,  who  delighted  in  en- 
ticing Loder  away  from  Dorothy  Comingore,  her 
friend,  persuades  Loder  to  take  her  to  the  stokehold 
to  see  how  the  men  live.  She  enters  just  as  Bendix  was 
cursing  furiously  at  the  engineers  for  demanding  more 
steam.  As  he  turns  on  her,  flushed  with  anger  and 
dripping  with  perspiration,  she  calls  him  a  "hairy 
ape"  and  flees.  Smarting  under  the  insult,  Bendix 
realises  that  he  had  come  up  against  something  he 
could  not  crush  with  his  strength.  He  determines  to 
find  out  why  she  had  called  him  an  "ape."  Arriving 
in  New  York,  he  tries  to  break  into  her  apartment, 
only  to  be  arrested  for  disturbing  the  peace.  Released 
from  jail,  Bendix  wanders  into  a  side-show  and  stands 
by  the  cage  of  a  giant  gorilla.  Realizing  that  the  goril- 
la's only  thought  was  to  kill,  he  returns  to  Susan's 
apartment  determined  to  murder  her.  She  faints  as  he 
approaches  her.  When  Susan  comes  to  and  sees  him 
bending  over  her,  she  tries  to  lure  him  into  making 
love  to  her.  Concluding  that,  despite  the  difference  in 
their  social  positions,  she  was  no  better  or  different 
than  any  waterfront  wench  he  had  mastered  in  the 
past,  Bendix  releases  her  and  returns  to  his  ship,  his 
obsession  gone. 

Robert  D.  Andrews  and  Decla  Dunning  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Jules  Levey  produced  it,  and  Alfred 
Santell  directed  it.  Joseph  H.  Nadel  was  the  associate 
producer. 

Adult  entertainment. 


84 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  20,  1944 


houses  should  he  huilt,  and  if  that  is  the  case  we  need 
only  advice  from  you  as  to  the  locations  and  numher 
of  seats  required;  otherwise  the  various  independent 
theatre  owners  in  the  congested  areas  are  prepared 
now  to  file  applications  for  the  necessary  permits  .  .  ." 

The  position  that  Mr.  Harvey  and  his  organization 
have  taken  is  sound  and  Harrison's  Reports  hopes 
that  the  organizations  of  other  territories,  where  the 
building  of  new  theatres  is  required,  will  take  similar 
action. 

In  the  way  of  suggestion,  where  an  organization 
finds  that  a  member  had  submitted  a  request  for  pri- 
ority of  material  and  is  opposed  by  a  strong  independ- 
ent  or  affiliated  circuit,  it  might  not  be  a  bad  idea  for 
the  organization  and  the  circuit  to  get  together  so  that 
the  theatre  will  be  operated  jointly,  with  a  certain 
share  of  the  profits  going  to  the  organization.  In  this 
manner,  the  organizations  may  have  a  regular  income, 
thus  augmenting  its  income  from  dues. 

This  is  merely  a  suggestion.  If  there  are  reasons 
against  it,  this  paper  will  be  glad  to  print  them,  pro- 
vided the  letters  are  short  and  to  the  point,  on  account 
of  its  limited  space. 

THE  LOCUST  ARE  COMING! 

Under  the  heading,  "The  Locust  Are  Coming!" 
the  Service  Bulletin  of  the  Independent  Theatre  Own- 
ers of  Northern  California,  contains  the  following 
item: 

"When  the  locust  come  swarming  down  a  field 
they  eat  everything  in  sight,  leaving  the  country  bar- 
ren of  every  growing  thing — there  is  nothing  left  for 
the  farmer. 

"We,  as  Exhibitors,  are  now  threatened  with  a 
swarm  of  locust  —  not  the  grasshopper  type  but 
HUMAN  LOCUST  in  the  form  of  CARNIVALS. 
Not  first  class,  responsible  carnivals  but  the  lowest 
class  in  the  business.  When  the  military  restrictions 
on  carnivals  was  lifted,  they  started  swarming  into 
California.  They  are  leaving  the  East  Coast  and  South 
for  the  miracle  West.  It  is  not  that  they  are  genuine 
carnivals  and  have  the  right  to  make  a  living  BUT, 
from  the  information  we  have,  their  'rides'  are  unsafe 
and  'rides'  and  'shows'  are  just  a  bluff  for  their  real 
purpose — GAMBLING.  They  are  small  outfits  and 
go  into  the  smallest  of  towns.  They  will  take  out  all 
excess  cash,  which  will  hurt  you  but  even  worse,  they 
help  to  further  JUVENILE  DELINQUENCY. 

"Right  now  we  do  not  know  what  can  be  done 
about  it  but  WE  WILL  DO  SOMETHING.  YOU 
CAN  HELP  by  reporting  to  us  if  one  of  these  outfits 
hit  your  town.  Advise  us  what  kind  of  an  outfit  it  is 
and  their  conduct  in  your  town." 

Harrison's  Reports  wishes  that  the  Bulletin  had 
adhered  to  the  moral  effect  of  the  disreputable  carni- 
vals upon  the  small  communities  and  left  the  business 
end  of  it  alone,  to  be  treated  separately,  perhaps  in 
another  Bulletin,  for  much  can  be  done  by  exhibitors 
if  they  should  attack  the  evil  from  the  moral  point 
of  view,  for  there  is  no  question  that  their  influence 
on  juvenile  delinquency  is  great. 

What  the  Bulletin  suggests  to  the  exhibitors  is  the 
most  effective  method  of  combating  the  unworthy 
carnivals.  If  each  exhibitor  should  report  to  the  or- 
ganization the  conduct  of  these  carnivals  in  one  town 
and  the  other  exhibitors  send  in  their  reports  about  the 
expected  arrival  of  these  carnivals,  much  can  be  done 


by  the  local  people  to  compel  such  carnivals,  either 
to  mend  their  methods  and  abandon  their  gambling 
devices,  or  be  barred  from  the  town. 

Better  yet,  a  law  should  be  passed  in  each  state 
requiring  that  the  carnivals  maintain  certairl  stand- 
ards, not  only  of  morality  but  of  safety,  with  a  bond 
given  to  insure  the  payment  of  indemnity  in  case  of 
accident.  Such  a  law  would  bring  about  the  extinction 
of  the  disreputable  carnivals  without  hurting  the 
reputable  ones. 

The  exhibitors  will  have  much  support  from  the 
public  in  case  they  should  base  their  appeal  on  the 
grounds  that  this  paper  has  suggested,  and  in  the  event 
that  a  state  law  is  passed  setting  certain  standards  for 
carnivals  it  is  certain  that  the  small-town  exhibitors 
would  at  the  same  time  benefit. 


OHIO  ALLIED  SEEKS  INVESTIGATION 
OF  U.  S.  ATTORNEY  GENERAL 

At  the  May  9  convention  of  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Ohio,  a  resolution  was  passed  petitioning 
Congress  to  investigate  the  conduct  of  the  U.  S.  At- 
torney General  on  the  ground  that  the  proceedings 
under  the  suits  that  were  filed  by  the  Attorney  Gen- 
eral under  the  Sherman  Anti-Trust  Act  to  dissolve 
"the  motion  picture  trust"  were  suddenly  halted  in 
the  summer  of  1940  as  a  result  of  secret  conferences 
behind  closed  doors,  and  was  followed  shortly  after- 
wards by  a  consent  decree,  entered  into  by  the  accused 
companies  and  by  the  Attorney  General. 

The  resolution  states  that,  as  a  result  of  the  Con- 
sent Decree,  the  monopolistic  power  of  the  defend- 
ants has  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  these  defend- 
ants now  indulge  in  "unfair  and  unethical  practices" 
to  a  greater  extent  than  ever;  and  that  their  profits 
have  piled  up  to  double  and  triple  the  size  of  what 
they  made  in  previous  years,  enabling  the  executives 
of  these  companies  to  draw  "fantastic"  salaries  while 
at  the  same  time  the  independent  exhibitors  have  been 
threatened  with  extinction  as  a  result  of  the  high 
rentals  they  are  compelled  to  pay. 

The  purpose  of  the  investigation,  the  resolution 
states,  is  to  ascertain  definitely  and  quickly  whether 
the  Attorney  General  has  exercised  due  diligence 
in  enforcing  the  law,  and  what  specific  legislation  is 
needed  to  dissolve  the  motion  picture  monopoly,  re- 
storing  in  the  industry  competitive  conditions  to  the 
end  that  the  independent  exhibitor  may  be  liberated 
from  the  present  economic  slavery. 

A  copy  of  the  resolution  has  been  mailed  to  the 
Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  the  Speaker  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  the  Chairman  of  both 
the  Senate  Committee  and  the  House  Committee  on 
the  Judiciary,  and  to  every  member  of  both  houses  of 
Congress. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  MAY  27,  1944 


No.  22 


THE  ATTITUDE  OF  THE  NEWSPAPER 
REVIEWERS  TOWARDS  THE  MOVIES 

Some  one  has  sent  me  from  Baltimore,  Maryland, 
a  clipping  of  the  review  of  "Up  in  Mabel's  Room," 
by  Donald  Kirkley,  writer  for  the  Baltimore  Sun;  it 
appeared  in  the  May  6  issue. 

Since  this  person  did  not  indicate  whether  he  ap- 
proved or  disapproved  the  review,  I  felt  that  I  should 
say  something  for  the  benefit,  not  only  of  this  person, 
but  also  of  such  other  persons  as  might  pay  close  atten- 
tion  to  all  the  reviewers  of  the  daily  newspapers.  Here 
is  the  review : 

"The  new  production  given  the  ancient  bedroom 
farce,  'Up  in  Mabel's  Room,'  is  superior  in  most  ways 
to  the  original  stage  show  and  the  first  screen  adapta- 
tion made  in  1926.  Its  tired  old  face  has  been  lifted 
with  topical  gags,  and  the  photography,  certainly,  has 
improved.  There  is  only  one  trouble  with  the  film  now 
at  the  Century :  it  is  about  20  years  too  late. 

"  'Up  in  Mabel's  Room'  was  tossed  up  on  a  wave 
of  infantile  plays  which  engulfed  Broadway  in  the 
early  20's,  as  an  ugly  but  relatively  harmless  by-prod- 
uct of  the  post-war  reaction.  The  formula  was  simple 
and,  for  those  days,  shocking.  In  this  case  it  consisted 
of  a  bridegroom's  attempt  to  retrieve  an  autographed 
undergarment  he  had  given  a  girl  friend  before  his 
marriage.  Several  couples  are  brought  together  at  a 
house  party  and  spend  a  lot  of  time  running  in  and 
out  of  each  other's  quarters,  hiding  under  beds  and  in 
chests,  jumping  in  and  out  of  windows  and  so  forth. 

"At  the  present  time  the  motion-picture  folks  are 
making  a  lot  of  fuss  about  the  50th  anniversary  of 
their  art,  ladling  out  a  great  deal  of  self-praise  about 
the  progress  which  has  been  made  in  this  half  century. 
If  LUp  in  Mabel's  Room'  represents  progress,  we  will 
eat  the  negative  for  lunch,  without  mayonnaise  .  .  ." 

The  attitude  of  most  newspaper  critics  is  one  of  con- 
descension. Having  been  nurtured  in  the  traditions  of 
the  stage,  they  can  see  nothing  good  in  motion  pic- 
tures; and  whenever  they  say  something  nice  about  a 
picture  now  and  then,  they  say  it  with  condescension. 
One  of  the  New  York  critics  said  that  the  picture  is 
"corny,"  but  that  the  audience  laughed  heartily — a 
reaction  he  could  not  fathom. 

If  the  public  should  enjoy  the  comedy  in  "Up  in 
Mabel's  Room"  or  in  any  other  picture,  what  dif- 
ference does  it  make  whether  it  is  "corny"  or  not? 
After  all,  pictures  are  produced,  not  for  critics,  but 
for  the  public. 

The  drama  critics  in  New  York,  whenever  they  are 
unanimous  against  a  stage  play,  kill  it,  but,  the  opin- 
ions of  the  newspaper  motion  picture  critics  do  not,  as 
a  rule,  go  very  far,  because,  despite  their  adverse  crit- 


icisms, the  public  has  a  chance  to  find  out  for  them- 
selves whether  the  picture  is  or  is  not  entertaining. 

This  paper  advises  Eddie  Small  not  to  spend  any 
sleepless  nights  because  of  the  "panning"  his  picture 
has  received  from  the  critics  of  the  daily  newspapers, 
for  the  picture  pleases  the  public.  And  when  a  picture 
does  that  the  public  will  flock  to  it,  despite  the  wonder- 
ment of  these  critics  as  to  why  the  public  has  a  good 
time  with  it. 


BILL  GOETZ'S  SOUND  VIEWS 

According  to  the  Hollywood  correspondent  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Daily,  William  Goetz,  president  and  head 
producer  of  International  Pictures,  stated  that  a  pro- 
ducer's aim  should  be,  not  to  ascertain  the  type  of  pic- 
tures that  the  public  wants,  but  to  estimate  what  type 
of  pictures  it  will  accept.  In  other  words,  Mr.  Goetz's 
statement  is  a  repudiation  of  the  picture  "cycle,"  cre- 
ated, not  by  the  public,  but  by  the  success  of  a  picture. 
When  a  picture,  whether  it  cost  little  or  much,  makes 
an  unexpected  success,  every  studio  rushes  to  pattern 
some  of  its  product  after  the  successful  picture,  until 
the  public  is  surfeited  and  keep  away  from  that  type 
of  pictures  for  a  time. 

Just  to  use  one  example :  Eddie  Golden 's  "Hitler's 
Children"  made  an  unprecedented  success,  and  almost 
every  studio  started  making  this  type  of  pictures. 
Monogram  made  a  success  with  "Where  Are  Your 
Children?",  based  on  juvenile  delinquency,  and  now 
the  exhibitor  may  expect  a  number  of  pictures  pat- 
terned on  this  theme,  with  the  result  that  after  a  while 
the  public  will  scream  "enough"  of  this  type  of  pic- 
tures. 

Mr.  Goetz  puts  the  matter  right :  a  producer  should 
not  try  to  ascertain  what  pictures  the  public  wants. 
As  it  has  already  been  said  a  few  times  in  these  col- 
umns, Paramount,  when  it  was  founded,  made  it  a 
habit  to  enclose  in  each  film  shipment  a  blank  with 
the  request  to  the  exhibitor  that  he  fill  it  out  and  re- 
turn it  with  the  shipment,  stating  how  the  public 
liked  the  picture.  This  was  done  with  view  to  guiding 
the  company  to  produce  pictures  that  would  conform 
with  the  desires  of  the  public.  After  a  few  years  the 
practice  was  discontinued,  because  it  was,  not  only 
an  annoyance  to  the  exhibitor,  but  also  a  waste  of 
time  and  effort. 

When  a  producer  makes  a  good  picture,  no  matter 
on  what  theme  it  is  founded,  the  public  will  accept 
it,  and  if  it  contains  certain  elements  that  happen  to 
be  in  vogue  at  the  time  the  picture  is  in  release  it 
might  make  a  great  success;  but  if  the  picture  is  poor, 
no  matter  what  tantalizing  publicity  the  distributor 
might  use  to  draw  big  crowds  into  the  theatres,  the 
public  will  not  like  it  and  might  even  be  resentful  that 
it  had  been  attracted  to  the  theatres  by  lurid  publicity. 


86 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  27,  1944 


"Roger  Touhy,  Gangster"  with  Preston 
Foster  and  Victor  McLaglen 

(20th  Century-Fox,  July;  time.  65  min.) 
A  fairly  good  program  melodrama  of  its  type.  As  indi- 
cated by  the  title,  the  story  is  based  on  the  exploits  of  Roger 
Touhy,  the  notorious  gangster,  who,  together  with  members 
of  his  gang,  made  a  sensational  break  from  Joliet  Prison  in 
1942.  The  nationwide  publicity  given  to  this  jail  break  en- 
hances the  film's  box-office  value.  Mixing  fact  and  fiction, 
the  story  follows  a  conventional  gangster-film  plot,  its  chief 
points  of  excitement  being  the  reenactment  of  the  gangsters' 
escape  and  their  eventual  capture  by  the  police.  It  is  a  swiftly- 
paced  film,  filled  with  excitement  and  suspense,  and  repre- 
sentative of  the  gangster  era  during  Touhy's  reign.  The 
ending,  in  which  an  official  of  Joliet  Prison  tells  the  qudiencc 
why  crime  does  not  pay,  should  be  eliminated,  for  the 
speaker  presumes  that  the  audience  itself  is  composed  of 
criminals: — 

When  Joe  Sutton  (William  Post,  Jr.)  welches  on  a 
gambling  debt,  Roger  Touhy  (Preston  Foster)  and  his  gang 
kidnap  him  and  compel  his  business  partner  to  pay  the  debt 
for  his  release.  Sutton,  fearful  of  the  gang,  refuses  to  dis- 
'  close  their  identity  to  Police  Captain  Steve  Warren  (Kent 
Taylor),  but  Warren  finally  persuades  him  to  do  so.  The 
gang  is  apprehended  and  brought  to  trial.  Smoke  Reardon 
(Henry  Morgan),  one  of  the  gang,  turns  state  witness,  and 
the  entire  gang  is  sent  to  prison.  Through  long  years  in  jail, 
Touhy  sets  up  a  plan  for  escape,  giving  each  member  of  his 
gang  specific  instructions,  which  they  were  to  follow  at  the 
opportune  moment.  Outside  confederates  succeed  in  smug- 
gling guns  into  the  prison  and,  carefully  following  their  pre- 
arranged plan,  the  gangsters  make  good  their  escape.  They 
hide  out  in  a  city  apartment  and  succeed  in  evading  the 
police  drag-net.  In  the  meantime  the  FBI  joins  Warren's 
police  force  in  hunting  the  criminals.  When  Touhy  learns 
that  one  of  the  gang  had  ventured  out  into  the  street  to  get 
a  drink,  he  beats  the  fellow  and  throws  him  out  of  the  apart- 
ment. Federal  agents  find  the  beaten  man  in  a  saloon  and, 
through  him,  get  on  the  trail  of  the  gang,  which  by  this  time 
had  separated  and  found  new  hideouts.  Through  clever 
detective  work,  the  police  locate  the  new  hideouts  and  sur- 
round the  buildings.  Ordered  to  surrender,  two  of  the  gang 
resist  arrest  and  are  promptly  shot  down.  Touhy  and  the 
remaining  members  of  his  gang,  realizing  that  they  were 
trapped,  surrender. 

Crane  Wilbur  and  Jerry  Cady  wrote  the  screen  play,  Lee 
Marcus  produced  it,  and  Robert  Florey  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Lois  Andrews,  Anthony  Quinn,  Frank  Jenks, 
George  E.  Stone,  Horace  MacMahon  and  others. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"South  of  Dixie"  with  Anne  Gwynne  and 
David  Bruce 

(Universal,  June  16;  time,  61  min.) 

Moderately  entertaining.  It  is  another  in  Universal's  long 
line  of  modestly-budgeted  program  comedies  with  music, 
and  it  contains  little  to  distinguish  it  from  the  others  either 
in  story  quality,  treatment,  comedy,  or  song.  The  formula 
remains  the  same — a  flimsy  plot  and  musical  interpolations 
that  are  dragged  in  by  the  ear.  The  picture  lacks  human  ap- 
peal, giving  the  characters  little  chance  to  awaken  one's 
sympathy.  For  laughs,  the  characters  occasionally  beat  each 
other  on  the  head: — 

To  avert  the  financial  collapse  of  the  music  publishing 
house  owned  by  David  Bruce  and  himself,  Jerome  Cowan 
concocts  a  colorful  life  story  of  Bruce  and  offers  it  to  a 
motion  picture  studio  for  $100,000.  He  promotes  the  deal 
on  the  basis  that  Bruce  was  a  descendant  of  a  famous  South- 
ern family,  and  that  he  was  the  rightful  "poet  laureate"  of 
the  South  by  virtue  of  his  having  eulogized  the  South  in 
his  songs.  Cowan  employs  Anne  Gwynne,  a  Southern  girl, 
to  teach  Bruce  the  proper  Southern  accent  and  manners. 
Bruce,  a  clean-cut  chap,  reluctantly  agrees  to  the  scheme. 
On  a  tour  of  the  South,  the  trio  are  received  royally.  They 
experience  many  narrow  escapes  trying  to  avoid  being  ex- 


posed. Bruce  even  finds  his  life  in  constant  danger  as  the 
result  of  his  meeting  a  family  that  had  been  mortal  enemies 
with  the  family  of  which  he  purportedly  was  a  descendant. 
Matters  become  complicated  when  Cowan,  without  Bruce's 
knowledge,  arranges  for  the  young  man  to  marry  Ella  Mae 
Morse,  daughter  of  Samuel  H.  Hinds,  an  influential  South- 
ern colonel.  Anne,  who  had  fallen  in  love  with  Bruce,  ex- 
poses the  hoax  to  prevent  the  marriage.  The  Colonel,  in- 
stead of  being  angry,  publicly  announces  the  hoax  and 
congratulates  Bruce  on  his  cleverness.  The  trio  return  to 
New  York  dejected,  only  to  find  a  representative  of  the  mo- 
tion picture  studio  awaiting  their  signature  on  a  contract. 
His  studio  wanted  to  produce  Bruce's  biography,  including 
the  hoax,  as  a  comedy. 

Clyde  Bruckman  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Jean  Yar- 
brough  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Joe 
Sawyer,  Louise  Beavers,  Bobby  Brooks  and  his  Quartette, 
Lester  Cole  and  the  Debutantes,  the  Charmers  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Home  in  Indiana"  with  Lon  McCallister, 
Walter  Brennan,  Jeanne  Crain  and 
June  Haver 

(20th  Centur>-Fox,  July;  time.  104  min.) 

Very  good!  It  is  an  entertaining  mixture  of  exciting  horse 
racing,  human  interest  situations,  youthful  romance,  pretty 
girls,  and  some  comedy,  the  sort  that  should  please  all  audi- 
ences. The  outdoor  Technicolor  photography  is  particularly 
pleasing  to  the  eye.  The  film  introduces  a  few  newcomers  in 
major  parts,  and  they  do  exceptionally  well.  Lon  McCallister, 
who  will  be  remembered  as  the  youngest  of  the  three  soldier 
pals  in  "Stage  Door  Canteen,"  is  given  a  real  acting  assign- 
ment and  does  justice  to  the  part;  his  pleasing  personality 
and  his  performance  should  increase  his  popularity.  His  ro- 
mance with  Jeanne  Crain,  a  charming  young  lady,  is  appeal- 
ing and  ends  in  a  manner  certain  to  please  spectators.  An- 
other newcomer,  June  Haver,  who  impresses  one  as  being  a 
junior  Betty  Grable,  should  draw  many  a  low  whistle  from 
vociferous  customers.  The  other  players  in  the  cast  are 
agreeable  and  awaken  one's  sympathy.  Charlotte  Greenwood 
forsakes  her  usual  role  as  a  comedienne  for  a  straight  part — 
that  of  a  stern  but  kindly  farm  woman;  and  does  very  well: — 

Left  alone  by  the  death  of  his  aunt,  eighteen-year-old  Lon 
McCallister  goes  to  Roundhouse  Farm  to  live  with  Walter 
Brennan,  his  uncle,  an  improverished  veteran  trainer  of 
trotting  horses.  For  twenty  years  Brennan  had  been  carry- 
ing on  a  feud  with  Charles  Dingle,  his  former  partner,  now 
a  wealthy  owner,  who  trained  his  horses  on  an  adjoining 
farm.  Lon,  a  lover  of  horses,  secures  a  job  on  Dingle's  farm 
after  school  hours,  and  becomes  friendly  with  Jeanne  Crain, 
daughter  of  Dingle's  trainer  (Ward  Bond),  and  with  June 
Haver,  Dingle's  daughter.  Learning  that  Brennan's  only 
horse,  now  blind,  had  once  been  the  world's  trotting  cham- 
pion, Lon  breeds  her  secretly  with  one  of  Dingle's  prize 
stallions.  Jeanne  and  Willie  Best,  a  colored  stable-boy,  share 
Lon's  secret  and  aid  him  into  tricking  Dingle  to  sign  a  regis- 
tration certificate  certifying  to  the  breeding.  Brennan,  dis- 
pleased at  first,  joins  the  conspiracy.  Under  Brennan's  ex- 
pert care,  Maudeen  Four,  the  filly,  grows  to  be  a  sorrel 
beauty.  Meanwhile  Lon  continues  his  friendship  with  Jeanne, 
unaware  of  her  deep  love  for  him.  He  finds  himself  fascinated 
by  J  une,  a  flirtatious  sort.  ^Vith  Lon  as  the  driver,  Brennan 
enters  Maudeen  Four  in  a  county  fair  race,  but  loses  when 
Dingle's  driver  employs  dirty  tactics  and  injures  the  horse. 
Lon  avenges  himself  by  thrashing  the  driver.  On  the  day 
of  the  most  important  race  of  the  season  a  few  weeks  later 
Brennan  discovers  that  Maudeen  Four  was  going  blind.  He 
keeps  this  news  to  himself,  and  Lon,  ignorant  of  the  horse's 
affliction,  guides  her  to  victory  over  Dingle's  entry.  Heart- 
broken at  learning  the  truth,  Lon  is  comforted  by  Jeanne, 
who  by  this  time  had  made  him  realize  his  love  for  her. 

Winston  Miller  wrote  the  screen  play  based  on  George 
Agnew  Chamberlain's  "Phantom  Filly,"  which  appeared  in 
the  Saturday  Evening  Post.  Andre  Daven  produced  it,  and 
Henry  Hathaway  directed  it. 

Suitable  for  all. 


May  27,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


87 


"Stars  on  Parade"  with  Lynn  Merrick 
and  Larry  Parks 

(Columbia,  May  25;  time,  64  min.) 

Except  for  a  few  bright  spots  here  and  there,  this  is  just 
an  ordinary  program  musical,  made  up  of  a  series  of  specialty 
acts  and  a  mere  thread  of  story.  At  best,  it  belongs  on  the 
lower-half  of  a  double  bill.  Lacking  a  substantial  plot,  the 
picture  depends  mostly  on  the  specialties  for  its  entertain' 
ment  value;  for  the  most  part,  there  is  nothing  unusual  nor 
outstanding  about  any  of  these  acts: — 

Deciding  that  the  only  way  they  can  get  into  pictures  is 
to  show  themselves  off  to  the  producers,  Lynn  Merrick  and 
Larry  Parks,  two  Hollywood  "hopefuls,"  set  about  recruit' 
ing  others,  who,  like  themselves,  were  seeking  a  break.  They 
planned  to  put  on  a  talent  show,  to  which  they  would  invite 
the  big  producers.  Ray  Walker,  a  mutual  friend  and  talent 
agent,  offers  to  help  them.  After  weeks  of  interviewing  dif' 
ferent  acts,  they  select  those  with  the  most  talent  and  start 
rehearsals  for  the  big  show.  One  day,  when  Lynn  turns 
down  an  aspiring  actress,  Walker  admires  her  sympathetic 
handling  of  the  girl  and  realizes  that  she  has  great  dramatic 
ability.  He  offers  Lynn  a  contract  with  a  major  studio,  but 
Lynn,  lest  her  acceptance  interfere  with  Parks'  career,  re 
fuses  the  offer.  She  thanks  Walker  and  gives  him  a  friendly 
kiss  just  as  Parks  enters  the  room.  Parks,  thinking  that 
Lynn  was  unfaithful  to  him,  becomes  unresponsive  to  her. 
On  the  night  of  the  big  show,  as  Lynn  prepares  to  do  her 
act  with  him,  Park  refuses  to  join  her  and  reveals  to  her  the 
reason  for  his  attitude.  Robert  Williams,  a  mutual  friend, 
overhears  Parks'  remarks  and  informs  Walker.  Determined 
that  the  two  youngsters  should  not  lose  their  opportunity, 
Walker  and  Williams  tie  Parks  to  a  chair  and  dress  him  for 
the  act.  As  Lynn  goes  onstage  and  sings  a  song,  Walker 
explains  the  kissing  incident  to  Parks  and  convinces  him  of 
Lynn's  love.  Parks  joins  Lynn  on  the  stage  in  time  to  score 
a  huge  success. 

Monte  Brice  wrote  the  screen  play,  Wallace  MacDonald 
produced  it,  and  Lew  Landers  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Jeff  Donnell,  Danny  O'Neil,  Frank  and  Jean  Hubert,  the 
King  Cole  Trio,  the  Ben  Carter  Choir  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Call  of  the  South  Seas"  with 
Janet  Martin  and  Allan  Lane 

(Republic,  July  7;  time,  59  min.) 

Just  an  ordinary  program  melodrama,  with  a  prewar 
South  Sea  island  background,  typical  in  story  and  treatment 
of  pictures  of  its  kind.  The  story,  which  revolves  around 
the  efforts  of  two  FBI  agents  to  apprehend  a  powerful  planta' 
tion  owner,  a  fugitive  from  justice,  has  a  number  of  melo- 
dramatic  episodes,  most  of  which  are  mechanical,  but  they 
are  of  the  type  to  satisfy  the  action  fans.  The  picture  as  a 
whole  shapes  up  as  material  of  little  value,  and  the  players 
are  generally  of  average  calibre,  with  no  marquee  value. 
Numerous  stock  shots  have  been  used  to  good  advantage: — 

Roy  Barcroft,  an  American  fugitive,  is  traced  to  a  French 
island  in  the  Pacific  by  the  FBI.  Barcroft,  an  influential  but 
unscrupulous  plantation  owner,  conceals  his  past  from  the 
natives  under  a  veneer  of  good  will,  and  is  extremely  friendly 
with  Janet  Martin,  a  native  princess,  who  controlled  the 
natives.  Allan  Lane,  an  FBI  agent,  posing  as  a  beachcomber, 
comes  to  the  island  and  leads  Barcroft  to  believe  that  he, 
too,  was  a  fugitive  from  justice,  having  been  involved  in  an 
embezzlement.  Believing  that  he  could  use  Lane's  talents  to 
his  advantage,  Barcroft  offers  him  a  job.  Janet  falls  in  love 
with  Lane.  As  part  of  the  plan  to  apprehend  Barcroft,  Wil- 
liam Henry,  another  FBI  man,  arrives  on  the  island  and 
demands  of  Duncan  Renaldo,  the  local  police  chief,  that 
Lane  be  turned  over  to  him.  Renaldo,  as  expected,  refuses, 
because  of  Henry's  failure  to  produce  extradition  papers. 
Janet,  to  protect  Lane,  unwittingly  makes  Henry's  life 
miserable  during  his  stay  on  the  island.  Lane  visits  Henry 
one  day,  unaware  of  the  fact  that  he  was  being  followed  by 
one  of  Barcroft's  henchmen.  Learning  that  Lane  and  Henry 


were  G-men,  Barcroft  plots  to  murder  them.  He  succeeds  in 
killing  Henry,  but  fails  to  find  Lane,  who  was  in  Renaldo's 
office  presenting  extradition  papers  for  his  (Barcroft's) 
arrest.  Using  a  speedy  motor  launch,  Barcroft  attempts  to 
escape  from  the  island.  Lane  and  Renaldo  pursue  him. 
Barcroft  comes  to  an  untimely  end,  however,  when  the 
eruptions  of  an  undersea  volcano  blows  his  motor  boat  to 
bits.  As  Lane  leaves  for  the  United  States,  Janet  hopes  that 
he  will  one  day  return  to  her. 

Albert  DeMond  wrote  the  screen  play,  Walter  H.  Goetz 
produced  it,  and  John  English  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Wally  Vernon  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Mr.  Skeffington"  with  Bette  Davis 
and  Claude  Rains 

(Warner  Bros.,  no  release  date  set;  time,  146  min.) 

An  outstanding  box-office  attraction,  produced  with  great 
care.  It  is  the  type  of  drama  that  should  appeal  to  the  Bette 
Davis  fans,  for  she  enacts  a  role  that  is  suited  to  her  par- 
ticular talent — that  of  a  beautiful  but  selfish  woman,  whose 
vanities  result  in  misery  for  others.  Though  her  performance 
is  a  bit  too  theatrical,  credit  is  due  Miss  Davis  for  her  ac- 
ceptance of  this  role,  because  the  last  half  required  her  to 
make  up  as  an  old,  haggard  woman,  one  who  unsuccessfully 
strived  to  be  beautiful;  the  make  up  is  most  uncomplimentary 
to  her  beauty.  It  is  rather  a  lengthy  film,  but  it  does  hold 
one's  attention  throughout.  There  is  deep  human  interest 
in  a  number  of  the  situations,  awakened  by  Claude  Rains' 
devotion  to  his  young  daughter.  Rains,  as  "Mr.  Skeffington," 
is  appealing,  winning  one's  sympathy  by  his  display  of  fine 
traits.  One  of  the  best  situations  is  that  in  which  Miss  Davis 
takes  offense  at  the  advice  given  her  by  a  blunt  psychiatrist, 
who  tells  her  why  her  youthful  days  are  over.  The  story 
covers  the  period  from  1914  to  1940: — 

Bette  Davis,  a  beautiful  but  spoiled  socialite,  makes  the 
acquaintance  of  Claude  Rains,  a  wealthy,  Jewish  stock 
broker,  when  her  irresponsible  brother  (Richard  Waring) 
swindles  Rains  out  of  $25,000.  Her  family  fortune  at  a  low 
ebb,  Bette  sets  her  cap  for  Rains  and  marries  him,  much  to 
the  disgust  of  her  brother,  who  accuses  Rains  of  marrying 
her  to  square  his  debt.  Waring  indignantly  leaves  for 
Europe  to  join  the  British  Air  Force,  just  prior  to  World 
War  I.  Bette,  accustomed  to  having  men  fawn  over  her, 
continues  to  receive  suitors,  but  Rains'  love  for  her  is  so 
strong  that  he  excuses  her  vanities.  The  birth  of  their 
daughter  makes  little  difference  in  her  way  of  life.  When 
word  arrives  that  Waring  had  been  killed  in  action,  Bette 
blames  Rains  for  having  driven  her  brother  to  war.  As 
Bette  gets  older,  she  takes  up  with  younger  men.  This 
leads  to  a  separation,  with  Rains  giving  Bette  a  generous 
settlement,  and  with  his  taking  his  daughter  to  Europe  to 
live  with  him.  As  the  years  pass  by,  Bette,  now  in  her  late 
forties,  continues  her  affairs  with  younger  men  and  takes 
extreme  pride  in  her  youthful  appearance,  With  war  eminent 
in  Europe,  her  daughter  (Marjorie  Riordan),  now  a  young 
woman  of  eighteen,  whom  she  had  not  seen  since  a  child, 
returns  to  live  with  Bette,  much  to  her  annoyance.  Marjorie 
informs  Bette  that  Rains  was  in  Berlin,  unable  to  leave  the 
country  because  he  was  a  Jew.  Soon  after  Marjorie's  arrival 
Bette  is  stricken  with  a  serious  illness  that  leaves  her  old 
and  haggard.  She  goes  to  extremes  to  keep  up  a  youthful 
appearance,  but  eventually  comes  to  the  realization  that  she 
is  really  old.  Heartbroken,  she  secludes  herself.  Meanwhile 
Rains  escapes  from  a  concentration  camp  and  returns  home. 
Bette's  vanity  makes  it  difficult  for  her  to  face  him,  but 
when  she  becomes  aware  of  the  fact  that  he  had  been  blinded 
by  the  Nazis,  and  realizes  that  to  him  she  will  always  be 
beautiful,  she  takes  him  in  her  arms  and  faces  life  anew. 

Julius  J.  and  Philip  G.  Epstein  wrote  the  screen  play  and 
produced  it.  Vincent  Sherman  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Walter  Abel,  George  Coulouris,  Robert  Shayne,  Jerome 
Cowan,  Dorothy  Peterson,  Walter  Kingsford  and  many 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


88 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


May  27,  1944 


DON'T  GET  EXCITED  ABOUT 
TELEVISION 

The  recent  discussion  of  television  on  the  radio  and 
in  the  press  have  frightened  many  of  you  into  thinking 
that  the  advent  of  this  art,  following  the  cessation  of 
hostilities,  may  make  the  operation  of  your  theatre 
profitless,  unless  you  will  be  among  the  first  ones  to 
install  a  television  screen. 

I  may  say  to  you  that  it  is  not  necessary  for  you 
to  spend  a  sleepless  night,  for  just  at  present,  and  for 
some  time  to  come,  there  is  no  danger  to  your  invest- 
ment from  that  source. 

This  paper  has  written  about  television  once  before, 
in  1938  when  every  exhibitor  became  frightened  as  a 
result  of  the  many  statements,  either  in  the  news- 
papers or  the  trade  press,  about  television.  It  is  again 
gathering  information  from  those  who  are  in  a  posi- 
tion to  know  what  advance  this  new  art  has  made,  and 
what  are  its  chances  of  either  hurting  the  picture  the- 
atres or  helping  them.  The  findings  will  be  printed  in 
these  columns. 


"Johnny  Doesn't  Live  Here  Anymore"  with 
Simone  Simon,  James  Ellison  and 
William  Terry 

(Monogram,  May  27;  time,  79  min.) 

An  amusing  program  comedy-farce.  The  story  idea 
— that  of  a  young  marine  who  subleases  his  apartment 
to  a  young  girl;  but  who  neglects  to  inform  her  that 
he  had  given  keys  to  many  of  his  friends—  is  novel, 
and  with  a  bit  more  care  it  might  have  turned  into 
a  hilarious  comedy.  As  it  is,  it  should  have  no  difficulty 
satisfying  non-discriminating  audiences,  for  the  com- 
plications that  arise  are  laugh-provoking,  even  though 
slapstick  is  often  resorted  to.  Chief  flaw  in  the  film  is 
the  unintelligible  dialogue  spoken  by  Simone  Simon, 
because  of  her  accent  and  of  her  mumbling  way  of 
speaking  her  lines.  The  ending  is  both  suspensive  and 
comical,  and  should  cause  customers  to  leave  the  the- 
atre with  a  smile.  The  production  has  a  better  than 
average  cast : — 

En  route  to  Washington  to  a  war  plant  job,  Simone 
Simon  upsets  a  salt  shaker  and  is  confronted  by  a 
"gremlin"  who  informs  her  that  she  will  have  seven 
weeks  of  bad  luck.  Upon  arrival,  Simone  learns  that  a 
friend  with  whom  she  planned  to  live  had  just  been 
married  and  that  she  (Simone)  would  have  to  find 
other  quarters.  She  meets  William  Terry,  about  to  be 
inducted  as  a  Marine,  and  persuades  him  to  let  her 
sublet  his  apartment.  She  escorts  him  to  his  train  and 
falls  in  love  with  him.  Returning  to  the  apartment, 
Simone  finds  one  of  Terry's  friends  there,  and  learns 
that  Terry  had  given  keys  to  the  apartment  to  a  num- 
ber of  his  friends.  One  of  the  key-holders,  James  Elli- 
son, a  sailor,  is  found  in  the  apartment  by  Simone 
when  she  returns  home  from  work  one  evening.  She 
falls  in  love  with  him,  too.  Terry  and  Ellison  eventu- 
ally learn  that  they  are  in  love  with  the  same  girl  and, 
to  complicate  matters,  both  misunderstand  when  they 
discover  a  strange  sailor  entering  the  apartment.  The 
stranger  had  borrowed  the  key  from  one  of  Terry's 
friends,  intending  to  occupy  the  apartment  with  his 
wife.  Terry  and  Ellison  barge  into  the  apartment  and 
a  free-for-all  fight  ensues.  All  are  brought  before 
Alan  Dinehart,  a  police  judge,  who  tries  to  unravel 
the  mixup  with  little  success.  Dinehart  finally  orders 


Simone  to  choose  between  Terry  and  Ellison,  but  she 
refuses  to  do  so  until  midnight,  the  end  of  her  period 
of  bad  luck.  As  the  clock  strikes  twelve,  the  story 
jumps  to  the  year  1949,  when,  in  a  gag  finish,  it  is 
shown  that  Simone  had  married  the  judge. 

Philip  Yordan  and  John  H.  Kafka  wrote  the  screen 
play  from  an  original  story  by  Alice  Means  Reeve. 
The  cast  includes  Chick  Chandler,  Minna  Gombel, 
Chester  Clutc,  Bob  Mitchum  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Ladies  of  Washington"  with  Sheila  Ryan, 
Trudy  Marshall  and  Anthony  Quinn 

(20th  Century-Fox,  June,  time  61  min.) 

A  passable  program  melodrama,  but  a  weak  box- 
office  attraction.  For  one  thing,  it  lacks  star  names;  and 
for  another,  the  story  neither  directs  an  appeal  to  the 
emotions  of  sympathy,  nor  has  it  an  appealing  ro- 
mance, except  for  a  secondary  romance,  which  has 
little  to  do  with  the  main  plot.  Moreover,  the  story 
is  artificial;  it  is  also  somewhat  unpleasant,  for  the  ac- 
tions of  the  heroine  are  motivated  by  selfishness  and 
revenge.  The  story  takes  place  in  war-time  Washing- 
ton, and  the  housing  shortage  is  brought  into  play  for 
comedy.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  film  is  an  equal  mix- 
ture of  comedy  and  lurid  melodrama,  but  fails  to 
attain  a  high  spot  in  either  phase: — 

Learning  that  Sheila  Ryan,  her  old  college  chum, 
could  not  find  living  quarters,  Trudy  Marshall,  a 
SPAR,  invites  her  to  live  in  her  cooperative  apart- 
ment, which  she  shared  with  a  group  of  other  girls. 
Sheila,  a  "good  time"  girl,  soon  wins  the  dislike  of 
her  roommates  by  her  selfish  disposition.  Having  had 
an  affair  with  her  former  employer  (Pierre  Watkin), 
a  wealthy  executive,  who  dropped  her  when  he  be- 
came reconciled  with  his  wife,  Sheila  stages  a  fake 
suicide  in  an  attempt  to  smear  his  name.  Her  plan 
fails,  however,  when  Dr.  Donald  Graham,  Trudy's 
fiance,  learns  of  her  motive  and  shields  Watkin's  name 
from  the  newspapers.  Robert  Bailey,  Graham's  as- 
sistant, takes  Sheila  home  from  the  hospital  and  falls 
in  love  with  her.  She  returns  Bailey's  love,  but,  be- 
hind his  back,  carries  on  an  affair  with  Anthony 
Quinn,  a  handsome  foreigner,  unaware  that  he  was  a 
secret  Nazi  agent.  Telling  Sheila  that  a  radio  analyst 
would  pay  them  a  huge  sum  of  money  for  the  war 
production  figures  of  her  former  employer,  Quinn  in- 
duces her  to  help  him  gain  entrance  to  Watkin's  of- 
fice. While  opening  the  safe,  Quinn  is  shot  and  he,  in 
turn,  kills  a  watchman.  Sheila  helps  Quinn  to  escape 
and  telephones  Bailey  for  help,  telling  him  that  Quinn 
is  her  brother.  Bailey  performs  an  emergency  opera- 
tion on  a  houseboat  owned  by  Graham,  but  Quinn 
dies.  To  protect  Sheila,  Bailey  does  not  report  Quinn's 
death.  When  the  police  find  Quinn's  body  and  dis- 
cover evidence  that  he  had  been  operated  on  Graham's 
houseboat,  they  hold  Graham  for  questioning.  Bailey 
absolves  his  friend  by  making  a  complete  confession  to 
the  police.  Sheila,  trapped,  tries  to  place  the  blame  on 
Bailey,  but  the  police  prove  her  story  false.  Bailey  is 
cured  of  his  infatuation,  and  Sheila,  her  mind  gone, 
is  commited  to  an  insane  asylum. 

Wanda  Tuchock  wrote  the  screen  play,  William 
Girard  produced  it,  and  Louis  King  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Beverly  Wnitney,  Jackie  Haley,  John 
Philliber,  Edna  Mae  Jones  and  others. 

Adult  entertainment. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  th©  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JUNE  3,  1944  No.  23 


HEADED  FOR  THE  BRINK! 


The  steady  increase  in  the  number  of  pictures  that  are 
sold  on  an  advanced  admission  price  policy,  and  the  harmful 
effect  this  practice  is  having  on  the  exhibitors,  has  been 
treated  so  forcefully  by  Jay  Emanuel,  publisher  of  The 
Exhibitor,  in  an  editorial  that  appeared  in  the  May  24  issue 
of  his  trade  paper,  that  Harrison's  Reports  takes  the 
liberty  of  reproducing  it  in  the  belief  that  it  will  do  much 
good  if  brought  to  the  attention  of  as  many  exhibitors  as 
possible.  The  editorial,  headed  "A  Problem  for  Allied,"  is 
as  follows: 

"When  the  Allied  Caravan  and  the  Allied  national  board 
meet  this  week  in  Philadelphia,  one  of  the  principal  pieces 
of  business  will  be  the  problem  of  distributors  making  cer- 
tain  pictures  available  at  advanced  admissions  under  selling 
plans  which  virtually  take  possession  of  the  theatres  away 
from  the  exhibitors  who  play  them  for  the  duration  of  the 
engagements. 

"The  advanced  admission  price  picture  is  the  product  of 
the  war,  the  distributors  testing  what  the  traffic  could  bear, 
and  then  cashing  in  on  it.  In  every  case  advanced  prices 
have  not  been  successful,  but  the  distributors'  books  will 
undoubtedly  show  that  they  have  found  it  profitable,  and 
by  removing  the  cream  they  do  not  destroy  future  profits 
for  themselves. 

"The  history  of  the  advanced  admission  price  growth 
reveals  that  at  first  the  distributors  were  cautious,  and  asked 
only  a  slight  increase  in  admissions.  These  proved  generally 
successful,  and  the  distributors  were  satisfied  to  get  their 
increased  share  out  of  the  gross  without  asking  exorbitant 
percentage.  This  eventually  brought  the  present  policy, 
where  the  exhibitor  plays  the  picture  at  a  top  percentage, 
with  the  distributor,  after  checking  the  exhibitor's  books, 
allowing  him  a  definite  profit.  If  this  practice  grows  it  will 
not  be  long  before  the  exhibitor  will  be  in  business  only  for 
the  distributor,  and  not  for  himself.  When  that  point  is 
reached,  he  may  as  well  quit  the  field.  The  first  recent  ad' 
vanced  price  engagement  of  consequence  was  'Gone  With 
the  Wind,'  a  success.  Other  distributors  (and  this  department 
has  always  contended  that  distributors  are  not  averse  to 
copying  successful  methods  of  other  companies)  followed. 

"Of  course,  it  does  not  follow  that  every  advanced  price 
engagement  is  a  success.  In  many  cases,  'For  Whom  the 
Bell  Tolls'  did  not  ring  the  bell,  and  there  have  been  in- 
stances  where  'The  Song  of  Bernadette'  did  not  prove  an 
outstanding  success.  The  story  of  'The  Adventures  of  Mark 
Twain'  is  also  interesting.  Backed  by  an  outstanding  mer- 
chandising campaign,  a  picture  which  has  considerable  merit 
hit  considerable  opposition  to  advanced  prices  in  certain 
areas. 

"What  concerns  the  exhibitors  more  than  the  distributors 
is  that  when  normal  grosses  return,  many  patrons  will  re 
member  these  increased  price  pictures,  and  they  will  bear 
little  good  will  toward  the  theatres.  Others  scoff  at  this 
theory,  and  declare  that,  'as  long  as  everybody  is  getting  it 
now,  we  should,  too,  and  it  won't  make  any  difference  later.' 


They  forget  that  motion  pictures  made  their  start  as  'poor 
man's  entertainment.'  But  not  at  these  prices. 

"At  any  rate,  the  problem  is  one  that  must  be  considered 
in  a  serious  light.  We  trust  that  the  Caravan  and  the  Allied 
board  will  give  it  proper  attention." 

Jay  Emanuel  has  put  his  finger  on  an  importan  trade 
problem,  and  Harrison's  Reports  is  in  full  agreement  with 
his  views. 

In  these  days  of  high  living  costs  and  inflated  prices,  there 
isn't  one  of  us  but  has  become  vexed  at  either  a  shopkeeper 
or  some  other  purveyor  of  goods  or  of  service,  because  of  a 
feeling  that  they  were  taking  undue  advantage  of  the  present 
situation  under  the  guise  that  war  conditions  were  respon- 
sible  for  their  abnormal  increase  in  prices.  Many  of  us  have 
vowed  to  remember  these  fellows  when  normal  times  are 
reestablished. 

In  the  motion  picture  industry,  it  is  the  exhibitor,  and 
not  the  producer  or  the  distributor,  who  is  looked  upon  by 
the  public  as  the  purveyor  of  entertainment.  Consequently, 
though  the  public  is  geared  for  a  slight  increase  over  pre-war 
admission  prices,  it  soon  shows  its  resentment  against  exorbi- 
tant admission  prices,  and  this  resentment  is  directed  against 
the  exhibitor,  who  depends  on  good  will  for  the  successful 
operation  of  his  theatre.  And  the  sad  part  of  it  all  is  that 
the  exhibitor  is  blameless;  few  of  his  patrons  are  aware  of 
the  fact  that  he  is  compelled  to  advance  his  admission  price 
on  a  picture  in  order  to  uphold  the  prestige  of  his  theatre. 
They  do  not  know  that,  if  he  fails  to  book  the  picture  during 
the  advanced  price  run,  it  may  not  become  available  to  him 
under  general  release  until  many  months  later,  and  that,  by 
then,  many  of  them  may  have  seen  the  picture  elsewhere  and 
they  will  look  upon  the  general  release  showing  as  a  "johnny- 
come-lately,"  thus  lowering  the  prestige  of  his  theatre. 

Harrison's  Reports  does  not  condemn  the  advanced  ad- 
mission price  policy  so  long  as  the  industry  practices  it  with 
restraint:  that  is,  reserving  such  a  policy  for  the  truly  out- 
standing pictures,  the  sort  that  will  make  patrons  feel  that 
it  was  worth  an  extra  admission  price  to  see,  and  provided 
these  pictures  will  be  sold  under  terms  that  would  leave  the 
exhibitor  with  a  just  share  of  the  profits  for  his  efforts, 
instead  of  his  feeling  that  he  is  no  more  than  a  ten-percent 
commission  agent  for  the  distributor. 

But  how  can  this  restraint  be  exercised  under  the  present 
spending  spree  of  the  producers?  Hardly  a  week  goes  by 
without  an  announcement  from  some  studio  that  it  is  con- 
templating the  production  of  a  picture  costing  anywhere 
from  two  to  four  million  dollars,  and  even  more.  The  cost  of 
these  pictures  is  so  high  that  the  distributors  cannot  help 
but  contemplate  the  exhibition  of  them  at  advanced  prices 
in  order  to  recoup  the  cost.  But  there  is  a  limit  to  how  many 
advanced  admission  price  pictures  the  market  can  absorb,  for, 
as  Mr.  Emanuel  says,  the  motion  picture  is  essentially  "a 
poor  man's  entertainment."  And  for  the  producers  to  lose 
sight  of  this  fact  is  to  invite  disaster. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


90 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  3,  1944 


"Underground  Guerrillas"  with 
John  Clements,  Mary  Morris 
and  Stephen  Murray 

(Columbia,  May  18;  time,  83  min.) 

A  fair  British-made  war  melodrama,  but  a  weak  box-office 
attraction.  For  one  thing,  the  players  are  not  known  in  this 
country;  for  another,  their  "thick"  English  accent  makes 
most  of  the  dialogue  unintelligible;  for  still  another,  the 
story,  which  revolves  around  "underground"  resistance  in 
Jugoslavia,  is  neither  novel  nor  unusual,  having  been  done 
many  times  in  recent  war  films.  The  story's  treatment  follows 
a  conventional  pattern,  depicting  individual  acts  of  heroism 
and  self-sacrifice,  as  well  as  acts  of  Nazi  brutality.  Its  best 
reception  should  be  among  the  action  fans,  for  the  battles 
between  the  guerrilas  and  the  Nazis  are  exciting: — 

When  the  Nazis  invade  Jugoslavia  and  shatter  organized 
resistance,  John  Clements,  a  Jugoslavian  army  officer,  be 
comes  the  head  of  a  band  of  guerrillas  whose  mission  it  was 
to  harass  the  German  forces.  During  one  of  their  sorties 
in  a  peasant  village,  Godfrey  Tearle,  Nazi  military  com- 
mander of  the  district,  is  wounded.  He  is  operated  on  by 
Stephen  Murray,  Clements'  brother,  head  of  the  local  hos- 
pital, who  seizes  the  opportunity  to  win  Tearle's  confidence 
and  to  use  it  in  behalf  of  the  guerrillas.  Meanwhile  the  Nazis 
seize  Mary  Morris,  Clements'  wife  and  local  schoolmistress, 
and  try  to  bully  her  into  disclosing  her  husband's  where- 
abouts. Their  brutality  fails,  however,  and  Anna,  aided  by  a 
few  of  her  pupils,  escapes  into  the  mountains  to  the  gueril- 
las' hideout.  She  is  joined  there  by  Clements'  elderly  parents, 
who,  too,  offer  to  risk  their  lives  for  their  country.  The  climax 
of  the  story  is  reached  when  the  military  governor  asks  Mur- 
ray to  contact  his  brother  and  to  offer  him  a  bribe  to  halt  the 
guerrilla  warfare.  Feigning  interest  in  the  proposition,  Mur- 
ray secures  passage  on  an  ammunition  train  and  sacrifices  his 
life  by  blowing  it  up.  The  explosion  blocks  a  railroad  tunnel 
and  prevents  the  Germans  from  bringing  reinforcements  to 
a  clash  between  their  troops  and  Clements'  guerrillas. 

John  Dighton  and  M.  Danishewsky  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Michael  Balcon  produced  it,  and  Sergei  Nolbandov  directed 
it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Candlelight  in  Algeria"  with  James  Mason 
and  Carla  Lehmann 

(20th  Century-Fox,  July;  time,  85  min.) 

Made  in  Britain,  this  is  an  engaging  program  melodrama, 
centering  around  espionage  and  counter-espionage  activities. 
The  action  takes  place  in  Algeria,  prior  to  the  Allied  inva- 
sion of  North  Africa,  and  the  producer  has  tried,  rather 
clumsily,  to  tie  in  the  far-fetched  story  with  the  now  historic 
secret  meeting  of  the  Allied  military  leaders  who  mapped 
out  the  invasion  campaign.  Despite  the  story's  shortcomings, 
the  action  is  fast  and  the  heroics,  though  fantastic,  are  excit- 
ing. Its  chief  drawback  for  American  theatres  is  the  fact 
that  the  players  are  not  known  well  here.  Otherwise  they 
perform  well : — 

On  the  eve  of  her  return  from  Algeria  to  the  United  States 
to  join  the  WACS,  Carla  Lehmann  gives  refuge  to  Captain 
James  Mason,  a  British  intelligence  officer,  who  was  hunted 
by  Walter  Rilla,  shrewd  head  of  the  German  Armistice  Com- 
mission in  Algeria.  Mason  pleads  with  Carla  to  remain  in 
Algeria  to  help  him  obtain  a  camera  that  contained  an  unex- 
posed film  showing  the  secret  meeting  place  on  the  coast  of 
Algeria  where  Allied  military  leaders  were  to  meet  to  plan 
the  invasion  of  North  Africa.  Mason  explains  that  a  friend 
of  his  had  left  the  camera  in  the  home  of  a  prominent  French 
actress,  who  did  not  know  of  its  important  contents.  Rilla 
knew  of  the  existance  of  the  film,  but  did  not  know  of  its 
whereabouts.  Unaware  of  the  fact  that  Rilla's  men  were  fol- 
lowing her  every  move,  Carla,  by  bribing  the  actress'  maid, 
gains  entrance  into  the  home  and  filches  the  camera.  But 


before  being  able  to  hand  the  camera  over  to  Mason,  she 
is  apprehended  by  Rilla's  men.  Rilla,  positive  that  Mason 
would  attempt  to  rescue  Carla,  takes  her  to  a  hotel  so  as  to 
lure  him  into  a  trap.  Mason,  however,  outsmarts  Rilla  by 
impersonating  a  waiter  and  throwing  hirn  off  guard.  He  res- 
cues Carla  and  takes  her  to  his  hideout  in  the  Casbah.  Rilla 
traces  Mason  to  the  hideout  and  prepares  to  shoot  him  upon 
learning  that  the  film  had  been  destroyed, but  Carla, hiding  in 
a  secret  compartment,  knocks  Rilla  unconscious.  As  they  flee, 
one  of  Mason's  underground  confederates  informs  him  that 
the  Nazis  had  learned  that  the  Allied  leaders  were  to  meet  that 
night.  Taking  Rilla's  fast  car,  Mason  and  Carla  lead  the 
Nazis  on  a  merry  chase  away  from  the  secret  meeting  place, 
thus  making  it  possible  for  the  Allied  leaders  to  conclude 
their  meeting  without  detection,  and  eventually  to  stage  their 
successful  invasion.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

Brock  Williams  and  Kathenne  Strueby  wrote  the  screen 
play,  John  Stafford  produced  it  ,and  George  King  directed  it. 


"The  Canterville  Ghost"  with 
Charles  Laughton,  Margaret  O'Brien 
and  Robert  Young 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  95  min.) 

A  highly  entertaining  comedy;  it  should  go  over  with  all 
types  of  audiences.  Based  on  Oscar  Wilde's  famous  play 
about  a  weak-kneed,  three-hundred-year-old,  ghost,  who  had 
been  doomed  to  roam  about  an  English  castle  until  a  kins- 
man performed  an  act  of  bravery  in  his  name,  the  story  has 
been  re-written  and  brought  up  to  date  with  very  good 
comedy  results.  Charles  Laughton,  as  the  cowardly  ghost 
who  turns  into  flesh-and-blood  at  will,  is  at  his  best.  His 
appearance  before  a  platoon  of  American  Rangers,  billeted 
in  the  castle,  who  scoff  at  his  attempts  to  scare  them  and, 
instead,  frighten  him  off  themselves,  should  provoke  peals 
of  laughter.  The  action  is  filled  with  situations  equally  funny, 
particularly  the  one  where  Laughton  and  Robert  Young  get 
rid  of  a  delayed  action  bomb.  Margaret  O'Brien,  as  six-year- 
old  Lady  Jessica  de  Canterville,  is  as  winsome  and  appealing 
as  ever.  Her  performance  is  one  of  the  brightest  spots: — 

Walled  alive  by  his  father  in  1624  for  having  shown 
cowardice  in  a  duel,  and  his  ghost  condemned  to  roam  until 
one  of  his  kinsmen  performed  a  brave  deed,  Sir  Simon  de 
Canterville  (Charles  Laughton)  haunts  Canterville  Castle 
for  more  than  three  centuries,  vainly  waiting  for  a  brave 
kinsman  to  free  him.  With  the  coming  of  World  War  II,  a 
platoon  of  American  Rangers  are  billeted  in  the  castle.  Little 
Jessica  greets  them  and  warns  them  agains  the  ghost.  That 
night  the  ghost  appears,  but  is  frightened  off  by  the  Rangers. 
Noticing  Jessica's  fear  of  her  legendary  ancestor,  Cuffy  Wil- 
liams (Robert  Young),  one  of  the  Rangers,  suggests  that 
they  visit  the  ghost.  They  enter  Sir  Simon's  chamber  and 
find  him  in  a  dejected  mood  because  of  his  inability  to 
frighten  the  Rangers.  Jessica,  who  had  never  seen  Sir  Simon, 
finds  him  to  be  a  human  but  unhappy  ghost,  weary  of  the 
curse  that  befell  him.  In  the  course  of  events,  Sir  Simon  and 
Jessica  discover  that  Cuffy  is  a  de  Canterville  descendant. 
Delighted,  Sir  Simon  looks  to  Cuffy  to  commit  an  act  of 
bravery  in  his  name.  But  the  realization  that  all  de  Canter- 
villes  for  three  centuries  had  been  cowards  has  a  psycholog' 
ical  effect  on  Cuffy,  and  he  disgraces  himself  during  a  com- 
mando raid  on  France.  As  Cuffy  prepares  to  quit  the  Rangers 
at  the  suggestion  of  his  commanding  officer,  Jessica  discovers 
a  delayed  action  bomb,  which  had  been  dropped  by  para- 
chute by  a  Nazi  plane.  Encouraged  by  Jessica,  and  aided  by 
Sir  Simon,  Cuffy  hitches  the  bomb  to  an  army  jeep  and  hauls 
it  to  a  ravine,  where  it  explodes  without  doing  damage. 
Cuffy's  act  restores  confidence  in  himself,  and  it  permits  the 
ghost  to  go  to  his  grave  in  peace. 

Edwin  Harvey  Blum  wrote  the  screen  play,  Arthur  L. 
Field  produced  it,  and  Jules  Dassin  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  William  Gargan,  "Rags"  Raglund,  Una  O'Connor, 
Elisabeth  Risdon  and  others. 


June  3,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


91 


"Waterfront"  with  J.  Carrol  Naish 
and  John  Carradine 

(PRC,  June  10;  time,  65  min.) 

Just  a  moderately  interesting  program  espionage  melo- 
drama.  The  story,  which  deals  with  the  machinations  of  Nazi 
spies  operating  in  San  Francisco,  is  muddled  and  unbeliev 
able,  and  it  has  been  given  an  unimaginative  treatment.  The 
only  reason  why  one's  attention  is  held  at  all  is  owed  to 
the  good  work  of  J.  Carrol  Naish  and  John  Carradine,  as 
the  spies.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  their  performances  are  superior 
to  the  material.  Not  much  can  be  said  for  the  work  of  the 
supporting  cast: — 

Naish,  an  optometrist  with  a  long  established  office,  uses 
his  business  to  cover  up  his  Nazi  activities.  He  coerces  loyal 
German'Americans  into  cooperating  with  him,  threatening 
harm  to  their  families  in  Germany  if  they  refuse.  Edwin 
Maxwell,  a  shipping  head  and  one  of  Naish's  unwilling  col' 
laborators,  determines  to  hamper  Naish's  activities.  Through 
John  Bliefer,  a  waterfront  saloon-keeper,  Maxwell  hires  a 
thug  to  hold  up  Naish  to  steal  a  secret  code  book  from  him. 
Carradine,  a  visiting  Nazi  agent,  tracks  down  the  thug  and 
kills  him,  but  he  fails  to  obtain  the  code  book.  He  decides 
to  remain  in  San  Francisco  until  it  is  found  and,  using  typical 
Gestapo  methods,  compels  Olga  Fabian,  a  middle-aged 
German-American  woman,  to  give  him  accommodations  in 
her  rooming  house.  Meanwhile  Bliefer,  who  had  the  code 
book,  double-crosses  Maxwell  by  offering  the  book  to  Naish 
for  a  price.  Carradine  visits  Bliefer,  who  had  the  code 
book  and  forcing  him  to  reveal  that  Maxwell  had  arranged 
for  the  hold  up,  kills  him.  Maxwell,  fearing  for  his  life,  ar- 
ranges to  leave  town.  He  telephones  last  minute  instructions 
to  Maris  Wrixon,  his  secretary  and  Miss  Fabian's  daughter, 
telling  her  that  he  would  pick  up  certain  papers  at  his  office 
late  that  night.  Carradine,  overhearing  the  conversation, 
goes  to  the  office  and  murders  Maxwell.  When  Naish  pro- 
tests that  the  murders  will  draw  attention  to  their  activities, 
Carradine  kills  him  too.  Through  circumstantial  evidence 
and  mistaken  identity,  Terry  Frost,  Maris'  fiance,  who  had 
business  dealings  with  Maxwell,  is  held  for  the  shipping 
head's  murder.  But  Carradine's  habit  of  "doodling,"  which 
he  had  practiced  at  each  of  the  killings,  eventually  leads  to 
his  detection  and  arrest  for  the  crime. 

Irwin  R.  Franklyn  and  Martin  Mooney  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Arthur  Alexander  produced  it,  and  Steve  Sekely  di- 
rected it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"A  Night  of  Adventure"  with  Tom  Conway 
and  Audrey  Lang 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  65  min.) 

This  is  one  of  the  most  intelligently  written,  produced  and 
directed  pictures  of  this  program  series,  if  we  are  to  classify 
it  as  one  of  the  Falcon  group.  Though  the  action  unfolds 
mostly  in  a  court  room,  the  proceedings  are  so  intelligent 
that  one's  interest  is  held  tense.  The  reason  for  it  is  the  fact 
that  the  spectator  fears  lest  the  hero,  involved  in  an  acci- 
dental death,  be  accused  of,  what  appeared  to  be,  a  crime. 
What  pleases  one  mostly  is  the  clever  way  by  which  the  hero, 
thanks  to  the  author,  outwits  the  gangster  leader,  who  was 
trying  to  pin  a  charge  of  murder  on  him.  There  is  romance, 
of  course,  but  this  deals  mostly  with  the  dissatisfaction  of  the 
hero's  wife,  because  her  husband,  on  account  of  his  work, 
was  compelled  to  neglect  her.  But  everything  is  settled 
amicably  in  the  end: — 

Because  Tom  Conway,  a  famous  attorney  in  criminal  cases 
and  the  nemesis  of  gangsters,  is  compelled  to  neglect  his 
wife  (Audrey  Long)  because  of  his  work,  Audrey  moves  to 
a  different  apartment  and  leaves  no  forwarding  address. 
Upon  his  return  from  a  trip,  however,  Tom  is  able  to  trace 
her.  But  she  refuses  to  return  to  him  until  she  gets  a  chance 
to  think  matters  over.  Learning  that  she  kept  company  with 
Louis  Borell,  an  artist,  Tom  goes  to  Borell's  apartment.  But 
instead  of  finding  his  wife  there,  he  finds  Jean  Brooks,  a 


former  model  of  Borell's,  highly  intoxicated  and  threatening 
to  kill  Borell  with  a  gun  when  he  showed  up.  While  Tom 
attempts  to  wrest  the  gun  from  her,  it  goes  off  and  Jean  is 
killed.  Thinking  that  no  one  had  seen  him,  Tom  leaves  hur- 
riedly. Russell  Hopton,  tool  of  a  gangster  leader,  sees  him; 
he  takes  the  gloves  that  Tom  had  forgotten  on  the  telephone 
box  outside  the  hall  and  puts  them  near  the  dead  girl.  Borell 
is  arrested  for  the  crime  and  brought  to  trial.  Tom,  who  had 
been  persuaded  by  his  wife  to  defend  Borell,  breaks  down 
one  witness  after  another  until  Hopton  goes  to  Addison 
Richards,  the  district  attorney,  and  implicates  Tom.  Richards 
moves  for  a  dismissal  of  the  case  on  the  grounds  that  new 
evidence  proved  Borell  innocent;  he  planned  to  demand 
Tom's  arrest.  Richards  places  Hopton  on  the  stand  and, 
when  he  accuses  Tom  of  the  murder,  Tom  cross  examines 
him  and  demands  his  arrest  as  the  unidentified  person  who 
had  left  the  room  after  the  killing.  Hopton,  dreading  a 
charge  of  murder,  retracts  his  charges  against  Tom.  While 
Tom  and  Audrey  are  driven  home  by  Ed  Brophy,  their 
trusted  chauffeur,  Tom  tells  his  wife  that,  through  Hopton, 
he  would  reach  the  gangster  leader  and  thus  clean  the  city 
of  criminals,  with  the  aid  of  Richards. 

Crane  Wilbur  wrote  the  screen  play,  Herman  Schlom  pro- 
duced it,  and  Gordon  Douglas  directed  it. 

There  are  slight  sex  implications,  but  they  are  too  subtle 
for  children  to  understand. 


"Bathing  Beauty"  with  Red  Skelton, 
Esther  Williams  and  Basil  Rathbone 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  101  min.) 
Lively  and  gay,  this  latest  in  MGM's  roster  of  glittering 
Technicolor  musicals  should  be  received  well  by  the  rank 
and  file  of  picture-goers.  The  story  is  a  nonsensical  affair, 
revolving  around  a  young  man  who  gains  admittance  as  a 
student  in  an  exclusive  girls'  school,  but  it  does  serve  as  a 
handy  framework  for  Red  Skelton's  gags  and  comedy  antics, 
most  of  which  keep  the  spectators  laughing  throughout.  His 
dancing  (in  a  proper  costume)  with  a  group  of  girls  in  a 
ballet  dancing  class  is  an  hilarious  sequence.  The  picture's 
finale,  a  water  ballet  featuring  Esther  Williams,  is  one  of 
the  most  elaborate  production  numbers  ever  brought  to  the 
screen.  Miss  Williams  is  not  only  an  expert  swimmer  and  an 
outstanding  beauty,  but  also  a  promising  actress;  she  does 
good  work  as  the  girl  Skelton  pursues.  Added  entertainment, 
as  well  as  marquee,  value  is  to  be  found  in  the  tuneful  music 
furnished  by  Harry  James'  and  Xavier  Cugat's  orchestras, 
with  singing  by  Helen  Forrest  and  Lina  Romay: — 

Red  Skelton,  a  songwriter,  loafs  away  his  time  romancing 
with  Esther  Williams,  a  school  teacher  vacationing  in  Mex- 
ico, instead  of  composing  songs  for  a  Broadway  musical  to 
be  produced  by  Basil  Rathbone.  Angry  at  Skelton's  failure 
to  deliver  the  songs,  Rathbone  flies  to  Mexico  and  arrives 
just  as  Skelton  and  Esther  are  being  married.  He  bribes  a 
stage-struck  girl  to  assert  that  she  is  Skelton's  wife,  thereby 
causing  Esther  to  leave  Skelton  immediately  after  the  cere- 
mony. Esther  returns  to  an  exclusive  girls'  school,  where  she 
teaches.  Skelton  follows  her,  but  she  refuses  to  see  him. 
Learning  that  the  school  had  a  co-educational  charter,  Skel- 
ton applies  for  enrollment  so  that  he  may  be  near  Esther. 
The  faculty  grudgingly  accepts  him  as  a  student,  but  deter- 
mines to  oust  him  by  penalizing  him  with  demerits  at  the 
slightest  infringement  of  any  of  the  school's  rules.  Every 
obstacle  possible  is  thrown  in  Skelton's  way  to  make  his 
school  stay  miserable,  but  he  endures  it  all  to  be  near  his 
wife.  After  a  series  of  incidents,  in  which  Esther  rouses  his 
jealousy  by  feigning  a  romance  with  a  young  professor,  Skel- 
ton discovers  that  it  was  Rathbone  who  had  framed  him. 
He  reveals  this  to  Esther,  winning  a  reconciliation. 

Dorothy  Kingsley,  Allen  Boretz  and  Frank  Waldman 
wrote  the  screen  play.  Jack  Cummings  produced  it,  and 
George  Sidney  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Donald  Meek, 
Carlos  Ramirez  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


92 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  3,  1944 


Yet  at  the  rate  the  multi-million  dollar  productions  are 
being  made,  it  is  apparent  that  the  producers  have  lost  their 
sense  of  proportion.  Just  to  give  you  an  idea  of  what  to 
expect  in  the  future,  here  is  a  list  of  multi-million  dollar 
pictures,  most  of  which  are  completed,  which,  according  to 
reports  in  the  trade  press  or  to  definite  announcements  by 
the  distributors,  will  be  given  an  advanced  admission  price 
treatment: 

MGM's  "Dragon  Seed,"  "America"  and  "Ziegfeld  Fol- 
lies"; Warner  Brothers'  "Rhapsody  in  Blue"  and  "Saratoga 
Trunk";  Paramount's  "Frenchmen's  Creek";  20th  Century- 
Fox's  "Wilson,"  and,  perhaps,  "Keys  of  the  Kingdom";  and 
David  O.  Selznick's  "Since  You  Went  Away." 

How  many  of  the  other  multi-million  dollar  pictures, 
either  contemplated  or  in  production,  will  be  sold  on  a 
similar  policy  is  not  yet  known. 

The  producers  had  better  take  stock.  An  excessive  number 
of  these  high-cost  pictures  cannot  do  cither  the  exhibitors 
or  themselves  any  good.  One  of  these  days,  perhaps  sooner 
than  most  of  us  expect,  we  are  going  to  return  to  normal 
times  and  normal  grosses.  Let  us  not  find  ourselves  in  the 
position  of  the  little  boy  who  ate  too  much  candy  and  ended 
up  with  an  old-fashioned  bellyache. 


"THE  GEORGE  DEMBOW  TRIBUTE" 

Beginning  June  5,  and  ending  December  31,  the  field 
forces  of  National  Screen  Service  will  carry  on  a  sales  drive 
in  order  to  enroll  the  few  remaining  exhibitors  who  have  not 
yet  joined  the  great  body  of  exhibitors  using  National  Screen 
Service  trailers  and  accessories. 

The  drive  has  been  named  by  Herman  Robbins,  the  presi- 
dent of  the  company,  "The  George  Dembow  Tribute,"  in 
honor  of  the  man  who  for  twelve  years  has  won  the  hearts, 
not  only  of  the  company's  employees,  but  also  of  every 
exhibitor  as  well  as  distributor  who  has  known  him,  either 
in  business  dealings  or  socially.  Mr.  Robbins  felt  that  the 
name,  "George  Dembow,"  would  lend  to  the  sales  personnel 
of  the  company  an  incentive  far  beyond  the  inducement  of 
material  reward  for  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  drive. 

A  few  of  the  National  Screen  Service  employees  that  1 
have  spoken  to  feel  that  George  Dembow's  experience  in 
production,  distribution  and  exhibition  has  given  him  an  un- 
derstanding that  enables  him  to  determine  a  sales  policy  that, 
though  profitable  to  the  company,  offers  economies  and 
benefits  to  the  exhibitors  they  serve. 

Harrison's  Reports  suggests  to  the  exhibitors  to  join  the 
National  Screen  Service  employees  in  making  this  drive  a 
success  so  as  to  show  their  appreciation  to  the  company  that 
always  comes  to  the  forefront  whenever  its  services  are  re- 
quested for  a  worthy  cause. 


BEWARE  OF  "GOOD"  WAR  PICTURES 

The  question  of  war  pictures  has  been  agitating  the  minds, 
not  only  of  the  exhibitors,  but  also  of  the  producers.  Polls 
have  been  taken  among  the  picture-going  public  and  the 
findings  always  have  been  that  the  public  is  surfeited  with 
war  pictures.  But  when  any  one  protests  against  the  con- 
tinual producing  of  war  pictures,  a  distributor  pooh-poohs 
the  protest  by  pointing  to  the  outstanding  box-office  results 
of  some  successful  war  pictures. 

Since  the  majority  of  war  pictures  present  a  selling  prob- 
lem nowadays,  the  exhibitor  must  learn  to  differentiate  be- 
tween good  war  pictures  and  unusual  war  pictures.  In  other 
words,  the  fact  that  a  war  picture  may  be  good  is  no  guaran- 
tee that  the  public  will  flock  to  see  it;  such  a  picture  must 
present  something  unusual  either  in  story  or  in  treatment, 
for  many  a  good  war  picture  has  "flopped"  at  the  box-office. 

Take,  for  instance,  "None  Shall  Escape" :  this  is  a  good 
war  picture,  but,  according  to  reports,  particularly  those  in 


the  bulletins  of  the  Independent  Exhibitors  Forum,  of  Cin- 
cinnati, it  has  "flopped."  In  presenting  the  exhibitors'  com- 
ments, Miss  Ann  Welling,  secretary  of  the  Forum,  states 
the  following: 

"Columbia's  'None  Shall  Escape'  is  another  example  of 
their  top  pictures.  It  flopped  wherever  it  played  and  should 
have  been  released  on  a  low  rental  basis.  It  is  less  than  an 
ordinary  program  picture.  No  more  than  a  $15  feature  on  a 
$50  'average'  contract." 

In  its  review,  which  was  published  in  the  January  8  issue, 
Harrison's  Reports  foresaw,  in  a  way,  the  picture's  pos- 
sible box-office  failure,  for  even  though  it  pronounced  the 
picture  good  it  said:  "Whether  or  not  your  patrons  desire 
this  type  of  entertainment  today  is  a  matter  that  you  must 
judge  for  yourself." 

Subscribers  of  Harrison's  Reports  should  read  the  re- 
views on  war  pictures  carefully  to  find  out  whether  such  pic- 
tures do  or  do  not  possess  unusual  features,  even  when  the 
players  that  appear  in  the  leading  roles  are  popular,  for  the 
public  resemment  to  war  pictures  may  take  in  even  the  stars 
themselves. 


STUDIOS  ON  A  SPENDING  SPREE 

Inspired  by  the  unusual  theatre  prosperity  as  a  result  of 
the  war,  the  studios  are  getting  more  ambitious  every  day 
and  are  spending  millions  on  some  pictures  that,  in  normal 
times,  would  be  kept  within  a  million  dollar  budget.  The 
expenditure  of  three  million  dollars  on  a  picture  is  no  longer 
a  novelty  but  almost  a  rule.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  every  major 
studio  is  now  geared  up  on  million  dollar  pictures. 

The  industry  is  now  in  a  trance.  What  will  happen  when 
we  come  out  of  the  trance?  For  come  out  of  it  we  must, 
after  the  war,  even  if  it  takes  a  little  time. 

What  will  happen  then?  The  studios,  having  been  geared 
to  million  dollar  pictures,  will  not  be  able  to  readjust  them- 
selves, and  they  will  continue  paying  unheard  of  sums  for 
either  stage  plays  or  best  sellers,  but  the  market  will  not  be 
able  to  absorb  the  costs,  with  the  result  that  we  may  have 
bankruptcies  such  as  those  that  occurred  immediately  after 
the  1929  depression. 

Some  of  the  studios  may  begin  to  retrench  then,  but  we 
pretty  nearly  know  what  the  effect  of  retrenchment  will  be 
— pictures  that  will  drive  the  public  away  from  the  theatres. 

The  studios  of  the  smaller  companies  can  profit  from  the 
mistakes  of  the  bigger  studios  by  expanding,  well  enough, 
but  by  keeping  the  expenses  to  a  point  where,  when  the 
awakening  comes,  they  will  not  suffer  to  the  same  extent  as 
the  bigger  studios.  Let  them  spend  more  money  in  buying 
good  stories  and  in  treating  them  well  rather  than  spend 
the  money  on  lavish  and  huge  sets,  as  well  as  on  over-rated 
stage  plays  and  novels.  It  will  pay  them  in  the  end. 

Recently,  while  I  was  discussing  the  present  spending 
spree  with  a  friend  of  mine,  who  is  in  the  business,  he  was 
reminded  of  some  sage  advice  given  to  him  by  the  late 
Marcus  Loew  at  a  time  when  the  Loew  theatres  were  "coin- 
ing" money.  In  the  midst  of  this  prosperity,  Loew  issued 
instructions  to  his  theatre  managers  to  cut  expenses  to  the 
bone  and  to  institute  a  general  program  of  economy. 

My  friend,  who  worked  for  Mr.  Loew  at  the  time,  queried 
him  as  to  the  reasons  for  such  instructions.  Loew  replied  that 
it  was  no  trick  to  cut  expenses  or  economize  during  bad 
times,  because  the  lack  of  revenue  went  hand  in  hand  with 
economy.  "The  time  to  train  your  people  how  to  save 
money,"  continued  Mr.  Loew,  "is  when  it  is  plentiful.  It  is 
only  during  good  times  that  you  are  able  to  fortify  yourself 
against  bad  times." 

Both  exhibitors  and  producers  should  heed  the  advice 
given  to  my  friend  by  the  late  Marcus  Loew. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  p«st  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  Room1ft12  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  ftWHnl°"  Publisher 

Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

^exitco'  9+uba'  Spain A  Motion  Picture  Reviewing  Service   

oreat  Britain  ............  10.10  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

Australia,  New  Zealand,     

India,  Europe  Asia  ....  17.60      Us  Edltorla]  p0iicy.  No  problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

35c  a  Copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JUNE  10,  1944  No.  24 


INDUSTRY'S  RESPONSIBILITIES 
DURING  EUROPE'S  INVASION 

The  motion  picture  industry  has  come  forward  with  its 
services  whenever  a  national  cause  was  to  be  served,  and  it 
will  continue  offering  them  whenever  they  are  needed.  But 
there  is  another  service  that  the  industry  can  perform,  of 
as  great  a  value  as  any  of  the  other  services — that  of  avoid' 
ing  from  presenting  to  the  public  pictures  that  will  make  a 
mother,  a  father,  a  brother,  a  sister,  or  any  other  relative 
or  even  friend  spend  an  aching  moment. 

Showing  in  a  picture  that  a  husband  has  returned  to  his 
wife  at  home  either  blinded,  or  with  a  lost  limb,  or  with  some 
other  injury  received  from  performing  a  heroic  act  may  be 
dramatic,  and  may  even  bring  tears  to  the  eyes,  but  it  is  not 
entertainment  to  any  wife  who  has  a  husband  fighting  some- 
where for  the  liberation  of  the  world,  or  to  the  boy's  mother, 
sister,  brother,  or  sweetheart — it  is  a  sight  that  tortures  his 
or  her  heart. 

There  came  to  my  attention  recently  a  real  life  incident 
concerning  a  married  couple  that  live  in  the  apartment 
house  where  I  live.  They  have  a  son,  not  yet  twenty  years 
old,  fighting  somewhere  in  Burma.  They  had  not  heard  from 
him  for  several  weeks.  A  remark  made  to  the  boy's  mother 
as  to  his  possible  death  being  the  cause  of  her  not  receiving 
any  news  from  him  was  so  cruel  that  the  boy's  mother  went 
into  jitters  and  had  not  closed  an  eye  for  nights  in  succession, 
until  she  received  a  letter  from  one  of  the  boy's  friends  in 
India  informing  her  that  the  boy  was  well,  but  that  he  was 
on  a  secret  mission,  and  our  military  authorities  had  for' 
bidden  members  of  that  mission  from  mentioning  where 
they  were  stationed. 

The  showing  of  pictures  in  which  much  blood  is  shed 
should  be  avoided  just  now,  lest  the  sight  of  blood  send 
horror  into  the  heart  of  each  of  those  who  have  someone 
fighting  in  a  front,  particularly  in  the  European  front.  The 
production  of  such  pictures  should  be  avoided  for  the  pres- 
ent. From  now  on  we  are  going  to  have  enough  blood  shed 
to  do  without  it  in  pictures. 


they  are  in  a  theatre  than  if  they  had  stayed  home  listen- 
ing in. 

Avoid  as  much  as  possible  showing  depressing  pictures; 
prefer  comedies.  I  am  sure  that  the  film  companies  will  be 
glad  to  cooperate  with  you  in  shelving  depressing  pictures 
temporarily. 


THERE  IS  GOING  TO  BE  A  DROP 
OF  ATTENDANCE  IN  THEATRES 

During  the  invasion  plunge  in  Europe  and  until  we  know 
that  our  military  authorities  have  the  situation  well  in  hand, 
people  will  sit  by  their  radios  listening  in  with  the  hope  that 
with  each  tuning  some  good  news  may  be  broadcast.  And 
they  will  be  sending  for  the  latest  editions  of  the  papers 
with  the  hope  that  they  might  find  in  them  something  that 
the  radio  announcers  have  not  yet  received. 

You  can  do  a  great  deal,  not  only  to  bolster  up  your  busi' 
ness,  but  also  to  relieve  anxiety  in  those  who  have  some  one 
fighting  in  the  European  theatre  of  war.  You  may  make 
arrangements  with  your  local  radio  station  as  well  as  your 
local  newspaper  to  send  you  the  news  as  fast  as  they  receive 
them  so  that,  between  shows,  features  or  shorts,  you  may 
interrupt  the  performance  to  give  them  the  latest  news. 

Your  act  will  be  considered  humanitarian  from  two  view- 
points: first,  the  picture  will  take  their  minds  off  the  war, 
and  second,  from  the  fact  that  the  anxiety  will  be  less  if 


NATIONAL  SCREEN  SERVICE'S 
"MISTER  SHOWMAN" 

The  other  day  I  happened  to  come  across  a  copy  of  "Mister 
Showman,"  the  house  organ  that  National  Screen  Service 
puts  out  and  I  was  so  impressed  with  the  valuable  informa- 
tion it  conveys  to  the  exhibitors,  that  I  called  up  the  National 
Screen  Service  home  office  and  I  requested  additional  copies 
with  a  view  to  studying  them  and  letting  the  exhibitors 
know  how  much  they  miss  if  they  should  either  not  receive 
a  copy  of  this  monthly  bulletin  or  receive  it  but  do  not  pay 
much  attention  to  it. 

Each  number  informs  the  exhibitors  of  the  month's  events 
and  advises  him  how  to  prepare  for  them  with  a  view  to 
helping  his  box  office.  For  instance: 

The  June  number  informs  the  exhibitors  that  June  14  is 
Flag  Day  and  suggests  how  they  should  go  about  it  to  draw 
patrons  to  the  box  office.  The  article  under  the  heading, 
"That's  Show  Business,"  by  which  it  details  a  story  of  the 
results  obtained  by  business  people  who  are  polite  to  their 
customers  is  worth  reading.  Wedding  ceremonies  performed 
on  the  stage  should  prove  a  box  office  stimulant  for  theatres 
that  resort  to  such  stunts.  June  18  is  Father's  Day.  The 
"Mister  Showman"  gives  many  hints  that  are  helpful  to 
the  box  office.  In  a  double  page  at  the  center  of  the  book 
there  are  hints  on  how  an  exhibitor  may  use  lighted  posters 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  passers-by  as  well  as  of  the 
patrons  while  entering  the  theatre.  Under  the  heading  "Ex- 
ploit Graduation,"  there  are  many  helpful  suggestions  that 
may  be  used  during  graduation.  In  the  following  pages  the 
editor  suggests  to  the  exhibitors  even  how  to  cool  their 
theatres. 

The  July  number,  not  yet  out,  will  contain  many  valuable 
suggestions  for  the  special  events  of  that  month.  National 
Screen  will  offer  Fourth  of  July  trailers,  either  in  black  or  in 
Technicolor,  showing  the  American  flag  waving.  There  will 
be  suggestions  for  "kiddy"  shows  during  the  summer  vaca- 
tion, a  fact  which  can  help  a  great  deal  to  eradicate  juvenile 
delinquency.  There  will  be  for  sale  trailers  advertising  the 
Fifth  War  Loan  Drive,  urging  the  public  to  buy  bonds. 
There  will  be  a  trailer  for  the  celebration  of  the  168th  An- 
niversary of  the  Birth  of  Freedom  in  this  country,  and 
through  this  country's  influence  almost  all  over  the  world. 
There  will  be  trailers  available  to  the  exhibitors  informing 
the  public  that  special  sections  of  the  theatre  have  been  set 
aside  for  children  who  attend  the  shows,  with  a  matron 
supervising  them,  and  many  other  suggestions. 

No  exhibitor  can  afford  to  be  without  a  copy  of  "Mister 
Showman"  for  it  relieves  him  of  the  necessity  of  watching 
his  calendar  to  find  out  the  holidays  for  that  month.  But 
even  if  it  were  no  trouble  to  him  to  watch  the  calendar,  he 
will  have  to  think  out  his  own  exploitation  ideas,  whereas 
"Mister  Showman"  has  a  wealth  of  suggestions,  which  he 
can  if  he  chooses,  enrich  with  his  own  exploitation  ideas. 


LET'S  ALL  BACK  THE  INVASION!  SELL  INVASION  BONDS! 


94 


]  HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  10,  1944 


"Hail  the  Conquering  Hero" 
with  Eddie  Bracken,  William  Demarest 
and  Ella  Raines 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  lime,  101  min.) 
A  thoroughly  entertaining  comedy-drama.  The  fact  that 
it  lacks  stellar  star  names  should  not  have  much  of  an  effect 
on  its  box-office  possibilities,  for  it  is  the  sort  of  picture 
that  patrons  recommend  to  one  another.  The  original  story, 
which  was  written,  produced  and  directed  by  Preston 
Sturges,  is  a  totally  unbelievable  one  about  a  young  man 
who  becomes  the  unwilling  victim  of  a  hoax  perpetrated  on 
his  mother  and  friends  by  well-meaning  pals.  But  so  expertly 
has  Sturges  handled  this  blend  of  human  interest,  high 
comedy,  and  romance,  that  the  spectator  finds  himself  laugh- 
ing heartily  one  moment  and,  on  the  next,  feeling  a  tug 
on  the  heart-strings.  The  characterizations  by  the  cast  are 
done  very  well,  with  high  honors  going  to  Eddie  Bracken, 
as  the  confused  young  man  who  wants  to  tell  the  truth 
about  himself,  and  William  Demarest,  as  the  tough  Marine 
sergeant,  who  persists  in  his  efforts  to  build  up  Bracken  as 
a  hero: — 

Let  out  of  the  Marines  after  serving  one  month  because 
of  a  chronic  hay  fever,  Bracken  is  ashamed  to  go  home;  his 
father  had  been  a  World  War  I  hero,  and  he  felt  that  his 
mother  and  his  home-town  folk  expected  great  things  from 
him.  In  order  not  to  disillusion  them,  he  had  arranged  with 
pals  to  mail  his  letters  home  from  Guadalcanal,  and  wrote 
Ella  Raines,  his  sweetheart,  that  he  had  fallen  in  love  with 
another  girl.  Meanwhile  he  kept  away  from  home,  working 
in  a  shipyard.  When  six  Marine  heroes,  just  returned  from 
Guadalcanal,  hear  his  story,  they  decide  to  take  matters  in 
hand.  Despite  Eddie's  protests,  they  telephone  to  his  mother 
that  he  had  just  returned  as  a  hero  with  minor  wounds,  and 
that  he  had  been  given  an  honorable  discharge.  They  induce 
him  to  don  his  uniform,  pin  their  medals  on  him,  and  take 
him  home.  When  the  train  pulls  into  the  station.  Bracken  is 
astounded  to  see  that  the  whole  town  had  turned  out  to 
give  him  a  hero's  welcome.  His  attempts  to  explain  the  hoax 
are  frustrated  by  his  well-meaning  marine  pals,  who  add  to 
his  embarrassment  by  telling  stories  of  his  "heroic  deeds." 
His  embarrassment  mounts  when  the  townspeople  draft  him 
to  run  for  mayor  against  Raymond  Walburn,  the  incumbent, 
whose  son  had  become  engaged  to  Ella.  Realizing  that  the 
truth  will  eventually  be  found  out,  and  that  his  mother  will 
feel  disgraced,  Bracken  attends  a  political  rally  and  courage- 
ously confesses  to  the  townspeople.  Ella,  proud  of  Bracken's 
courage,  breaks  her  engagement  to  the  Mayor's  son  and  tells 
Bracken  that  she  intended  to  stick  by  his  side.  Meanwhile 
William  Demarest,  one  of  the  Marines,  explains  to  the  towns- 
people that  he  and  his  pals  were  responsible  for  Bracken's 
troubles.  The  people  decide  that  Bracken  had  proved  his 
honesty  and  elect  him  as  their  new  Mayor. 

The  cast  includes  Jimmie  Dundee,  Georgia  Cane,  Freddie 
Steele,  Franklin  Pangborn  and  others. 

"The  Great  Moment"  with  Joel  McCrea, 
Betty  Field,  Harry  Carey  and 
William  Demarest 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  78  min.) 

This  is  another  very  entertaining  comedy-drama,  written, 
produced  and  directed  by  Preston  Sturges.  The  story,  which 
is  supposedly  biographical  of  the  success  and  heartaches  of 
Dr.  William  T.  G.  Morton,  the  Boston  dentist  who  a  century 
ago  had  discovered  and  developed  the  use  of  anaesthesia, 
has  been  given  a  typical  Sturges  treatment,  in  which  he 
brings  out,  with  hilarious  results,  the  humorous  aspects  of 
the  doctor's  experiments  with  ether,  and  yet  gives  them  a 
proper  dramatic  touch,  filled  with  human  interest.  Unlike 
most  pictures  dealing  with  scientific  discoveries,  the  action 
in  this  one  moves  swiftly  and,  on  occasion,  holds  one  in 
suspense.  The  good  acting  of  the  players  is  not  the  least  of 
the  picture's  assets.  The  period  is  1850,  and  the  styles  and 
customs  of  that  day,  have  been  adhered  to  carefully. 

In  an  apparent  effort  to  avoid  giving  the  picture  an  un- 
happy ending,  because  Dr.  Morton  had  died  in  poverty,  a 
figure  of  ridicule,  Sturges  has  resorted  to  two  flashbacks  in 
the  telling  of  the  story.  The  first  flashback  shows  how  the 
doctor  (Joel  McCrea),  having  sacrificed  personal  gain  to 
give  his  secret  away  for  the  benefit  of  mankind,  receives 
word  that  Congress  had  voted  him  a  reward  of  $100,000. 
But  jealous  medical  rivals  induce  President  Pierce  to  veto 
the  bill,  and  inflame  the  newspapers  into  ridiculing  Morton 
for  seeking  to  profit  from  his  discovery.  The  second  flash' 
back  deals  with  the  doctor's  early  career,  at  which  time  he 
was  wracking  his  brain  to  find  a  means  by  which  dentistry 
could  be  made  painless,  so  that  his  patients  would  not  fear 
him.  His  search  for  an  anaesthetic  leads  him  to  ether  and, 


after  his  first  experiments  almost  prove  disastrous  to  one  of 
his  patients  (William  Demarest),  he  perfects  its  use.  He 
becomes  highly  successful  as  a  painless  dentist,  and  offers 
his  secret  formula  for  purposes  of  surgery  to  a  famous 
surgeon  (Harry  Carey),  who,  after  testing  it,  acclaims  it 
of  great  benefit  to  mankind.  The  Massachussets  Medical 
Society,  however,  biased  against  all  dentists,  refuse  to  permit 
their  members  to  use  the  anaesthesia  unless  Morton  first 
reveals  the  formula.  They  remain  adamant,  despite  Morton's 
offer  to  furnish  his  anaesthesia  to  hospitals  without  charge, 
and  despite  his  protests  that  the  revelation  of  his  formula 
would  hurt  his  practice.  But  rather  than  have  the  sick  suffer 
unduly,  Morton  reveals  the  formula  and  sacrifices  his  hope 
for  personal  gain. 

The  cast  includes  Julian  Tanncn,  Franklin  Pangborn, 
Louis  Hcydt  and  others.   Suitable  for  all. 

"I  Love  a  Soldier"  with  Paulette  Goddard 
and  Sonny  Tufts 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  106  min.) 

Mark  Sandrich,  one  of  the  top-notch  producers  at  the 
Paramount  Studios,  engaged  Allan  Scott,  a  writer  with  a 
fine  reputation  in  Hollywood,  to  write  a  story  for  Paulette 
Goddard,  but  even  though  the  picture  may  draw  because 
of  Miss  Goddard's  popularity,  one  cannot  say  that  Sandrich 
has  produced  an  outstanding  picture,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  it  has  human  interest  as  well  as  comedy  situations.  The 
trouble  with  it  is  the  fact  that  the  story  "wanders  all  over 
the  lot";  the  action  is  interesting  in  most  situations  but  hardly 
any  of  it  is  outstanding.  The  main  plot  revolves  around  a 
heroine  who,  though  she  is  nice  to  every  soldier  as  well  as 
sailor  she  meets,  is  determined  not  to  fall  in  love  with  any 
of  them,  no  matter  how  "crazy"  he  might  be  over  her,  be- 
cause of  her  fear  that,  if  she  did  fall  in  love  and  marry  him, 
he  might  never  return.  Around  this  plot,  there  are  several 
by-plots.  There  is,  for  example,  the  plot  of  one  of  her  pals, 
who  had  married  a  soldier,  and  a  few  months  later  learns 
that  he  was  "missing  in  action."  Later  this  soldier-husband 
returns  to  her,  but  blind.  Though  the  sight  of  the  reunion 
will  bring  tears  to  one's  eyes,  first  because  of  the  fact  that 
she  had  given  birth  to  a  son,  and  secondly  because  of  her 
loyalty  to  him — of  her  determination  to  stand  by  him  re- 
gardless of  his  affliction,  it  may  prove  harrowing  to  millions 
of  picture-goers,  who  have  some  one  fighting  at  one  of  the 
many  war  fronts. 

Paulette  Goddard  is  presented  as  a  shipyards  welder,  liv- 
ing with  three  girl-pals,  one  of  whom  had  married  a  soldier. 
Paulette  would  meet  soldiers  and  sailors  and  entertain  them, 
but,  even  though  some  of  them  fall  in  love  with  her  and 
offer  to  marry  her,  she  turns  down  their  proposals.  One  day 
Sonny  Tufts  and  his  pal,  Walter  Sands,  return  from  the 
South  Pacific  and  bring  her  a  memento  from  a  soldier  whom 
she  had  met  months  previously,  but  who  had  been  killed  in 
action.  But  she  does  not  remember  the  chap  until  she  searches 
for  and  finds  his  photograph.  When  Tufts  remarks  that  it 
is  pecular  for  a  girl  not  to  remember  the  man  who  loved  her, 
Paulette  explains  her  reasons  to  him.  Tufts  falls  in  love  with 
her  and  asks  her  to  marry  him.  She  turns  him  down  several 
times  until  he  loses  hope.  But  when  Beulah  Bondi,  whom 
she  had  met  previously,  pleads  with  her  not  to  make  the 
mistake  she  had  made  during  the  first  World  War,  when, 
prompted  by  the  same  fears  as  those  of  Paulette,  she  had 
refused  to  marry  the  man  she  loved,  Paulette  relents. 

Mark  Sandrich  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  in' 
eludes  Marie  MacDonald,  Barry  Fitzgerald,  Frank  Albert- 
son,  James  Bell  and  others.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Take  it  Big"  with  Jack  Haley, 
Harriet  Hilliard  and  Richard  Lane 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  74  min.) 

Just  a  moderately  entertaining  comedy  with  music,  best 
suited  for  the  lower-half  of  a  double  bill.  The  story,  which 
has  its  setting  in  a  dude  ranch,  is  extremely  light  and  man- 
ages to  be  fairly  amusing  at  times,  but  for  the  most  part  the 
comedy  situations  fall  flat,  despite  the  players'  earnest  ef- 
forts. Even  the  musical  end  of  the  picture  is  quite  ordinary, 
with  the  exception  of  the  singing  by  Frank  Forest,  who 
sings  the  "Figaro"  number  from  the  "Barber  of  Seville." 
Ozzie  Nelson  and  his  orchestra  furnish  the  music: — 

Jack  Haley,  a  night  club  performer,  learns  that  his  uncle 
had  died,  leaving  him  heir  to  the  A-Bar-B  ranch  in  Nevada. 
Together  with  Harriet  Hilliard  and  Richard  Lane,  his  night 
club  pals,  Haley  heads  west  and,  by  mistake,  takes  posses- 
sion of  the  B-Bar-A,  a  swanky  dude  ranch,  owned  by  Frank 
Forest,  who  was  away  at  the  time.  Giddy  with  his  new  found 
prosperity,  Haley  invites  to  the  ranch  a  host  of  show  folk 
from  the  East.  But  before  his  guests  can  make  themselves 


June  10,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


95 


comfortable,  Haley  learns  that  he  owned  the  delapidated 
A-Bar-B  ranch.  Despondent  at  first,  Haley  and  his  friends 
decide  to  revamp  the  A-Bar-B  into  a  dude  ranch,  in  compe- 
tition with  the  B-Bar-A.  Forest,  peeved  at  the  success  of  the 
revamped  ranch,  buys  up  a  $15,000  mortgage  that  was  out- 
standing on  Haley's  property^  and  threatens  to  foreclose 
unless  Haley  paid  off  within  one  week.  Haley,  desperate, 
enters  his  ranch  in  a  rodeo  contest,  paying  a  $1,500  entry 
fee  in  the  hope  of  winning  the  $15,000  prize  money.  The 
day  of  the  contest  finds  the  B-Bar-A  and  the  A-Bar-B  tied 
for  first  prize  with  one  more  event  to  go.  Haley,  in  the 
excitement,  falls  off  a  fence  into  the  saddle  of  a  bucking 
broncho  and  wins  the  event  and  the  prize  money. 

Howard  J.  Green  wrote  the  screen  play,  William  Pine 
and  William  Thomas  produced  it,  and  Frank  McDonald 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Mary  Beth  Hughes,  Arline 
Judge,  Fritz  Feld,  Lucille  Gleason,  Nils  T.  Granlund  and 
others.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Mask  of  Dimitrios"  with 
Sydney  Greenstreet,  Peter  Lorre 
and  Zachary  Scott 

(Warner  Bros.,  July  1;  time,  95  min.) 

An  intriguing  melodrama,  but  not  so  pleasant,  by  reason 
of  the  fact  that  none  of  the  characters  are  sympathetic,  nor 
do  they  do  anything  worthwhile.  The  story  which  revolves 
around  the  adventures  of  a  mystery  story  writer  who,  in 
search  of  material  for  a  new  book,  investigates  the  career  of 
a  notorious  international  criminal,  has  more  talk  than  action, 
but  it  has  been  presented  in  an  interesting  way  and  holds 
the  spectator's  attention  throughout.  The  action  takes  place 
in  continental  Europe,  prior  to  the  war,  and  the  author's 
investigation  leads  him  to  strange  lands  and  strange  people, 
who,  in  a  series  of  flashbacks,  reveal  the  nefarious  incidents 
in  the  life  of  the  criminal,  who  is  shown  to  have  been  a 
murderer,  smuggler  and  spy.  The  closing  scenes,  where  the 
author  becomes  involved  in  a  scheme  to  blackmail  the 
criminal,  hold  one  in  suspense: — 

Peter  Lorre,  a  timid  Dutch  author,  learns  from  Kurt 
Katch,  head  of  the  Turkish  Secret  Police,  that  a  stabbed 
body,  identified  as  that  of  Zachary  Scott,  an  international 
criminal,  had  been  washed  ashore  on  a  beach  at  Instabul. 
Intrigued  by  Katch's  story  of  the  criminal's  beginnings, 
Lorre  determines  to  find  out  more  about  the  dead  man's 
character,  intending  to  use  the  information  as  the  basis  for 
a  new  novel.  As  he  travels  from  one  country  to  another 
gathering  information,  Lorre  meets  up  with  Sydney  Green' 
street,  a  mysterious  Englishman,  who  tells  him  that  he,  too, 
was  interested  in  Scott.  Greenstreet,  without  explaining, 
grows  excited  when  Lorre  tells  him  that  he  had  seen  Scott's 
corpse.  He  asks  Lorre  to  meet  him  in  Paris  on  a  specified 
date,  assuring  him  that  it  will  be  to  his  financial  advantage 
to  do  so.  Lorre  continues  his  travels  and,  on  the  appointed 
day,  meets  Greenstreet  in  Paris.  There,  the  Englishman  in' 
forms  him  that  Scott  was  alive,  head  of  a  French  banking 
firm,  and  that  he  had  allowed  the  police  to  believe  that 
his  body  had  been  found,  in  order  that  they  stop  search- 
ing for  him.  Greenstreet  reveals  also  that,  years  previously, 
Scott  had  double-crossed  him  in  a  smuggling  scheme.  He 
induces  Lorre  to  join  him  in  a  scheme  to  blackmail  Scott. 
On  the  following  day,  Scott  meets  them  and  agrees  to  pay 
them  1,000,000  francs  for  their  silence.  Some  hours  later, 
however,  Scott  waylays  the  pair  and,  in  the  ensuing  struggle, 
is  shot  dead  by  Greenstreet,  who  in  turn  is  mortally  wounded 
himself.  Lorre,  his  life  spared,  hurries  from  the  scene. 

Frank  Gruber  wrote  the  screen  play  from  a  novel  by  Eric 
Ambler.  Henry  Blanke  produced  it,  and  Jean  Negulesco 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Faye  Emerson,  Victor  Francen, 
Steve  Geray,  Florence  Bates,  Edward  Ciannelli  and  others. 

Not  for  children. 


"Goodnight  Sweetheart"  with  Ruth  Terry 
and  Robert  Livingston 

(Republic,  June  17;  time,  67  min.) 

A  satisfactory  program  comedy.  Although  the  story  re 
volves  around  a  newspaperman  who  resorts  to  scandal  tactics 
to  increase  the  circulation  of  his  paper,  it  is  not  offensive 
since  it  has  been  treated  in  a  comedy  vein.  It  should  please 
audiences  pretty  well  because  of  the  amusing  comedy  situ- 
ations, most  of  which  are  provoked  by  the  complications  the 
hero  gets  himself  into  when  his  schemes  boomerang.  The 
story  is  lacking  in  human  appeal,  since  the  characters  do 
nothing  to  awaken  sympathy.  The  performances  are  good: — 

Robert  Livingston,  a  big-city  reporter,  leaves  his  job  to 
take  over  his  half-interest  in  a  small-town  newspaper.  He 
decides  to  use  expose  tactics  to  increase  the  paper's  circula- 


tion, and  chooses  as  his  target  Judge  Thurston  Hall,  the 
opposition  paper's  candidate  for  Mayor.  Realizing  that  her 
uncle's  past  was  unsullied,  Ruth  Terry,  Hall's  visiting  niece, 
decides  to  teach  Livingston  a  lesson.  Hiding  her  identity,  she 
leads  him  to  believe  that  the  Judge  had  jilted  her  and  was 
trying  to  run  her  out  of  town.  Livingston  emblazons  his 
paper  with  stories  of  the  unnamed  woman  in  Hall's  life,  in' 
tending  to  reveal  the  name  at  a  later  date.  But  before  he 
can  do  this,  Livingston  learns  that  he  had  been  the  victim 
of  a  hoax.  Determined  to  get  even,  Livingston  disguises 
himself  in  feminine  attire  and  rents  a  room  in  town.  He 
telephones  Henry  Hull,  his  co-editor,  and,  identifying  him' 
self  as  "Marie  Stevens,"  the  real  woman  in  Hall's  life,  makes 
an  appointment  to  "tell  all."  He  then  disarranges  the  room 
and  plants  clues  connecting  Hall  with  "Marie."  Disposing 
of  the  clothes  in  the  river,  Livingston  returns  to  his  office 
and  accompanies  Hull  back  to  the  room  to  keep  the  appoint' 
ment  with  "Marie."  His  scheme  works,  and  Hall  is  suspected 
of  having  kidnapped  "Marie"  to  keep  her  quiet.  The  plan 
boomerangs,  however,  when  witnesses  reveal  having  seen 
Livingston  dispose  of  feminine  clothing  in  the  river.  Living' 
ston  finds  himself  accused  of  murdering  "Marie,"  despite  his 
protests  that  she  was  a  fictitious  character  invented  by  him- 
self. He  is  finally  freed  when  Ruth,  who  loved  and  believed 
him,  retrieves  the  clothes  from  the  river  and  comes  to 
his  aid.  Both  are  married  by  the  Judge. 

Isabel  Dawn  and  Jack  Townley  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Eddy  White  produced  it,  and  Joseph  Santley  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Grant  Withers,  Lloyd  Corrigan,  Maude 
Eburn,  Olin  Howlin  and  others.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Christmas  Holiday"  with  Deanna  Durbin 
and  Gene  Kelly 

(Universal,  June  30;  time,  93  min.) 

This  is  a  fairly  interesting  drama,  well  acted  and  directed. 
It  is,  however,  a  questionable  box-office  attraction,  for  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  picture  will  be  recommended  by  those  who 
will  see  it.  The  reason  for  it  is  the  fact  that  they  may  be 
disappointed  to  see  Deanna  Durbin  in  a  heavy  dramatic 
role,  one  that  is  a  complete  departure  from  the  type  of  role 
they  enjoy  seeing  her  play.  Moreover,  the  story  as  a  whole 
is  a  depressing  entertainment;  Deanna  is  presented  as  the 
victim  of  an  unhappy  marriage  to  a  gambler,  who  was 
serving  a  life  term  for  murder,  and  she  is  shown  working 
as  a  hostess  in  a  cheap  New  Orleans  bistro,  a  life  to  which 
she  had  committed  herself  out  of  a  belief  that  she  had  been 
responsible  for  having  failed  to  guide  her  husband  along  a 
righteous  path.  Dramatically,  the  story  is  weak.  Deanna,  for 
example,  carries  an  intense  love  for  her  husband,  yet  he 
had  done  nothing  to  earn  her  affection.  Nor  had  she  any 
logical  reason  to  do  penance  in  a  bistro.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
it  seems  as  if  the  story  was  designed  for  the  sole  purpose 
of  casting  Deanna  in  a  tragic  role,  so  that  she  would  have 
an  opportunity  to  display  her  acting  talent.  Only  time  will 
tell  whether  Universal  has  made  a  wise  choice  in  selecting 
this  type  of  role  for  one  of  its  most  valuable  pieces  of 
"property."  Deanna's  singing  is  confined  to  two  popular 
tunes,  which  she  sings  solemnly  in  the  night  club.  It  should 
be  noted  that  Deanna  acts  well,  but  her  make  up  is  most 
uncomplimentary.  Gene  Kelly,  a  rising  star,  does  good  work 
as  the  unscrupulous  husband,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  such  an 
unsympathetic  role  will  add  to  his  popularity.  The  story  is 
told  in  a  series  of  flashbacks: — 

Befriended  by  Dean  Harens,  a  young  army  lieutenant 
visiting  the  night  club,  Deanna  relates  to  him  the  story  of 
her  unhappy  marriage  with  Gene  Kelly.  She  relates  how  she 
first  met  Kelly  at  a  concert  and,  after  a  whirlwind  courtship, 
married  him.  Despite  his  numerous  promises  to  give  up 
gambling,  Kelly  had  continued  the  habit,  and  one  day  he 
had  murdered  a  bookie.  After  he  had  been  convicted  and 
sentenced  to  prison,  his  mother  (Gale  Sondergaard)  had 
accused  Deanna  of  having  failed  to  control  her  son's  way- 
wardness. Because  of  her  deep  love  for  Kelly,  and  because 
she  felt  partly  responsible  for  his  crime,  Deanna  had  gone 
to  work  in  the  night  club  as  a  hostess,  so  that  she,  too,  would 
suffer.  Haren  bids  Deanna  goodbye  and  prepares  to  leave 
town.  But  before  his  departure,  he  learns  that  Kelly  had 
broken  out  of  jail.  Fearing  for  Deanna's  safety,  he  returns 
to  the  night  club.  There,  he  finds  Kelly  accusing  Deanna 
of  being  unfaithful  to  him,  and  threatening  to  shoot  her. 
But  the  police,  who  had  trailed  Kelly,  shoot  him  before  he 
can  harm  her.  He  dies  in  Deanna's  arms. 

Herman  J.  Mankiewicz  wrote  the  screen  play  from  a  novel 
by  Somerset  Maugham,  Felix  Jackson  produced  it,  and 
Robert  Siodmak  directed  it.  Frank  Shaw  was  the  Associate 
Producer.  The  cast  includes  Richard  Whorf,  Gladys  George 
and  others.  There  are  no  objectionable  sex  situations. 


96 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  10,  1944 


"Henry  Aldrich's  Little  Secret" 
with  Jimmy  Lydon  and  Charles  Smith 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  74j/$  min.) 

This  latest  of  the  "Aldrich"  series  is  pretty  entertaining, 
even  though  the  story  is  light.  It  is  a  sort  of  farce  comedy, 
with  the  action  centered  mostly  around  a  baby.  The  at' 
tempts  of  the  hero  and  his  pal  to  hide  the  baby  so  as  to 
prevent  busybody  representatives  of  a  Welfare  Society  from 
taking  him  away  from  his  mother  is  the  cause  of  the  comedy; 
and,  for  good  measure,  there  is  a  court-room  trial  in  which 
Henry's  father,  a  lawyer  and  head  of  the  Welfare  Society, 
is  pitted  against  his  own  son,  who  had  undertaken  to  defend 
the  case  of  the  baby.  There  are  also  a  few  touches  that  will 
reach  the  heart-strings: — 

Henry  (Jimmy  Lydon)  and  Dizzy  (Charles  Smith)  start 
a  baby-minding  agency  and,  because  the  girl-students  of 
their  high  school  refuse  to  cooperate,  the  two  boys  carry  on 
themselves.  The  first  "minding"  case  is  that  of  the  baby  of 
Mrs.  Helen  Martin  (Ann  Doran);  her  husband  had  been 
sent  to  jail  on  a  trumped  up  charge,  and  the  Welfare  So- 
ciety wanted  to  take  the  baby  away  from  her  as  an  unfit 
mother.  Henry,  when  he  learns  the  facts,  persuades  Mrs. 
Martin  to  go  to  Seattle  where  she  expected  to  obtain  evi- 
dence of  her  husband's  innocence,  promising  to  mind  the 
baby  while  she  is  away.  During  her  absence,  Henry  and 
Dizzy  have  a  difficult  time  hiding  the  baby  from  the  Welfare 
Society,  but  eventually  have  to  give  him  up.  At  the  trial, 
Henry,  pitted  against  his  own  father  (John  Litel),  delays 
the  case  with  the  sympathetic  approval  of  the  court  until 
the  mother  appears  with  proof  of  her  husband's  innocence. 
The  baby  is  returned  to  the  mother,  to  the  happiness  of  all, 
including  Henry's  father,  with  the  exception  of  the  busy- 
body representatives  of  the  society. 

Aleen  Leslie  and  Val  Burton  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Michel  Kraike  produced  it,  and  Hugh  Bennett  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Tina  Thayer,  Joan  Mortimer,  Olive  Blake- 
ney  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"Secret  Command"  with  Pat  O'Brien, 
Carole  Landis  and  Chester  Morris 

(Columbia,  July  20;  time,  80  min.) 

A  fairly  good  espionage  melodrama,  revolving  around 
sabotage  activities  in  an  American  shipyard.  Although  it 
offers  little  that  is  novel  in  the  way  of  either  story  or  treat- 
ment, it  holds  one's  interest,  for  the  action  is  fast  and  excit- 
ing, and  it  has  comedy  and  heart  interest.  Pat  O'Brien,  who 
co-produced  the  picture  in  addition  to  playing  the  lead,  is 
cast  in  a  rough  and  tough,  but  sympathetic,  role;  the  sort 
his  fans  like  to  see  him  play.  Some  of  the  melodramatics  are 
incredible.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  some  of  O'Brien's  heroics 
would  do  credit  even  to  "superman,"  but  it  is  the  sort  of 
stuff  that  should  please  the  action  fans  and  keep  the  young- 
sters on  the  edge  of  their  seats: — 

O'Brien,  a  government  agent  posing  as  a  "washed  up" 
correspondent,  secures  a  job  at  the  Seaboard  Shipyards 
through  Chester  Morris,  his  brother  and  yard  foreman,  whom 
he  had  not  seen  in  years.  O'Brien's  assignment  was  to  track 
down  a  gang  of  Nazis  who  planned  to  sabotage  the  yard.  To 
help  O'Brien  hide  his  identity,  his  superior  assigns  Carole 
Landis,  another  agent,  to  pose  as  his  wife,  and  gives  them 
two  refugee  children  to  complete  the  "family."  Ruth  War- 
wick, O'Brien's  former  sweetheart,  now  engaged  to  Morris, 
becomes  interested  in  him  once  again,  much  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  Carole,  who  would  not  admit  her  love  for  him. 
Through  Wallace  Ford,  a  fellow  agent,  who  had  fooled  the 
Nazis  into  believing  that  he  was  one  of  them,  O'Brien  learns 
the  identities  of  the  spies,  except  for  their  chief.  On  the 
night  the  Nazis  plan  to  blow  up  the  yard,  Ford  meets  with 
them  and  learns  that  Tom  Tully,  an  affable  fellow  worker, 
was  the  Nazis'  chief.  He  attempts  to  warn  O'Brien  by  tele- 
phone, but  he  is  discovered  and  shot.  O'Brien,  hearing  the 
shot,  hurries  to  the  yards.  Meanwhile  the  spies,  headed  for 
the  yards,  drive  past  O'Brien's  home  and  shoot  Barton 
MacLane,  a  ship  worker,  whom  they  mistake  for  O'Brien. 
The  spies  are  apprehended  by  O'Brien  as  they  enter  the 
yards,  but  the  unsuspected  Tully  gets  through  and  plants  a 
bomb  on  an  aircraft  carrier.  Carole,  warned  about  Tully 
by  the  wounded  MacLane,  rushes  to  the  yards  in  time  to 
notify  O'Brien.  In  a  desperate  struggle,  O'Brien  kills  Tully 
and  stops  the  time-bomb.  His  mission  completed,  O'Brien 
heads  for  new  adventures  and  asks  Carole  to  wait  for  his 
return.  Morris  and  Ruth  announce  their  marriage. 

Roy  Chanslor  wrote  the  screen  play,  Phil  L.  Ryan  CO' 
produced  it  with  O'Brien,  and  Eddie  Sutherland  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Howard  Freeman,  Matt  McHugh, 
Frank  Sully  and  others. 


"The  Invisible  Man's  Revenge" 
with  Jon  Hall,  Alan  Curtis 
and  Evelyn  Ankers 

(Universal,  June  9;  time,  77  min.) 
A  fairly  good  program  melodrama.  The  story  is  just 
another  variation  of  the  fantastic  "Invisible  Man"  theme,  but 
it  has  been  produced  well  and  has  enough  novelty,  excite- 
ment, and  even  comedy  to  satisfy  melodrama-loving  audi- 
ences. As  in  the  other  pictures  of  this  type,  trick  photog- 
raphy is  the  main  asset;  the  excitement  and  suspense  are 
caused  by  the  ability  of  the  main  character  to  make  himself 
invisible,  thus  terrifying  those  he  seeks  to  harm.  Although 
the  mechanical  tricks  may  lack  novelty  to  those  who  have 
seen  any  of  the  previous  pictures,  it  is,  nevertheless,  ef' 
fective : — 

Escaping  from  a  psychopathic  institute,  Jon  Hall  makes 
his  way  to  the  English  estate  of  Lester  Matthews  and  Gale 
Sondergaard,  a  titled  couple,  and  demands  that  they  turn 
over  their  entire  estate  to  him  on  the  basis  of  an  agreement 
he  had  made  with  them  years  previously,  when  all  three  had 
discovered  a  diamond  mine  in  Africa.  They  drug  Hall,  steal 
the  agreement  from  him,  and  turn  him  out  of  the  house. 
With  the  aid  of  Leon  Errol,  an  unscrupulous  Cockney,  Hall 
tries  to  blackmail  the  couple,  only  to  have  the  police  set  on 
his  trail.  He  flees  into  the  woods  and  finds  refuge  in  the 
home  of  John  Carradine,  a  scientist,  who  had  discovered  a 
formula  that  rendered  human  beings  invisible.  Seeking  to 
avenge  himself.  Hall  submits  to  Carradine's  experiment.  The 
experiment  is  successful,  and  Hall  uses  his  invisibility  to 
terrorize  the  titled  couple.  Infatuated  with  Evelyn  Ankers, 
the  couple's  daughter,  whom  he  hoped  to  marry,  Hall  re- 
turns to  Carradine  and  demands  that  he  make  him  visible 
again.  But  Carradine  refuses  since  it  means  taking  the  blood 
from  another  human.  Hall  knocks  the  scientist  unconscious 
and  drains  the  blood  from  his  body,  fighting  off  Carradine's 
dog  during  the  transfusion.  Visible  again,  Hall  compels 
Matthews  to  take  him  into  the  household  as  an  old  friend. 
Within  a  few  days,  however,  Hall  discovers  to  his  horror 
that  he  is  turning  invisible.  He  lures  Alan  Curtis,  Evelyn's 
fiance,  to  the  wine  cellar,  overcomes  him,  and  prepares  to 
drain  his  blood.  But  Carradine's  dog,  who  had  been  search- 
ing for  the  man  who  had  murdered  his  master,  breaks  in 
and  kills  Hall. 

Bertram  Millhauser  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Ford  Beebe 
produced  and  directed  it. 

A  bit  too  horrifying  for  children. 

"Ghost  Catchers"  with  Olsen  and  Johnson, 
Gloria  Jean  and  Martha  O'Driscoll 

(Universal,  June  16;  time,  69  min.) 
Best  described  as  a  comedy-mystery-musical,  this  latest 
of  the  Olsen  and  Johnson  pictures  manages  to  be  fairly 
amusing.  It  does  not,  however,  rise  above  program  quality. 
Like  the  previous  pictures,  this  one  depends  for  its  laughs 
on  the  typical  buffoonery  of  these  two  comedians,  who  run 
through  their  bag  of  nonsensical  tricks  with  varying  degrees 
of  success.  At  times,  they  are  quite  funny,  but  for  the  most 
part  their  antics  provoke  no  more  than  a  grin.  The  musical 
sequences,  which  are  dragged  in  by  the  ear,  are  fairly  enter- 
taining. They  include  "jitterbug"  dancing,  singing  by  Gloria 
Jean  and  Ella  Mae  Morse,  and  one  song  by  Morton  Downey, 
who  appears  in  one  short  sequence. 

The  story,  or  what  there  is  of  one,  revolves  around  the 
efforts  of  Olsen  and  Johnson  to  get  rid  of  a  ghost  that  sup- 
posedly haunted  the  home  of  their  next  door  neighbor, 
Walter  Catlett,  a  Southern  colonel,  who  had  leased  the 
house  in  preparation  for  the  Carnegie  Hall  debut  of  Gloria 
Jean  and  Martha  O'Driscoll,  his  daughters.  Believing  that 
the  house  was  haunted  by  its  former  owner,  who  thirty 
years  previously  had  fallen  out  of  a  window  during  a  gay 
party,  Olsen  and  Johnson  lure  the  ghost  out  by  giving  a  gay 
party,  and  drive  him  out  of  the  house  by  having  the  guests 
do  a  wild  "jitterbug"  dance.  But  when  the  wierd  noises  con- 
tinue, and  a  couple  of  murders  occur,  the  boys  investigate 
further  and  discover  that  a  band  of  crooks  were  trying  to 
frighten  the  girls  out  of  the  house  in  order  to  gain  possession 
of  a  vast  secret  wine  cellar.  There  follows  numerous  slap- 
stick situations  in  which  the  two  comedians  become  mixed 
up  in  numerous  brawls  with  the  thieves.  It  ends  with  the 
capture  of  the  thieves,  and  with  the  culmination  of  a  ro- 
mance between  Martha  and  a  band  leader  in  Olsen  and 
Johnson's  night  club. 

Edmund  T.  Hartmann  wrote  the  screen  play  and  pro- 
duced it,  and  Edward  F.  Cline  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Leo  Carrillo,  Andy  Devine,  Lon  Chaney,  Kirby  Grant, 
Henry  Armetta  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JUNE  17,  1944  No.  25 


Columbia's  New  Approach  —  "Elastic  Thinking" 


As  most  of  you  already  know,  Columbia  has  announced 
that  its  1944-45  program  will  include  44  features,  4  action 
musicals,  and  10  westerns. 

In  comparing  this  announcement  with  similar  announce- 
ments made  by  the  Columbia  executives  in  previous  years,  I 
find  that  they  have  now  changed  their  method  of  approach; 
that  is,  while  they  continue  making  glowing  statements  about 
their  company's  "constantly  accruing  records  of  proud  ac- 
complishment," and  about  the  good  will  that  exists  between 
the  exhibitors  and  Columbia,  these  executives  have  now 
stopped  their  previous  practice  of  making  definite  promises. 
Perhaps  they  themselves  have  come  to  realize  that  the  ex- 
hibitors consider  their  promises  worthless. 

Instead  of  following  their  usual  policy  of  listing  forth- 
coming productions  together  with  the  outstanding  stars  who 
will  appear  in  them,  they  now  list  their  story  properties  and 
roster  of  players  under  contract,  and  say  that  their  "pro- 
gram for  1944-45  will  be  selected  from  such  personalities 
and  material  as  are  hereby  listed,  or  from  additional  material 
acquired  and  produced  during  the  year."  They  then  explain 
that  "the  presentation  is  made  in  this  form  at  this  time  in 
order  that  the  company  may  remain  elastic  in  its  thinking, 
may  make  such  changes  as  it  believes  to  be  in  the  best  in- 
terests of  an  improved  program,  and  consequently,  in  the 
best  interests  of  the  theatres  served." 

These  are  fine  words,  but,  on  the  basis  of  past  per- 
formances, can  Columbia  be  depended  on  to  remain  "elastic 
in  its  thinking  ...  in  the  best  interests  of  the  theatres 
served"?  Columbia  furnishes  the  answer  itself  on  the  basis, 
not  only  of  past  performances,  but  also  of  its  recently  an- 
nounced policy,  the  unfairness  of  which  it  is  trying,  in  the 
opinion  of  this  paper,  to  cloak  with  a  product  announcement 
written  in  dignified  but  deceptive  phraseology. 

The  1944-45  Announcement 

Let  us  examine  the  1944-45  announcement:  One  para- 
graph states  that,  in  addition  to  its  regular  program,  Colum- 
bia "will  sell  separate  and  apart  from  any  program  Sidney 
Buchman's  Technicolor  production  (untitled)  starring  Paul 
Muni  and  Merle  Oberon.  .  .  ."  This  "untitled"  production, 
as  Columbia  prefers  to  tag  it,  apparently  out  of  a  desire  to 
keep  it  unidentifiable,  is  none  other  than  "At  Night  We 
Dream,"  the  Paul  Muni  picture  that  was  promised  to  the 

1943-  44  contract-holders.  Recently,  the  home  office  changed 
the  title  of  this  picture  tentatively  to  "The  Love  of  Madame 
Sand."  Shooting  of  this  picture  was  completed  early  in 
March  and,  as  was  said  in  the  May  13  issue,  Columbia  re- 
mained silent  about  it.  Harrison's  Reports  asked  then: 
"Why  is  it  being  withheld?"  The  Columbia  executives  now 
give  the  answer  by  informing  you  that  they  will  sell  it  in  the 

1944-  45  season  as  a  special,  "separate  and  apart  from  any 
program." 


In  previous  years  Columbia  had,  for  the  most  part,  failed 
to  deliver  promised  pictures  because  it  had  not  produced 
them.  The  Paul  Muni  picture,  however,  is  completed,  and 
Columbia  has  no  reason  for  withholding  it  from  the  1943-44 
program.  Since  Columbia  refuses  to  deliver  this  picture  as 
promised,  and  since  it  now  informs  thdse  of  you  who  bought 
it  once  that  you  will  have  to  buy  it  again  as  a  special  and, 
undoubtedly,  at  higher  terms,  do  its  executives  expect  you 
to  believe  that  it  will  be  to  your  benefit  to  have  Columbia 
remain  "elastic  in  its  thinking"? 

By  their  action  in  the  case  of  the  Paul  Muni  picture, 
Columbia's  executives  prove  that  they  certainly  are  "elastic" 
in  their  thinking. 

Additional  Proof  of  "Elastic  Thinking" 

And  here  is  some  more  evidence  of  Columbia's  "elastic 
thinking":  Included  in  the  list  of  properties  from  which 
Columbia  intends  to  select  its  1944-45  program  is  "Tonight 
and  Every  Night,"  starring  Rita  Hayworth.  This  picture, 
which  is  now  in  production,  was  promised  to  the  1943-44 
contract-holders  under  the  title  of  "Heart  of  a  City."  But 
the  Columbia  executives  now  bluntly  tell  you  that  they  will 
not  make  delivery,  thus  adding  to  their  "constantly  accruing 
record  of  proud  accomplishment." 

Incidentally,  the  Rita  Hayworth  pictures  seem  to  be 
Columbia's  choicest  bait  in  inducing  exhibitors  to  sign  for 
a  season's  product.  On  the  1942-43  program,  four  were 
promised  but  only  one  was  delivered;  on  the  1943-44  pro- 
gram, three  were  promised,  all  in  Technicolor,  with  one 
co-starring  Cary  Grant,  but  only  one,  "Cover  Girl,"  will 
be  delivered;  in  its  1944-45  program  announcement,  how- 
ever, although  it  identifies  "Tonight  and  Every  Night"  as 
a  Rita  Hayworth  picture  (it  is  the  only  production  identi- 
fied in  the  announcement),  it  does  not  make  a  promise  of 
delivery;  it  merely  lists  the  picture  as  one  among  the  proper- 
ties from  which  the  1944-45  program  will  be  selected.  Con- 
sequently, whether  or  not  the  picture  will  ever  be  delivered 
next  season  depends  on  how  "elastic"  the  Columbia  execu- 
tives remain  in  their  thinking. 

Pictures  Unidentifiable  in  Announcement 

Among  the  other  properties  listed  in  the  announcement, 
some  appear  to  be  pictures  that  were  promised  in  the  1943-44 
program  but,  because  of  the  change  of  titles  and  the  obvious- 
ly cloaked  manner  in  which  the  Columbia  executives  have 
chosen  to  describe  them,  I  cannot  identify  them  definitely. 
For  example,  the  1943-44  program  listed  "The  Life  of  Al 
Jolson"  as  a  "musical  presenting  the  life  story  of  the  greatest 
entertainment  figure  Broadway  has  ever  known."  The  1944- 
45  announcement  lists  "April  Showers"  as  a  "light-hearted 
biography  of  a  noted  musical  comedy  figure.  .  .  ."  Al  Jolson 
and  April  Showers  are  as  closely  identified  as  are  ham  and 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


98 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  17,  1944 


"Louisiana  Hayride"  with  Judy  Canova 

(Columbia,  Ju/y  13;  time,  69  min.) 

Just  a  mediocre  slapstick  comedy,  modestly  produced;  it 
rates  no  better  than  the  lower-half  of  a  mid-week  double 
bill  in  small-town  and  neighborhood  theatres.  Judy  Canova's 
ardent  fans  may  find  something  to  laugh  at  here  and  there, 
but  others  should  find  it  considerably  boring,  for  the  story 
is  exasperatingly  inane,  and  the  comedy  situations  are  weak 
and  forced.  The  tediousness  of  the  proceedings  is  occasion- 
ally relieved  by  Judy's  singing,  but  even  this  adds  little  to  the 
picture's  entertainment  value.  No  fault  can  be  found  with 
the  players;  it  is  just  that  the  direction  and  the  material 
didn't  give  them  half  a  chance: — 

Judy  Canova,  a  "hillbilly"  girl,  finds  herself  very  wealthy 
when  an  oil  company  takes  an  option  on  her  farm.  Richard 
Lane  and  George  McKay,  "confidence"  men,  meet  Judy  on 
a  train  and,  learning  of  her  wealth,  plot  to  fleece  her.  They 
sell  to  her  stock  in  a  non-existant  motion  picture  company, 
promising  to  star  her  in  a  picture.  The  two  crooks  go  to 
Hollywood,  where  they  spend  the  money  freely  and  soon 
find  themselves  broke.  Judy,  accompanied  by  her  mother 
and  brother,  follows  the  crooks  and,  to  their  amazement, 
offers  to  invest  more  money.  They  arrange  with  her  to 
invest  $3,000  weekly,  and  engage  Ross  Hunter,  a  bellboy, 
to  pose  as  the  director  of  the  picture.  Hunter  double-crosses 
the  crooks  by  renting  studio  space  to  "shoot"  the  picture, 
compelling  them  to  pay  the  charges  out  of  the  money  they 
had  mulcted  from  Judy.  Meanwhile  Judy  goes  to  the  wrong 
studio  where  a  director  of  another  picture  mistakes  her  for 
a  singer  he  had  been  expecting  from  the  casting  office.  She 
sings  a  song  and  creates  a  great  impression.  Judy  finally  gets 
to  work  on  her  own  picture  and,  when  it  is  nearly  finished, 
learns  that  the  story  was  stolen  from  a  Broadway  stage  play. 
To  add  to  Judy's  troubles,  the  police  arrest  Lane  and  McKay 
for  previous  swindles,  and  a  telegram  arrives  informing  her 
that  the  oil  company  had  cancelled  its  option  on  her  farm. 
Judy  is  hearbroken,  but  it  all  turns  out  for  the  best  when 
Hobart  Cavanaugh,  a  timid  Broadway  producer  who  had 
been  courting  her  mother,  reveals  that  he  owns  the  stage 
play  and  gives  Judy  the  motion  picture  rights  as  a  present. 

Paul  Yawitz  wrote  the  screen  play  and  Charles  Barton 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Lloyd  Bridges,  Matt  Willis, 
Minerva  Urecal  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Secrets  of  Scotland  Yard"  with 
Edgar  Barrier  and  Stephanie  Bachelor 

(Republic,  July  26;  time,  68  min.) 

A  fairly  interesting  spy  melodrama  with  a  mystery  angle; 
it  should  get  by  with  audiences  that  are  not  concerned  too 
much  about  either  the  plausibility  of  a  plot  or  the  fact  that 
the  author  ties  in  the  different  happenings  in  an  arbitrary 
manner.  The  story,  which  revolves  around  the  efforts  of  the 
British  Admiralty  to  uncover  the  identity  of  a  Nazi  spy — one 
of  six  persons  employed  in  its  decoding  room — holds  one 
intrigued  most  of  the  way,  but  towards  the  finish  it  peters 
out;  there  the  identity  of  the  spy  becomes  quite  obvious  and 
the  author  resorts  to  convenient  devices  to  unravel  the 
mystery.  As  in  most  pictures  of  this  type,  the  different 
characters  commit  suspicious  acts  to  add  to  the  intrigue. 
There  is  some  romantic  interest,  but  it  is  of  no  importance:- — 

With  the  end  of  World  War  I,  in  1918,  the  German 
High  Command  blames  its  defeat  on  the  efficiency  of  the 
British  Admiralty's  decoding  division,  which  intercepted 
and  decoded  German  wireless  messages.  The  Command 
determines  to  train  a  spy  to  join  that  division  in  prepara- 
tion for  the  next  war.  In  1939,  at  the  start  of  World  War  II, 
the  Admiralty's  most  expert  decoder  (Edgar  Barrier)  is 


murdered  while  working  alone  in  the  secret  decoding  room, 
to  which  only  six  persons  had  access.  C.  Aubrey  Smith, 
head  of  the  division,  contacts  the  dead  man's  brother  (also 
Edgar  Barrier),  a  Scotland  Yard  Inspector.  Confident  that 
one  of  the  five  persons  who  had  access  to  the  room  was  a 
spy,  Barrier  decides  to  trap  the  killer  by  impersonating  his 
brother;  he  felt  that  since  no  one  but  Smith  and  the  mur- 
dered knew  of  his  brother's  death,  the  guilty  person  would 
surely  reveal  himself.  Even  Stephanie  Bachelor,  the  dead 
man's  fiancee  and  co-worker,  is  kept  ignorant  of  his  death. 
When  the  others  employed  in  the  room  fail  to  indicate  that 
they  had  recognized  his  deception,  Barrier  conducts  a  sys- 
tematic investigation  and  uncovers  evidence  that  leads  him 
to  suspect  each  one  of  them,  including  Stephanie.  Meanwhile 
Smith  is  murdered  mysteriously,  and  Lionel  Atwill,  one  of 
the  decoders,  is  appointed  head  of  the  division.  In  an  attempt 
to  blow  up  a  plane  carrying  high-ranking  British  officers  to 
Warsaw,  the  Nazis  switch  to  a  new  wireless  code.  Barrier 
succeeds  in  decoding  the  message,  but  Atwill,  who  reveals 
himself  as  the  spy,  tries  to  prevent  him  from  notifying  head- 
quarters. Barrier  kills  him  by  firing  a  gun  concealed  in  his 
bandaged  hand. 

Denison  Clift  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  George  Blair 
produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Henry  Stephen- 
son, John  Abbott,  Walter  Kingsford,  Martin  Kosleck,  Bobby 
Cooper  and  others. 

Morally  unobjectionable. 


"Silent  Partner"  with  William  Henry 
and  Beverly  Loyd 

(Republic,  June  9;  time,  55  min.) 

A  mildly  entertaining  program  murder  mystery  melo- 
drama, brightened  by  occasional  spurts  of  comedy.  The 
story,  which  revolves  around  a  crime  reporter  who  seeks  to 
clear  himself  of  a  murder  charge,  presents  little  that  is  new 
and,  even  though  the  identity  of  the  murderer  is  kept  con- 
cealed until  the  end,  it  fails  to  hold  one  in  suspense,  because 
the  plot  is  muddled  and  illogical.  It  should,  however,  get  by 
with  audiences  who  do  not  resent  illogical  plots  so  long  as 
the  action  is  fast  and  fairly  exciting: — 

William  Henry,  an  ace  crime  reporter,  returns  home  one 
evening  and  finds  John  Harmon,  an  underworld  character 
who  often  gave  him  valuable  tips,  murdered  in  his  apart- 
ment. Beverly  Loyd,  a  magazine  writer,  who  had  an  appoint- 
ment with  Henry  for  an  interview,  arrives  at  the  apartment 
and  notices  the  body.  Henry  takes  an  address  book  from 
Harmon's  pocket  and  promises  Beverly  a  scoop  on  the  story 
if  she  will  give  him  a  chance  to  solve  the  murder.  She  agrees, 
and  takes  Henry  to  her  apartment  to  hide  from  the  police. 
Knowing  that  Harmon  intended  to  give  him  information 
about  certain  paintings  that  had  been  stolen  from  a  local 
museum,  Henry  deduces  that  one  of  the  five  persons  listed  in 
the  address  book  had  murdered  Harmon  to  keep  him  quiet. 
As  he  goes  about  his  investigation,  eluding  the  police,  Henry 
finds  himself  constantly  annoyed  by  Ray  Walker,  a  drunk- 
ard, who  conveniently  helps  him  to  escape  harm  at  the  hands 
of  those  he  investigates,  who  all  were  part  of  a  big  crime 
ring.  Subsequent  happenings  lead  Henry  to  believe  that  both 
Beverly  and  the  drunkard  were  part  of  the  gang,  and  that 
they  were  trying  to  hamper  his  investigation  as  well  as  pin 
Harmon's  murder  on  him.  In  the  end,  however,  Henry  learns 
that  the  head  of  the  crime  ring  was  none  other  than  Grant 
Withers,  his  editor,  and  that  Beverly  and  the  drunkard 
were  insurance  company  detectives,  assigned  to  protect  him. 

Gertrude  Walker  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  George 
Blair  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Joan  Blair, 
Roland  Drew,  George  Meeker  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


June  17,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


99 


"Are  These  Our  Parents?"  with 
Helen  Vinson,  Lyle  Talbot 
and  Noel  Neill 

(Monogram,  July  IS;  time,  74  min.) 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  much  of  the  present  juvenile 
delinquency  is  being  blamed  on  irresponsible  parents,  "Are 
These  Our  Parents?"  should  do  better  than  average  business 
because  its  subject  matter  lends  itself  to  exploitation,  and 
because  it  is  the  first  film  dealing  with  this  subject  to  reach 
the  market.  As  entertainment,  however,  it  is  disappointing, 
for  the  story  is  trite  and  fails  to  strike  a  realistic  note,  the 
situations  are  forced,  and  the  production  is  ordinary.  More' 
over,  it  is  unpleasant,  and  it  resorts  to  preachment  to  put 
over  its  morale.  No  sympathy  can  be  felt  for  the  heroine,  for, 
even  though  her  waywardness  is  the  result  of  her  mother's 
neglect,  she  does  not  display  any  fine  traits.  Consequently, 
her  regeneration  has  little  effect  on  one's  emotions.  On  the 
whole  the  picture  has  all  the  ear  marks  of  one  that  was  pro- 
duced in  great  haste,  without  care,  aimed  at  "cashing  in"  on 
a  timely  subject: — 

Eored  with  fashionable  boarding  schools,  and  angry  be- 
cause of  her  mother's  disinterest  in  her,  Noel  Neill,  a  'teen- 
aged  youngster,  visits  a  roadhouse,  which  is  raided  by  Addi- 
son Richards,  a  juvenile  officer.  Noel  escapes  in  a  borrowed 
car  that  soon  runs  out  of  gas.  Richard  Byron,  on  his  way 
home  from  work,  rescues  and  drives  her  home.  Annoyed 
because  Noel's  unexpected  arrival  interfered  with  her  good 
times,  Helen  Vinson,  Noel's  mother,  plans  to  send  her 
away.  Noel,  however,  insists  upon  remaining  at  home.  Learn- 
ing that  Ivan  Lebedeff,  a  night-club  owner,  had  once  been 
her  mother's  lover,  Noel  deliberately  flirts  with  him  to  prove 
that  she  is  grown  up.  Byron,  who  had  fallen  in  love  with 
Noel,  becomes  bitterly  disappointed  in  her  when  he  catches 
her  sneaking  into  the  night-club  to  visit  Lebedeff.  To  add  to 
Byron's  disgust,  his  father  (Anthony  Warde)  neglects  his 
defense  job  for  Robin  Raymond,  a  woman  of  loose  morals. 
Lebedeff  is  murdered  under  circumstances  that  lead  the 
police  to  suspect  Noel  and  Byron,  and  the  youngsters  go  into 
hiding.  Richards  finally  locates  them  and  informs  them  that 
Lebedeff  had  been  killed  by  a  man  whose  daughter  the  night- 
club owner  had  wronged.  The  youngsters  are  welcomed 
home  by  their  parents,  who,  after  receiving  an  admonition 
from  Richards,  eagerly  seek  to  right  their  own  wrongs. 

Michael  Jacoby  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jeffrey  Bernerd 
produced  it,  and  William  Nigh  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Emma  Dunn,  Emmet  Vogan  and  others. 

Because  of  the  unpleasant  sex  situations,  it  is  not  suitable 
for  children. 


"Return  of  the  Ape  Man"  with  Bela  Lugosi 
and  John  Carradine 

(Monogram,  June  17;  time,  61  min.) 

This  program  horror  melodrama  should  provide  a  field 
day  for  the  avid  followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment; 
fairly  intelligent  audiences,  however,  may  find  the  proceed- 
ings too  ludicrous  to  hold  their  interest.  Using  stock  char- 
acterizations of  a  mad  scientist  and  of  a  hideous-looking 
man,  called  a  prehistoric  "ape-man,"  the  story  and  treat- 
ment are  a  carbon  copy  of  any  number  of  similar  melo- 
dramas, with  the  usual  fantastic  laboratory  experiments  "in 
the  interests  of  science,"  and  the  inevitable  murders  that 
occur  when  the  "ape-man"  runs  amok  after  having  had  an 
intelligent  brain  transplanted  in  his  skull.  The  popularity 
of  the  leading  players,  noted  for  their  work  in  this  type  of 
picture,  may  help  to  draw  customers: — 

Bela  Lugosi,  a  scientist,  and  John  Carradine,  his  assistant, 
discover  a  process  whereby  they  can  keep  people  frozen  for 
an  indefinite  period  of  time,  and  then  revive  them.  They 


go  to  the  Arctic,  find  a  prehistoric  "ape-man"  preserved  in 
ice,  and  bring  him  back  to  the  laboratory.  Revived,  the 
"ape-man"  attacks  the  two  scientists,  but  they  manage  to 
imprison  him  by  threatening  him  with  fire.  Lugosi  decides 
to  transfer  the  brain  of  an  intelligent  man  to  the  "ape-man," 
and  plans  to  use  the  brain  of  Michael  Ames,  fiance  of 
Carradine's  niece  (Judith  Gibson).  Carradine,  however, 
frustrates  the  plan.  Later,  Lugosi  murders  Carradine  and 
transfers  his  brain  to  the  "ape-man."  The  monster  begins 
to  show  signs  of  normal  intelligence,  but  retains  his  lust  to 
kill.  He  escapes  and,  under  the  guidance  of  Carradine's 
brain,  kills  Carradine's  wife  before  Lugosi  recaptures  him. 
Meanwhile  Ames  and  Judith  trace  Carradine  to  the  labora- 
tory, but  Lugosi  denies  having  seen  him.  The  "ape-man" 
escapes  again,  kidnaps  Judith,  and  carries  her  back  to  the 
laboratory,  where  he  murders  Lugosi.  Trying  to  escape  from 
the  laboratory  with  Judith,  the  "ape-man"  pulls  loose  some 
wiring  and  starts  a  fire.  Ames,  who  had  traced  Judith  to  the 
laboratory,  rescues  her,  and  the  "ape-man"  is  destroyed  by 
the  fire. 

Robert  Charles  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sam  Katzman  and 
Jack  Dietz  produced  it,  and  Phil  Rosen  directed  it.  Barney 
Sarecky  was  associate  producer. 

Too  horrifying  for  children. 


"They  Live  in  Fear"  with  Otto  Kruger 
and  Clifford  Severn 

(Columbia,  June  15;  time,  66  min.) 

A  feeble,  slow-moving  anti-Nazi  melodrama,  with  a  trite 
story,  barely  holding  one's  interest;  it  is  not  a  picture  that 
will  appeal  to  many,  for  its  theme  has  been  done  many  times 
— and  much  better.  Another  drawback  is  the  fact  that  no 
one  in  the  cast  means  anything  at  the  box-office.  The  story, 
which  centers  around  the  rehabilitation  of  a  Nazi  youth  who 
escapes  to  America,  lacks  realism,  and  little  imagination  has 
gone  into  the  treatment.  Most  of  the  action  takes  place  in  a 
typical  American  high  school,  and  the  antics  of  the  students 
help  to  liven  up  an  otherwise  sombre  theme.  It  does  have 
human  interest  and  the  main  characters  are  sympathetic,  but 
it  is  not  enough  to  overcome  the  tediousness  of  the  produc- 
tion as  a  whole: — 

Rebelling  against  his  Nazi  training  when  he  is  ordered  to 
kill  a  political  prisoner,  Clifford  Severn,  a  Hitler  Youth, 
helps  his  intended  victim  to  escape.  The  grateful  man  urges 
him  to  flee  to  America,  and  gives  him  a  letter  to  Otto 
Kruger,  principal  of  an  American  high  school.  In  America, 
Severn  becomes  one  of  the  school's  most  brilliant  students. 
When  Jimmy  Carpenter,  star  of  the  football  team,  is  in- 
formed that  he  will  be  kept  out  of  the  big  game  unless  his 
school  work  improved,  Pat  Parish,  Carpenter's  girl-friend, 
persuades  Severn  to  coach  him.  Though  Severn  helps  Car- 
penter to  pass  his  examinations,  the  football  player  dislikes 
the  German  boy  because  of  Pat's  interest  in  him.  When  the 
school  stages  a  big  campaign  to  raise  money  for  a  blood 
bank,  Severn  agrees  to  make  an  anti-Nazi  speech.  Car- 
penter, disguising  his  voice,  telephones  Severn  and  warns 
him  not  to  make  any  anti-Nazi  statements  lest  his  family  in 
Germany  suffer  reprisals.  Disturbed,  Severn  goes  on  the 
platform  and  speaks  in  justification  of  the  Nazis.  He  is 
threatened  and  booed  off  the  stage.  Kruger  and  Pat,  con- 
fident that  Severn  was  under  a  strain,  quiet  the  students  and 
ask  them  to  remain  in  their  seats.  Meanwhile  Carpenter 
realizes  the  harm  he  had  done  to  Severn,  and  confesses. 
Severn  is  brought  back  to  the  stage  and,  after  he  tells  the 
students  what  he  really  thinks  of  the  Nazis,  they  voice  their 
faith  in  him. 

Michael  L.  Simmons  and  Sam  Ornitz  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Jack  Fier  produced  it,  and  Josef  Berne  directed  it. 
Unobjectionable  morally. 


100 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  17, 1944 


eggs.  I  leave  it  to  you  to  determine  whether  or  not  this  is 
the  same  production. 

The  fact  that  the  Columbia  executives  have  quit  making 
definite  promises  is,  in  the  opinion  of  Harrison's  Reports, 
an  indication  that  their  salesmen  are  meeting  with  determined 
exhibitor  resistance  as  a  result  of  their  continued  failure  to 
keep  most  of  their  promises.  Their  new  approach  should  not 
be  taken  as  a  sign  that  they  intend  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf, 
for  the  withholding  of  both  the  Paul  Muni  and  the  Rita 
Hayworth  pictures  is  proof  that  their  tactics  remain  the 
same. 

Lest  you  receive  the  impression  that  Columbia's  broken 
1943.44  promises  are  confined  to  the  aforementioned  two 
pictures,  let  me  again  call  your  attention  to  some  of  this 
company's  other  promised  pictures,  the  potential  box-office 
value  of  which  induced  many  an  exhibitor  to  sign  a  con- 
tract. These  customers  cannot  now  hope  to  receive  these 
pictures,  for  at  this  late  date  Columbia  has  not  yet  put  them 
into  production  and,  even  if  it  should  start  them  within  a 
short  time,  it  is  doubtful  if  they  can  be  completed  in  time 
for  delivery  this  season.  Among  these  pictures  are,  as  said 
before,  the  following: 

"Road  to  Yesterday,"  with  Irene  Dunne. 

"Gone  are  the  Days,"  with  Rita  Hayworth  and  Cary 
Grant,  in  Technicolor. 

"The  First  Woman  Doctor,"  with  Olivia  De  Havilland. 

"The  Life  of  Al  Jolson." 

"Knights  Without  Armor." 

These  five  pictures,  added  to  the  Paul  Muni  and  Rita 
Hayworth  pictures  already  mentioned,  make  a  total  of  seven 
important  pictures  that  the  Columbia  executives  will  fail 
to  deliver  on  the  1943-44  program  in  accordance  with  their 
promise.  And  don't  be  surprised  if,  to  these  seven,  an  eighth 
is  added:  I  am  referring  to  "The  Impatient  Years,"  starring 
Jean  Arthur,  the  shooting  of  which  was  completed  early  in 
May.  Since  Columbia  has  set  its  release  schedule  up  to 
August  3rd,  leaving  a  little  more  than  three  weeks'  time 
before  the  close  of  the  season,  the  release  of  this  picture  on 
the  1943-44  program  depends  on  how  "elastic"  the  Colum- 
bia executives  remain  in  their  thinking. 

Harrison's  Reports  doubts  whether  "The  Impatient 
Years"  will  be  delivered  as  promised,  but,  for  the  sake  of 
the  exhibitors,  it  hopes  that  it  will  be  proved  wrong. 

Purpose  of  Columbia's  "Elastic  Thinking" 

In  the  opinion  of  this  paper,  Columbia's  new  method  of 
approach  has  a  two-fold  purpose:  first,  by  refusing  to  make 
definite  promises  it  avoids  the  necessity  of  breaking  them, 
thus  halting  criticism  in  case  of  violations;  and,  secondly, 
by  making  no  promises,  the  Columbia  executives  will  have 
greater  leeway  to  juggle  their  releases  and  their  sales  policy 
in  a  manner  that  will  suit  best  their  own  interests. 

A  good  example  of  what  might  happen  is  this:  Should 
one  of  their  pictures  turn  out  to  be  a  phenomenal  success, 
the  Columbia  executives  will  have  the  right  to  sell  it  as  a 
special  instead  of  allocating  it  to  one  of  the  program's 
brackets.  And  the  exhibitor  would  have  not  even  the  slight- 
est right  to  protest.  Had  the  1943-44  program  been  sold  on 
the  basis  of  no  definite  promises,  do  you  suppose  that  the 
Columbia  executives  would  have  allocated  "Cover  Girl"  to 
the  program?  Just  read  again  Rube  Jackter's  letter  to  his 
sales  force,  which  was  reproduced  in  the  May  13  issue  of 
this  paper,  and  you  will  get  the  answer. 

Columbia's  "proud  record  of  accomplishment"  speaks  for 
itself.  Yet  the  Columbia  executives  are  bold  enough  to  ask 
you  to  buy  their  coming  season's  product  on  the  basis  of 
faith  in  their  good  judgment  and  business  integrity. 

There  is  only  one  way  by  which  you  can  hope  to  obtain 
fair  treatment  from  Columbia — insist  that  the  contract 
identify  the  pictures  you  buy.  Only  then  will  you  have  any 
rights  in  the  event  that  the  Columbia  executives  should  be- 
come a  bit  too  "elastic"  in  their  thinking. 


A  FRANKENSTEIN  HAS  BEEN  CREATED 

The  trade  papers  report  the  sale  of  "Junior  Miss"  to 
Warner  Brothers  for  $450,000. 

I  remember  the  day  when  $100,000  for  a  6tage  play  was 
considered  an  extraordinary  price,  but  today  the  price  of 
$450,000  is  considered  ordinary.  The  authors  of  the  play 
"Life  with  Father"  are  asking  anywhere  from  $500,000  to 
$800,000  in  addition  to  participation  in  the  profits  as  well 
as  to  the  approval  of  the  script. 

Is  there  a  play  worth  that  much  money? 

The  ratio  of  successful  pictures  based  on  high-priced 
stage  plays  is  not  much  higher  than  the  ratio  of  either 
novels  or  original  stories.  That  is  what  experience  has 
proved. 

It  is  my  opinion  that  the  producers  are  creating  a  Franken- 
stein, which  they  will  be  unable  to  get  rid  of  when  times 
become  lean;  during  such  times,  the  stage  play  authors,  hav- 
ing been  accustomed  to  receiving  high  prices  for  their  plays, 
will  continue  to  demand  such  prices,  being  unwilling  to 
moderate  their  demands  in  accordance  with  the  new  level  of 
receipts.  It  is  then  that  the  producers  will  realize  how  much 
harm  they  have  done  by  their  overbidding  one  another  now 
for  the  choice  stage  plays. 

Harrison's  Reports  does  not,  of  course,  believe  that  the 
advice  it  now  gives  to  the  producers  on  this  subject  will  have 
any  effect  on  them;  but  it  does  hope  that  it  will  warn  the 
exhibitors  to  avoid  "falling"  for  the  producer-distributor 
propaganda  designed  to  make  them  believe  that,  because  a 
high  price  has  been  paid  for  the  right  to  a  book  or  play,  the 
picture  cannot  help  turning  out  great.  I  have  seen  so  many 
expensive  novels  as  well  as  stage  plays  make  a  failure  on  the 
screen  that  it  behooves  every  exhibitor  to  wait  until  the 
expensive-play  pictures  are  finished  and  shown,  before  step- 
ping on  one  another's  feet  in  their  mad  rush  to  the  exchanges 
to  buy  the  picture. 


A  DECISION  TO  PREVENT  A  CONFLICT 
IN  TRADE  SCREENINGS 

Recently  Harrison's  Reports  exposed  the  intolerable 
conditions  that  existed  in  the  trade  screenings.  As  a  result 
of  this  expose,  the  general  sales  managers  of  the  five  con- 
senting companies  held  a  meeting  and  adopted  a  "master" 
clearance  plan  by  which  their  companies'  trade  showings 
would  not  conflict  with  one  another  in  any  exchange  center. 
Under  the  plan,  Glen  Allvine,  secretary  of  the  MPPDA 
Public  Information  Committee,  will  be  consulted  by  the  five 
companies  so  that  conflicts  in  screening  times  may  be  avoided. 

In  commenting  about  the  matter,  the  trade  papers  re- 
ported that  the  move  came  about  as  a  result  of  complaints 
from  exhibitors,  "climaxed  by  22  conflicts  in  the  screenings 
of  three  companies  in  the  first  week  of  this  month." 

Harrison's  Reports  challenges  the  accuracy  of  this  re- 
port. Though  there  have  been  complaints  by  exhibitors  in- 
dividually, no  doubt  in  every  zone,  these  had  never  become 
vocal  and  were  ineffective,  because  they  could  not  be  pre- 
sented together  to  make  an  impression.  The  decision  of  the 
five  companies  to  do  something  about  this  evil  was  the  result 
of  an  editorial  that  appeared  in  the  March  25  issue  of 
Harrison's  Reports,  under  the  heading,  "Abusive  Tactics 
in  Trade  Screenings."  The  writer,  knowing  that  Mr.  All- 
vine  had  been  empowered  to  prevent  trade  screening  con- 
flicts in  New  York  City  as  it  concerned  national  magazine 
and  newspaper  reviewers,  inquired  of  him  whether  anything 
could  be  done  to  adopt  the  same  system  in  national  trade 
screenings.  Mr.  Allvine  informed  me  that  he  was  to  meet 
with  representatives  of  the  five  companies  on  the  following 
day  and  that  he  would  be  glad  to  take  the  matter  up  with 
them  and  press  them  for  the  adoption  of  a  system  that  would 
prevent  such  conflicts. 

Harrison's  Reports  feels  glad  that  it  has  been  of  service 
to  the  exhibitors  in  helping  to  eliminate  this  abuse. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.60  nwui  1014  Publisher 

Canada                             16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico,  Cuba,  Spain          16.50  A  Mot-on  picture  Reviewing  Service   

Australia    New  'zea'land'  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  JUNE  24,  1944 


No.  26 


FORTHCOMING  ARTICLES  ON 
TELEVISION 

Beginning  with  the  issue  of  July  8,  there  will  ap- 
pear  in  this  publication  either  two  or  three  weekly 
articles  on  television.  These  will,  I  believe,  prove  of 
interest,  not  only  to  the  exhibitors,  but  also  to  the 
distributors — as  a  matter  of  fact,  to  the  entire  in' 
dustry.  The  exhibitors  should  be  interested  partial- 
larly  because  lately  there  have  been  published,  not 
only  in  the  trade  papers,  but  also  in  the  newspapers 
of  the  nation,  television  accounts  that  have  caused 
them  considerable  concern. 

The  facts  that  have  enabled  me  to  write  these 
articles  have  been  furnished  by  one  of  the  world's 
foremost  authorities  on  the  subject. 

In  these  articles  there  will  be  discussed  the  possible 
cost  of  the  instrument,  of  its  installation  in  the  theatre, 
of  the  television-instrument  operators,  of  the  enter' 
tainment  that  will  be  furnished  to  the  theatre  over 
the  wires,  and  of  other  related  matters.  The  discus- 
sion  of  these  problems  should  enable  an  exhibitor  to 
determine  whether  or  not  it  will  be  profitable,  and 
possible,  for  him  to  have  a  television  instrument  in- 
stalled  in  his  theatre  and,  if  not,  what  will  likely  hap- 
pen to  his  business  in  the  event  that  his  competitor 
did  install  one. 

With  the  advent  of  sound  in  1928,  the  writer  went 
to  the  same  authority  for  information  and,  as  a  result 
of  the  facts  he  had  furnished  me,  I  was  enabled  to 
write  a  series  of  articles  that  proved  of  great  interest 
to  the  entire  industry.  It  was  the  first  time  that  any- 
thing had  been  written  on  the  subject  and  only  a 
limited  number  of  persons  knew  anything  about  it — 
how  sound  was  generated,  how  it  was  transferred  on 
either  disc  or  film,  why  the  sound  on  film  was  pre- 
ferable to  the  sound  on  disc  despite  the  determination 
of  two  film  companies  (Warner  Bros,  and  Famous- 
Players  Lasky)  to  hang  on  to  the  disc  sound,  and 
which  of  the  two  film-recording  systems,  the  variable 
density  or  the  variable  width,  was  the  better.  Com- 
panies that  hung  on  to  the  variable  density  system 
with  the  fanaticism  of  Dervishes,  despite  clarification 
of  the  two  systems  in  those  articles,  are  now  using 
the  variable  width  system,  developed  by  RCA  Photo- 
phone.  One  of  the  companies  that  had  contracted  for 
the  variable  density  system  had  taken  those  articles 
to  heart  and,  after  a  thorough  study  of  them,  decided 
to  obtain  a  license  for  the  variable  width  system  when 
its  contract  with  the  variable  density  sound  company 
expired.  Since  then,  other  companies  have  obtained 
licenses  to  use  the  better  system.  Those  articles,  then, 
contained  information  that  proved  valuable,  not  only 
for  the  exhibitors,  but  also  for  the  producers  and  the 
distributors. 


In  regards  to  television,  I  may  say  that  articles  re- 
garding this  invention  were  published  in  these  col- 
umns twice  before,  in  1930  and  in  1938.  In  the  series 
that  was  published  beginning  the  issue  of  June  14, 
1930,  under  the  heading,  "Television — An  Enemy  or 
a  Friend,"  there  was  explained  what  television  is  and 
how  it  operates;  in  the  series  that  began  December  10, 
1938,  an  attempt  was  made  to  make  the  place  of  tele- 
vision in  the  picture  theatre  clear  so  as  to  remove  the 
anxiety  that  many  exhibitors  felt  from  this  new  form 
of  competitive  entertainment. 

But  the  art  of  television  has  advanced  since  then, 
and  what  was  said  in  those  two  series  of  articles  does 
not  quite  apply  to  the  present  development  of  tele- 
vision. Hence  this  new  series. 

I  feel  grateful  towards  this  scientist  for  his  un- 
selfishness in  furnishing  me  with  these  facts,  from 
which,  I  am  sure,  the  entire  industry,  particularly  the 
exhibitors,  will  benefit. 


MORE  ABOUT  MULTI-MILLION 
DOLLAR  PRODUCTIONS 

I  have  written  so  often  about  high-costing  pictures 
necessitating  an  advance  in  the  prices  of  admission, 
not  only  in  first-run,  but  also  in  all  subsequent-run 
theatres  that,  at  first  gance,  it  might  seem  superfluous 
to  dwell  on  the  subject  again ;  but  one  can  write  about 
it  every  week  and  yet  not  exhaust  the  subject. 

The  theory  behind  the  curtailing  of  the  number  of 
pictures  each  company  has  been  producing  is  to  spend 
more  money  on  each  of  the  reduced  number  of  pic- 
tures and  have  the  exhibitors  play  them  longer  on  the 
theory  that  the  better  the  picture  the  longer  it  plays, 
and  the  more  revenue  the  distribution  department 
gets.  But  things  have  not  worked  that  way,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  producers  now  get  their  pro- 
portion of  "flops"  just  as  they  got  them  when  they 
were  producing  a  greater  number  of  pictures. 

So  it  isn't  the  money  a  company  spends  on  a  pic- 
ture that  determines  the  picture's  box-office  worth; 
we  have  seen  so  many  expensive  productions,  pic- 
tures costing  anywhere  from  one  and  one-half  to 
three  million  dollars,  \  flop"  at  the  box-office  that  a 
repitition  of  the  statement  is  hardly  necessary.  It  is 
first  and  foremost  the  quality  of  the  story  that  de- 
termines a  picture's  worth.  With  a  good  story  to 
start  with  a  studio  may  build  up  a  picture's  drawing 
power  by  means  of  a  unit  producer  who  understands 
dramatic  values,  a  director  who  knows  his  business, 
popular  players  in  the  leads,  and  a  competent  sup- 
porting cast — and,  of  course,  a  good  title. 

We  don't  have  to  wait  until  the  war  ends  before 
finding  out  that  muti-million  dollar  pictures  can 
"flop";  we  see  them  "flopping"  now. 


102 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  24,  1944 


"Gildersleeve's  Ghost"  with  Harold  Peary 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time.  64  mm.) 
This  latest  in  the  series  of  "Gildersleeve"  pictures  is  an 
amusing  slapstick  program  comedy,  the  sort  that  should 
provoke  hearty  laughter  in  crowded  theatres,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  the  story  is  silly  to  the  extreme.  This  time  "Gilder- 
sleeve," played  by  Harold  Peary,  becomes  involved  with 
two  mad  scientists,  a  gorilla,  and  a  beautiful  blonde,  who 
makes  herself  invisible  at  will.  The  comedy  results  from 
the  many  farcical  situations  "Gildersleeve"  gets  himself  into 
in  an  effort  to  prove  to  his  doubting  friends  that  the  gorilla 
and  the  disappearing  woman  did  exist,  while  the  scientists, 
to  hide  their  secret,  intimate  that  he  was  suffering  from 
hallucinations.  Trick  photography  has  been  employed  to 
good  effect : — 

Learning  that  Gildersleeve  sought  election  as  police  com- 
missioner of  Summerfield,  and  realizing  that  he  would  have 
a  hard  time  winning  over  Emory  Parnell,  the  incumbent 
commissioner,  two  of  Gildersleeve's  ancestral  ghosts  (both 
played  by  Peary)  decide  to  aid  him.  They  go  to  the  home 
of  the  two  mad  scientists,  who  were  experimenting  with  a 
drug  that  made  people  invisible,  and  who  were  using  as 
subjects  a  gorilla  and  a  beautiful  woman  (Marion  Martin). 
The  ghosts,  planning  to  have  Gildersleeve  discover  the 
scheme  so  that  he  may  become  a  hero  and  win  the  election, 
release  the  gorilla  and  lead  it  to  Gildersleeve's  home.  After 
an  encounter  with  the  gorilla,  Gildersleeve  demands  that 
Parnell,  his  political  opponent,  capture  the  animal,  Parnell 
scoffs  at  his  story  and  labels  it  a  cheap  publicity  stunt. 
Gildersleeve  trails  the  animal  back  to  the  scientists'  home, 
where  he  has  some  weird  adventures  with  both  the  gorilla 
and  the  disappearing  woman.  Parnell,  accompanied  by 
Gildersleeve's  family,  comes  to  the  house  and,  despite 
Gildersleeve's  claims  to  the  contrary,  is  told  by  the  scientists 
that  nothing  was  wrong;  they  intimate  that  Gildersleeve 
was  losing  his  mind.  A  storm  compels  every  one  to  remain 
in  the  house  overnight.  All  through  the  night,  Gildersleeve 
prowls  about  and  gets  himself  into  all  sorts  of  difficulties 
trying  to  capture  the  gorilla  and  the  invisible  woman  to 
prove  his  statements  correct.  He  finally  succeeds  and,  having 
become  a  town  hero,  looks  forward  to  winning  the  election. 

Robert  H.  Kent  wrote  the  screen  play,  Herman  Schlom 
produced  it,  and  Gordon  Douglas  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Richard  LeGrand,  Amelita  Ward,  Freddie  Mercer, 
Margie  Stewart  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"The  Port  of  Forty  Thieves"  with 
Stephanie  Bachelor  and  Richard  Powers 

(Republic,  Aug.  13;  time.  58  min.) 

A  fairly  interesting,  though  lurid,  program  murder  melo- 
drama; it  should  go  over  with  the  followers  of  this  type  of 
entertainment,  because  it  stresses  the  machinations  of  a 
luxury-loving  murderous  woman.  Even  though  the  spectator 
knows  from  the  beginning  that  she  is  a  murderess,  his  inter- 
est is  attracted  by  the  manner  in  which  she  tries  to  capitalize 
on  the  crime,  as  well  as  in  her  attempts  on  the  lives  of  those 
who  learn  her  secret.  For  good  measure,  she  indulges  in  a 
bit  of  blackmail.  The  title  is  misleading  in  that  it  has  no 
relation  to  the  plot  other  than  the  fact  that  the  murdered 
man,  an  author,  had  written  a  book  with  that  title: — 

Seven  years  after  her  husband's  mysterious  disappearance, 
Stephanie  Bachelor  retains  Richard  Powers,  an  attorney,  to 
prove  that  the  missing  man  was  legally  dead  to  enable  her 
to  take  title  to  his  estate.  A  few  days  later,  a  check  signed 
by  the  missing  man  turns  up  at  his  bank.  Stephanie, 
shocked,  confides  to  George  Meeker,  her  play-boy  fiance, 
that  her  husband  could  not  have  signed  the  check  because 
she  had  killed  him.  Unnerved  by  other  incidents  indicating 
that  her  husband  was  alive,  Stephanie  decides  to  flee  to 
Mexico.  Needing  money,  however,  she  demands  $50,000 
from  Russell  Hicks,  a  broker,  whom  she  had  been  black- 


mailing ever  since  she  persuaded  her  husband  to  omit  his 
name  from  a  Wall  Street  expose.  She  murders  Meeker  to 
make  sure  that  he  will  never  reveal  her  secret.  Meanwhile 
Powers  traces  the  check  to  a  hotel  and  learns  that  it  was 
put  in  th  cash  box  by  Lynn  Roberts,  a  clerk.  Lynn  reveals 
to  him  that  Stephanie's  husband  was  her  father  by  an  earlier 
marriage,  and  claims  that  Stephanie  had  murdered  him. 
Powers  refuses  to  accept  Lynn's  charge  unless  she  furnishes 
him  with  conclusive  proof.  Lynn  determines  to  do  so.  Powers 
confronts  Stephanie,  but  she  denies  knowing  Lynn,  and 
calls  her  story  fantastic.  Stephanie  plans  to  murder  Powers, 
but  the  arrival  of  Hicks  with  the  $50,000  interferes  with 
her  plan.  After  leaving  the  apartment  with  Powers,  Hicks 
accuses  him  of  engineering  the  blackmail.  Powers,  offended, 
insists  that  they  return  to  Stephanie's  apartment.  There 
they  find  Stephanie  threatening  to  shoot  Lynn,  who  had 
come  in  search  of  proof  of  her  father's  murder.  Over- 
powered, Stephanie  readily  confesses  her  crimes. 

Dane  Lussier  wrote  the  screen  play,  Walter  H.  Goetz 
produced  it,  and  John  English  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Olive  Blakeney  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Youth  Runs  Wild"  with  Bonita  Granville, 
Kent  Smith,  and  Jean  Brooks 

(RKO.  no  release  date  set,  time.  68  min.) 
"Youth  Runs  Wild"  is  another  in  the  inevitable  cycle  of 
pictures  dealing  with  juvenile  delinquency  and  with  irre- 
sponsible parents.  As  entertainment,  it  is  only  mild  program 
fare.  Although  some  human  interest  is  awakened  by  the 
sympathy  one  feels  for  the  'teen-aged  hero  and  heroine,  it 
fails  to  hold  one's  attention  because  of  the  lack  of  either 
an  absorbing  or  realistic  plot.  Moreover,  the  pace  is  too 
slow.  The  picture's  message  is  that  the  real  fault  for  the 
present  wave  of  juvenile  delinquency  lies,  not  with  the 
children,  but  with  the  parents,  who  are  too  absorbed  with 
their  own  interests  to  pay  much  attention  to  their  off-spring. 
But  this  message  is  put  over,  not  naturally,  but  by  preach- 
ment:— 

Fifteen-year-old  Glenn  Vernon  becomes  restless  when  his 
parents,  defense  workers,  insist  that  he  remain  in  school 
instead  of  letting  him  obtain  a  job  so  that  he  could  earn 
money  to  spend  on  Tessa  Brind,  his  girl-friend.  Tessa,  whose 
parents,  too,  were  defense  workers,  was  unhappy  because 
they  were  selfish  and  addicted  to  good  times  while  they 
compelled  her  to  take  care  of  the  household.  Resenting  his 
lack  of  funds,  and  irritated  at  seeing  Tessa  become  friendly 
with  Bonita  Granville,  a  disreputable  young  woman,  and 
Lawrence  Tierney,  Bonita's  racketeer  boy-friend,  young 
Vernon  joins  two  older  boys  in  a  tire  stealing  expedition. 
The  boys  are  caught  and  taken  to  juvenile  court.  All  are 
placed  in  the  custody  of  Kent  Smith,  Vernon's  brother-in- 
law,  who  had  just  returned  from  overseas,  wounded.  Smith 
and  Jean  Brooks,  his  wife  and  Vernon's  sister,  talk  Vernon 
into  giving  up  Tessa,  so  that  he  would  commit  no  wrong  in 
an  effort  to  earn  money  to  take  her  out.  Tessa,  fed  up  with 
her  drudgery  at  home,  and  heart-broken  because  Vernon 
had  left  her,  leaves  home  and  goes  to  live  with  Bonita.  She 
secures  employment  in  a  road  house  where  Bonita  enter- 
tained customers.  Learning  of  Tessa's  new  life,  Vernon  goes 
to  the  road  house  and  tries  to  induce  her  to  return  home. 
She  refuses  to  listen  to  him  and  asks  the  proprietor  to  eject 
him.  Peeved,  Vernon  returns  with  two  of  his  friends  and, 
in  the  ensuing  struggle,  Bonita  is  fatally  injured.  Once  again 
Vernon  finds  himself  in  juvenile  court.  The  judge  has  no 
alternative  but  to  send  him  to  a  reformatory.  Tessa  promises 
to  wait  for  him,  and  joins  Smith  and  Jean  in  a  plan  to 
combat  juvenile  delinquency  in  their  town. 

John  Fante  wrote  the  screen  play,  Val  Lewton  produced 
it,  and  Mark  Robson  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Elizabeth 
Russell,  Dickie  Moore  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


June  24,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


103 


"Call  of  the  Jungle"  with  Ann  Corio 
and  James  Bush 

(Monogram,  July  1;  time,  60  min.) 

Mediocre  program  fare.  It  will  have  to  depend  on  the  ex- 
ploitation  value  of  Ann  Corio,  for,  other  than  the  fact  that 
she  appears  in  a  sarong,  there  is  little  entertainment  value 
in  the  picture — that  is,  if  Ann  Corio  in  a  sarong  can  be 
considered  entertainment  value.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
picture  appears  to  be  no  more  than  an  excuse  for  her  to 
wear  a  sarong,  for  the  story  is  a  trite  and  far-fetched  tale 
about  hidden  pearls  stolen  from  a  native  shrine.  The  usual 
mythical  South  Sea  isle  serves  as  the  background.  The  treat' 
ment  of  the  story  is  most  unimaginative,  and  talk  replaces 
action.  The  performances  are  amateurish,  and  the  produc- 
tion values  extremely  modest: — 

When  the  sacred  pearls  of  the  South  Sea  island  of  Ta  'Pu 
are  stolen,  and  Phil  Van  Zandt,  dealer  in  stolen  pearls,  is 
found  murdered,  circumstantial  evidence  leads  James  Bush, 
the  island's  police  officer,  to  believe  that  John  Davidson,  a 
local  trader,  was  responsible  for  the  crimes.  Ann  Corio,  a 
white  girl  raised  by  the  natives,  believes  Davidson'  to  be 
innocent;  she  determines  to  clear  him  and  to  prevent  the 
natives  from  committing  mass  murder  on  the  island's  whites, 
among  whom  were  Muni  Serrof,  an  inn-keeeper;  Claudia 
Dell,  Serrof's  girl-friend;  and  Edward  Chandler  and  Stan- 
ford Jolly,  two  unscrupulous  pearl  fishermen,  who  had  stolen 
the  pearls  and  had  sold  them  to  Zandt.  The  person  who  had 
murdered  Zandt  had  possession  of  the  pearls.  Convinced  by 
Ann  of  Davidson's  innocence,  Bush  finds  evidence  indicat- 
ing that  the  two  fishermen  were  the  guilty  persons.  J.  Alex 
Havier,  a  native  boy  in  love  with  Ann,  is  murdered  as  he 
begins  to  reveal  information  about  the  crimes.  Conspiring 
with  Ann,  Bush  hits  upon  a  plan  to  expose  the  guilty  per- 
son. He  brings  the  whites  together  at  a  native  ceremony, 
and  tells  them  that  the  guilty  one  would  be  exposed  through 
witchcraft.  The  ruse  causes  the  inn-keeper  to  confess,  but, 
before  being  placed  under  arrest,  he  kills  himself.  With  the 
sacred  pearls  restored  to  the  natives,  Bush  and  Ann  look 
forward  to  a  happy  future  on  the  island. 

George  Callahan  wrote  the  screen  play,  Philip  N.  Krasne 
and  James  J.  Burkett  produced  it,  and  Phil  Rosen  directed 
it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Step  Lively"  with  Frank  Sinatra, 
George  Murphy,  Adolphe  Menjou 
and  Gloria  De  Haven 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  89  min.) 

A  fair  comedy,  with  music.  Its  box-office  possibilities  can 
best  be  judged  by  the  exhibitor  himself,  depending  on  how 
much  Frank  Sinatra  means  to  his  patrons.  As  compared  with 
"Higher  and  Higher,"  the  first  Sinatra  picture,  this  one  has 
less  music  and,  on  the  whole,  is  not  as  entertaining.  The 
picture  is  a  remake  of  "Room  Service,"  which  RKO  pro- 
duced in  1938  with  the  Marx  Brothers  and,  except  for  Frank 
Sinatra's  singing,  practically  no  changes  have  been  made 
in  the  plot,  which  revolves  around  the  machinations  of  a 
shoe-string  theatrical  producer  and  his  friends,  who  live  by 
their  wits  in  a  fashionable  hotel  so  as  to  put  up  a  front  for 
the  purpose  of  impressing  some  potential  backer.  A  good 
part  of  the  comedy  is  slapstick,  but  the  pace  is  fast;  it 
should  go  over  with  non-discriminating  audiences  and,  of 
course,  with  Sinatra's  admirers,  who  for  some  unfathomable 
reason  are  stirred  emotionally  by  as  unromantic  a  figure  as 
has  ever  been  brought  to  the  screen: — 

George  Murphy,  a  fast-talking  Broadway  producer  search- 
ing for  a  backer,  maintains  himself  and  his  company  in  a 
fashionable  hotel  managed  by  Walter  Slezak,  his  brother- 
in-law,  who  worries  lest  Adolphe  Menjou,  the  hotel's 
auditor,  learn  of  Murphy's  huge  bill.  In  the  midst  of 
Murphy's  negotiating  a  deal  with  Eugene  Pallette,  Frank 
Sinatra,  a  young  playwright,  arrives  and  demands  to  know 


what  Murphy  had  done  with  a  play  he  had  sent  him  to' 
gether  with  $1,500  to  produce  it.  Murphy  enlists  the  aid 
of  Gloria  DeHaven,  his  girl-friend,  to  stall  Sinatra  so  that 
he  (Murphy)  would  have  time  to  conclude  a  $50,000  deal 
with  Pallette.  Matters  become  complicated  when  Menjou 
barges  in  and  accuses  Murphy  of  being  a  faker.  Pallette, 
alarmed,  tries  to  get  away,  but  Murphy  and  his  aides  get 
the  check  from  him  before  they  let  him  go.  The  check, 
drawn  on  a  California  bank,  reestablishes  Murphy's  credit 
with  Menjou,  who  permits  him  to  draw  on  it  until  it  clears. 
Murphy  is  elated,  but  Gloria  soon  deflates  him  by  inform- 
ing him  that  Pallette  had  stopped  payment  on  the  check. 
Realizing  that  it  would  be  at  least  five  days  before  Menjou 
learned  of  the  stoppage,  Murphy  hastens  to  open  the  show 
within  that  time,  charging  all  bills  to  the  hotel.  Meanwhile 
Sinatra,  in  love  with  Gloria,  and  disappointed  because  she 
was  involved  in  Murphy's  "phoney"  deals,  goes  back  home. 
Murphy  telegraphs  him  absolving  Gloria  and  requests  that 
he  return  to  sing  in  the  show.  Sinatra  arrives  on  the  opening 
night  just  as  Menjou  learns  of  the  dishonored  check.  Menjou 
threatens  to  close  the  show.  To  stall  Menjou,  Sinatra  pre- 
tends to  swallow  poison  and  feigns  death.  Murphy  blames 
Menjou  for  driving  Sinatra  to  the  grave,  and  takes  ad- 
vantage of  his  remorseful  mood  to  get  the  show  started.  By 
the  time  Menjou  discovers  the  ruse,  the  show  is  a  hit,  assur- 
ing payment  to  Murphy's  creditors. 

Warren  Duff  and  Peter  Milne  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Robert  Fellows  produced  it,  and  Tim  Whelan  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Wally  Brown,  Alan  Carney,  Grant  Mitch- 
ell and  Anne  Jeffreys. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Marine  Raiders"  with  Pat  O'Brien, 
Robert  Ryan  and  Ruth  Hussey 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  95  min.) 
A  fairly  good  war  melodrama.  Although  not  very  differ- 
ent in  story  content  from  other  pictures  of  this  type,  it 
should  please  an  average  audience,  for  the  main  characters 
are  sympathetic,  the  battle  scenes  thrilling,  and  the  romantic 
interest  is  of  the  sort  that  should  appeal  to  women,  most  of 
whom  have  a  loved  one  on  a  fighting  front.  There  is  also  a 
fair  share  of  comedy.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  war  pictures 
have  become  a  selling  problem,  unless  they  present  some- 
thing unusual,  it  should  be  said  that  "Marine  Raiders"  offers 
little  that  has  not  been  done  many  times.  Consequently,  its 
reception  at  the  box-office  will  depend  on  whether  or  not 
your  patrons  are  surfeited  with  this  type  of  entertainment. 
It  is  a  well  produced  picture: — 

After  heroically  helping  to  clear  the  Japanese  of  Guadal- 
canal, Major  Pat  O'Brien  and  Paramarine  Robert  Ryan  are 
sent  to  Australia  to  await  further  orders.  There,  Ryan  meets 
Ruth  Hussey,  officer  in  the  Women's  Auxiliary  Australian 
Air  Force.  They  fall  in  love  and,  after  a  twenty-four  hour 
courtship,  decide  to  marry.  Their  plans  are  upset,  however, 
when  Ryan  is  wounded  in  an  air  raid,  and  Ruth  is  ordered 
on  a  tour  of  duty.  O'Brien,  lest  his  friend  regret  a  hasty 
marriage,  leaves  orders  for  Ryan  to  be  transferred  to  a 
hospital  ship  and  sent  back  to  the  United  States.  Ryan 
becomes  bitter  towards  O'Brien  for  having  interfered  in  his 
personal  affairs.  In  San  Diego,  both  men  are  assigned  to 
train  new  recruits.  On  the  eve  of  sailing  overseas  with  his 
new  outfit,  O'Brien  learns  that  Ryan  was  to  be  assigned 
to  a  desk  job  in  Washington  because  of  his  nervous  tension. 
He  talks  the  commanding  officer  into  allowing  Ryan  to 
accompany  him  overseas,  explaining  that  he  was  responsible 
for  Ryan's  condition.  Reaching  Australia,  Ryan  marries 
Ruth.  Ruth  effects  a  reconciliation  between  both  men  before 
they  ship  out  on  a  major  land,  sea  and  air  offensive  against 
Japanese-held  territory,  in  which  both  distinguish  themselves. 

Warren  Duff  wrote  the  screen  play,  Robert  Fellows  pro- 
duced it,  and  Harold  Schuster  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Frank  McHugh,  Barton  MacLane  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


104 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


June  24,  1944 


METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER'S 
ANNIVERSARY  WEEK 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  is  celebrating  its  Twentieth 
Anniversary,  for  one  week  beginning  June  22,  dur- 
ing which  time  every  theatre  will  play  an  MGM  pic- 
ture. 

Harrison's  Reports  was  one  year  old  when  the 
late  Marcus  Loew,  one  of  the  most  beloved  industry 
leaders,  bought  out  Metro,  which  had  been  founded 
by  Richard  Rowland.  Mr.  Loew  felt  that,  having  de- 
veloped one  of  the  most  important  theatre  circuits  in 
the  country,  he  ought  to  develop  also  a  producing 
company. 

The  following  year  he  acquired  the  rights  to  "The 
Four  Horsemen  of  the  Apocalypse,"  and  produced  it 
into  one  of  the  biggest  and  best  box-office  produc- 
tions of  the  year.  Other  successful  pictures  followed, 
including  "Bcn-Hur." 

In  1924,  the  company  acquired  the  Goldwyn 
Corporation,  and  in  the  same  year,  it  made  a  deal 
with  Louis  B.  Mayer  for  his  studio.  Thus  was  evolved 
the  present  name — Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  for  any  one  to  dwell  upon 
the  progress  the  company  made.  It  made  some  mis- 
takes at  first,  no  doubt,  but  today  it  stands  out  as  an 
example  of  what  sincerity  and  hard  work  can  do. 

Harrison's  Reports  wishes  Metro- Goldwyn  - 
Mayer  continued  success,  for  its  success  will  bring 
success  to  the  box  offices  of  the  theatres,  not  only  in 
the  United  States,  but  also  in  every  foreign  country. 


"Sensations  of  1945"  with  Eleanor  Powell 
and  Dennis  O'Keefe 

(United  Artists,  June  30;  time,  86  min.) 

What  might  have  easily  been  just  another  musical 
with  an  inconsequential  story  to  tie  in  the  different 
specialty  acts  has  been  turned  into  a  highly  satis- 
factory entertainment  on  account  of  the  deft  original 
touches  with  which  producer-director  Andrew  Stone 
has  endowed  the  production.  Without  stinting  on 
the  production  value,  Stone  has  given  an  intimate 
quality  to  the  musical  presentations,  each  of  which 
has  something  that  sets  it  apart  from  similar  presen- 
tations. One  musical  sequence  combines  a  dancing 
chorus  with  a  number  of  vaudeville  acts,  including 
Indian  club  wingers;  a  daredevil  tight- wire  walker; 
a  unicyclist;  trained  bears;  roller  skaters;  and  tumblers 
and  teeter-board  artists — all  are  exceptional.  Another 
sequence,  where  the  tight-wire  walker  does  his  act  on 
a  wire  strung  across  the  Royal  Gorge  in  Colorado 
(aided,  of  course,  by  trick  photography),  is  both 
comical  and  thrilling.  The  dance  routines  of  Eleanor 
Powell  and  of  the  dancing  ensemble  are  truly  fascinat- 
ing. One  clever  dance  number  has  Miss  Powell  doing 
a  rhumba  with  a  dancing  horse — and  the  horse  is 
really  good.  Added  to  all  this  is  the  tuneful  "jive" 
music  of  Cab  Calloway's  and  Woody  Herman's 
orchestras;  Sophie  Tucker  singing  the  type  of  songs 
that  have  made  her  famous;  W.  C.  Fields  in  one  of 
his  typical  skits;  and  Dorothy  Donegan,  a  colored 
pianist,  whose  facial  contortions  and  remarkable 
piano  playing  provide  one  of  the  oustanding  bits  in 
the  picture.  The  story  itself  is  light  but  pleasant,  and 
it  is  acted  engagingly  by  all  the  players: — 

Eleanor  Powell,  a  musical-comedy  dancing  star,  suc- 
ceeds in  gaining  columns  of  publicity  when  she  fakes 
an  attempt  on  her  own  life.  Eugene  Pallette,  her  press 
agent,  gives  her  credit  for  the  publicity  stunt,  but 
Dennis  O'Keefe,  Pallette's  son,  condemns  her  for  it. 


Delighted  with  Eleanor's  flair  for  publicity,  Pallette 
goes  on  vacation  and  leaves  her  in  charge  of  his 
agency,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  his  son.  Eleanor 
puts  her  new  ideas  into  effect  immediately,  starting 
with  a  circus  idea  in  a  night-club,  which  turns  out  to 
be  highly  successful,  despite  O'Keefe's  warning  that 
it  would  fail.  Eleanor  successfully  completes  a  number 
of  other  publicity  stunts,  including  one  that  lands  her 
in  jail  for  blocking  traffic  in  Times  Square  with  "jitter- 
bugs" dancing  to  the  music  of  Cab  Calloway's  orches- 
tra. O'Keefe  finally  admits  her  talent,  and  both 
eventually  fall  in  love.  To  gain  publicity  for  the  open- 
ing of  a  "gay  nineties"  cub,  Eleanor  arranges  for 
C.  Aubrey  Smith,  an  aged  retired  actor,  to  manage 
the  club;  her  purpose  was  to  induce  Aubrey's  many 
theatrical  friends  to  appear  in  the  show  on  opening 
night  without  cost  to  the  club.  O'Keefe,  calling  her 
methods  unethical,  breaks  with  her.  Eleanor  sees  the 
error  of  her  ways  and  arranges  for  Smith  to  receive 
a  percentage  of  the  club's  profits.  Weeks  later, 
O'Keefe,  who  had  joined  the  Army,  is  reconciled  with 
Eleanor  through  the  efforts  of  his  father. 

Dorothy  Bennett  and  Andrew  Stone  wrote  the 
screen  play.  The  cast  includes  Mimi  Forsythe,  Lyle 
Talbot,  Hubert  Castle,  The  Christianis  and  others. 


"The  Amazing  Mr.  Forrest"  with 
Edward  Everett  Horton,  Jack  Buchanan 
Otto  Kruger 

(PRC;  Mar.  29;  time,  69  min.) 

A  fairly  entertaining  British-made  comedy  melo- 
drama, done  in  the  same  breezy  style  as  "The  Thin 
Man"  pictures,  in  which  the  debonair  detective  is 
aided  by  his  witty  wife  in  the  solving  of  the  crime.  It 
should  get  by  as  a  supporting  feature  in  most  situ- 
ations, in  spite  of  the  fact  that  some  of  the  typical 
British  humor  misses  fire  insofar  as  American  audi- 
ences are  concerned.  What  the  story  lacks  in  plausi- 
bility it  more  than  makes  up  for  in  witty  dialogue  and 
fast  action,  which  at  times  descends  to  sheer  slapstick 
for  laughs.  The  picture  is  more  marketable  than  most 
British  productions,  for  the  cast  incudes  players  who 
are  well  known  to  American  audiences: — 

On  the  first  morning  of  his  retirement  as  special 
investigator  for  an  insurance  company,  Jack  Buchan- 
an learns  that  his  firm's  safe  had  been  blown  open 
and  that  precious  jewels  belonging  to  a  European 
Prince  (Walter  Riila)  had  been  stolen.  Despite  the 
entreaties  of  Googie  Withers,  his  wife,  who  had  wel- 
comed his  retirement  from  dangerous  work,  Buchanan 
institutes  a  search  for  the  thieves.  He  discovers  that 
the  robbery  had  been  committed  by  a  gang  of  thieves 
headed  by  Otto  Kruger,  with  whom  the  Prince  was 
in  league.  The  Prince,  confronted  by  Buchanan,  con- 
fesses and  explains  that  he  sought  to  collect  the  insur- 
ance money  to  feed  his  starving  people.  He  agrees  to 
help  Buchanan  capture  the  gang.  Jack  LaRue,  the 
gang's  "trigger  man,"  attempts  to  retrieve  certain 
evidence  Buchanan  had  found,  but  he  is  captured  and 
jailed.  Knowing  that  Kruger  woud  be  looking  for 
some  one  to  replace  LaRue,  Buchanan  masquerades 
as  an  American  gangster  and  succeeds  in  becoming 
one  of  the  gang,  which  had  its  headquarters  in  a  fash- 
ionable night-club.  Kruger  hits  upon  a  plan  to  murder 
the  Prince  so  that  he  could  keep  the  jewels  and  the 
insurance  money.  But  Buchanan,  aided  by  Edward 
Everett  Horton,  his  butler,  Googie  and  the  Prince, 
frustrates  the  plan  and  rounds  up  the  gang. 

Ralph  Spence  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jack  Buchan- 
an produced  it,  and  Thornton  Freeland  directed  it. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  RnnmlRI?  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  ixoum  1014  Publisher 

Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain          16.50  A  Motion  pjcture  Reviewing  Service   

Australia    New' ZeaYand,"  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

India,  Europe  Asia  ....  17.50      Ug  Editorial  Policy.  No  problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  circle  7-4622 

ibc  a  *-°Py  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  JULY  1,  1944 


No.  27 


LET  THE  JUSTICE  DEPARTMENT 
TAKE  SOME  ACTION! 

For  several  months  I  have  been  reading  in  the  trade 
papers  that  agreement  between  the  five  consenting 
companies  and  the  Department  of  Justice  is  about  to 
be  reached,  and  that  the  terms  of  the  new  Consent 
Decree  would  be  announced;  but  it  seems  as  if  I  shall 
be  reading  the  same  stuff  for  several  years  more. 

Either  the  government  is  right,  in  which  case  it 
should  lay  down  the  law  on  the  distributors,  or  it  is 
wrong,  in  which  case  it  should  drop  the  suit.  If  it  is 
right,  and  the  distributors  do  not  want  to  abide  by  its 
recommendations,  then  it  should  proceed  with  the  suit. 

Some  exhibors  feel  that,  if  the  Department  of  Jus- 
tice should  proceed  with  the  suit,  it  may  lose  it.  If  it 
should  lose  it,  it  would  be  far  worse  for  the  exhibitors. 

Personally,  I  feel  that  conditions  cannot  be  worse 
for  the  independent  exhibitors.  If  they  should  be,  per- 
haps  Congress  will  take  up  their  cause,  and  pass  legis- 
lation that  will  protect  their  rights.  It  has  been  done 
in  other  countries,  why  can't  it  be  done  here? 


LEST  WE  FORGET! 

Since  every  one  in  the  industry  is  celebrating  for 
something,  Harrison's  Reports  might  as  well  join 
the  parade  and  celebrate  its  Silver  Anniversary,  for 
with  this  issue  it  becomes  twenty-five  years  old. 

The  first  issue  of  Harrison's  Reports  carries  the 
date  of  July  5,  1919. 

Many  of  the  first  year's  subscribers  still  continue  to 
renew  their  subscriptions. 

When  I  announced  that  I  would  never  accept  ad- 
vertising, many  exhibitors  were  sceptical;  they  felt 
that,  after  several  years,  I,  too,  would  fall  in  line. 
But  I  have  kept  my  word. 

Looking  back  now  I  would  say  that,  if  I  were  to 
start  now  I  would  do  no  differently,  for  though  adver- 
tising would  bring  in  more  income  it  would  bring  in 
also  grief,  and,  weighing  the  additional  profits  as 
against  the  peace  of  mind  that  I  have  had,  my  original 
decision  was  the  wisest  that  I  could  have  taken. 

I  believe  that  it  is  in  line  for  me  to  thank  every  one 
who  has  contributed  to  the  success  of  Harrison's 
Reports,  and  to  assure  him  that  the  policy  of  Har- 
rison's Reports  will  remain  to  be  just  within  human 
possibility. 


A  TRIBUTE  TO  THE  FATHER 
OF  THE  WARNER  BROTHERS 

A  wire  from  my  good  friend  Mort  Blumenstock, 
East  Coast  advertising  and  publicity  director  of 
Warner  Brothers,  informed  me  that  he  was  sending 
me  a  copy  of  a  release,  which  the  Permamente  Metals 
Corporation,  a  Henry  Kaiser  subsidiary,  was  giving 


out  to  the  effect  that  its  Richmond  (California)  yard 
was  going  to  christen  its  latest  and  last  Liberty  ship 
in  honor  of  Benjamin  Warner,  the  father  of  Harry, 
Jack,  Albert  and  the  late  Sam. 

According  to  the  latest  information,  the  ship  will 
be  launched  Saturday,  July  1. 

Though  this  is  a  tribute  to  the  industry  in  general 
and  to  the  Warner  Brothers  in  particular,  Harrison's 
Reports  cannot  pass  up  the  opportunity  of  paying 
to  the  Warner  brothers  another  tribute,  lest  we  for- 
get. Despite  the  mistakes  their  organisation  made  in  its 
relationship  with  exhibitors  at  the  time  they  were 
practically  the  only  company  that  had  sound  films  and 
sound  instruments,  the  industry  cannot  help  being 
under  an  obligation  to  the  Warner  brothers  for  hav- 
ing had  the  courage  to  adopt  sound  and  sound  films 
when  the  other  companies  feared  even  to  approach  it. 

The  fact  that  the  Warners  brought  sound  into  the 
industry  at  a  time  when  the  silent  picture  was  dying 
makes  the  debt  of  gratitude  that  the  industry  owes 
them  much  greater,  for  no  one  who  was  in  the  picture 
business  at  that  time  now  fails  to  realize  that  sound 
rescued  the  industry. 

Harrison's  Reports  feels  glad  that  Henry  Kaiser 
has  seen  fit  to  honor  the  father  of  those  who  have 
played  so  great  a  part  in  the  development  of  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry. 


REMARKS  INTENDED  FOR 
OUT-OF-TOWN  THEATRES 

I  read  in  a  recent  Film  Topics,  the  bulletin  that  is 
published  by  the  Independent  Theatre  Owners  of 
Northern  California,  an  account  that  would  be  un- 
believable were  it  not  for  the  standing  of  the  writer, 
Mr.  Rotus  Harvey. 

Mr.  Harvey  took  a  trip  visiting  many  theatres  in 
his  territory, — theatres  owned  by  Fox-West  Coast, 
by  independent  circuits,  and  by  individual  exhibitors, 
and  he  found  a  similar  condition  existing  in  all  three 
classes.  Says  Mr.  Harvey: 

'A  couple  of  weeks  ago,  I  saw  a  picture  advertised 
in  an  Affiliated  Theatre  which  I  had  missed  and 
wanted  to  see.  I  went,  plunked  down  my  hard  earned 
money  to  a  non-smiling  cashier,  who  did  not  even 
bother  to  say  'Thank  You!'  and  walked  into  the  the- 
atre. A  door  boy  took  my  ticket,  tore  it  in  half  and  I 
proceeded  on  my  way.  No  one  offered  to  show  me  a 
seat  nor  did  anyone  apparently  notice  me. 

"Being  a  theatre  man,  I  looked  around  and  saw 
three  usherettes  grouped  around  the  candy  bar  having 
a  chin-fest.  So  I  groped  my  way  to  a  seat.  I  sat  in 
the  balcony  so  I  could  smoke  and  at  no  time  did  I 
see  an  usherette  on  duty.  Kids  ran  around  and  made 
{Continued  on  inside  page) 


PARTICIPATE  IN  FREE  MOVIE  DAY,  JULY  6!  SELL  BONDS! 


106 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  I,  1944 


"Three  of  a  Kind"  with  Billy  Gilbert, 
Shemp  Howard  and  Maxie  Rosenbloom 

(Monogram,  July  22;  time,  67  min.) 

A  mildly  cntertainting  program  comedy-drama.  It 
has  a  few  laughs  here  and  there  provoked  by  the  antics 
of  Billy  Gilbert  and  Shemp  Howard  but  on  the  whole 
most  of  the  comedy  falls  flat,  for  no  matter  how  hard 
the  players  try,  they  cannot  overcome  the  handicap  of 
weak  material.  There  is  some  human  interest  in  the 
efforts  of  Gilbert  and  Howard  to  care  for  and  adopt 
the  young  son  of  a  dead  vaudeville  pal,  but  since  both 
men  are  made  to  behave  like  "saps"  throughout  most 
of  the  action,  one  fails  to  be  stirred  emotionally  by 
their  dramatics: — 

Gilbert  and  Howard,  penniless  vaudcvillians,  take 
care  of  Buzzy  Henry,  young  son  of  a  fellow  actor,  who 
had  killed  himself  when  he  discovered  that  his  wife 
(Helen  Gilbert)  had  been  unfaithful  to  him.  Unable 
to  find  employment  in  vaudeville,  the  two  men  secure 
jobs  as  cooks  in  Maxie  RosenbloorrTs  cafe.  Both  are 
upset  when  Helen,  Buzzy  s  stepmother,  appears  and 
insists  that  the  boy  come  to  live  with  her.  Realizing 
that  her  sudden  generous  act  was  prompted  by  the  fact 
that  she  had  learned  of  insurance  money  left  Buzzy 
by  his  father,  Gilbert  and  Howard  apply  to  the  author- 
ities for  permission  to  adopt  the  boy  legally.  The  au- 
thorities, though  in  accord  with  Gilbert's  and  How- 
ard's motive,  deny  their  application  and  inform  them 
that  the  boy  must  be  adopted  by  a  man  and  wife. 
The  two  apply  to  a  matrimonial  agency,  but  they  fail 
to  find  a  suitable  woman.  Buzzy  is  compelled  to  go  live 
with  Helen.  Weeks  later,  Rosenbloom  and  June  Lang, 
his  girl-friend,  go  to  Helen's  home  to  visit  Buzzy  and 
find  her  with  Wheeler  Oakman,  an  unscrupulous 
racketeer,  who  had  engineered  the  scheme  to  get 
Buzzy  away  from  Gilbert  and  Howard.  A  fight  breaks 
out  in  the  apartment,  and  both  Helen  and  Oakman 
are  sent  to  jail.  Maxie  and  June  marry,  so  that  they 
can  legally  adopt  the  boy  for  Gilbert  and  Howard. 

Earle  Snell  and  Arthur  Caesar  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Sam  Katzman  and  Jack  Dietz  produced  it,  and 
D.  Ross  Lederman  directed  it.  Barney  A.  Sarecky  was 
associate  producer. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"An  American  Romance"  with  Brian 
Donlevy  and  Ann  Richards 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  151  min.) 
Very  good  mass  entertainment.  The  production, 
photographed  in  Technicolor,  is  excellent,  has  human 
interest,  and  some  tears.  The  story,  which  covers  the 
period  from  1898  to  the  present  day  might  be  termed 
a  cavalcade  of  American  industry,  told  through  the 
heart-warming  rise  of  a  penniless  immigrant,  who  be- 
comes a  great  industrial  tycoon  by  virtue  of  hard  work 
and  a  determination  to  better  the  lot  of  himself  and 
his  family.  As  the  immigrant  progresses  through  em- 
ployment in  the  mining,  steel,  automotive  and  aircraft 
industries,  the  spectator  is  given  a  perception  of  the 
vastness  of  industrial  America.  Shown  are  the  moun- 
tains of  iron  ore  in  Minnesota ;  the  methods  employed 
in  shipping  this  ore  to  the  steel  plants;  the  making 
of  steel;  and  the  assembly-line  production  methods  of 
both  the  automotive  and  aircraft  industries — all  this  is 
highly  informative,  and  it  has  been  presented  in  a 
fascinating  manner  without  retarding  the  story.  Brian 
Donlevy,  as  the  sturdy  immigrant  with  an  earnest 


desire  for  learning,  and  Ann  Richards,  as  the  Amer- 
ican girl  who  marries  and  encourages  him,  are  excel- 
lent, as  are  the  supporting  members  of  the  cast.  The 
scenes  depicting  their  family  life  are  both  touching 
and  humorous.  One  particular  sequence,  where  Don- 
levy  is  trapped  by  a  ladle  full  of  spilt  molten  steel, 
and  is  rescued  by  fellow  workers,  is  as  hair-raising 
an  episode  as  has  ever  been  seen  on  the  screen.  One's 
interest  is  held  throughout  the  picture's  1 5 1  minutes 
playing  time: — 

Arriving  at  Ellis  Island  in  1 898,  Brian  Donlevy  sets 
out  on  foot  for  the  Mesabi  Ran^e  in  Minnesota  to 
meet  John  Qualen,  his  cousin.  Qualen  gets  Donlevy 
a  job  in  an  iron  ore  mine.  Eager  to  learn  how  the  earth 
he  mined  became  iron  and  steel,  Donlevy  makes  the 
acquaintance  of  Ann  Richards,  a  local  school  teacher, 
who  teaches  him  how  to  read  and  write.  Both  fall  in 
love.  Encouraged  by  Ann  to  better  himself,  Donlevy 
stows  away  on  an  ore  boat  and  makes  his  way  to  the 
steel  mills,  where  he  learns  the  rudiments  of  steel- 
making  and  soon  becomes  a  foreman.  He  sends  for 
Ann  and  marries  her.  As  the  years  pass  by,  Donlevy 
progresses  rapidly  at  the  mill  and  raises  a  family  of 
four  boys  and  one  girl.  With  the  coming  of  World 
War  I,  his  eldest  son  is  killed  in  action.  Donlevy  be- 
comes interested  in  developing  a  strong,  light  steel  for 
automobiles,  and  Walter  Abel,  a  mechanically-minded 
school  teacher,  becomes  his  partner.  Ann  encourages 
them,  and  the  family  moves  to  Detroit,  where  both 
men  start  a  small  auto  plant.  Donlevy,  a  natural  pro- 
duction genius,  tackles  the  problem  of  making  a  better 
car  and,  after  many  heartbreaks,  the  new  car  is  a  suc- 
cess. He  becomes  head  of  a  huge  auto  plant.  Eventu- 
ally, however,  he  clashes  with  his  associates  and  with 
his  son  (Horace  McNally)  over  recognition  of  the 
employees'  union.  Donlevy  refuses  to  admit  he  is 
wrong,  and  quits.  Ann  insists  that  he  take  a  well 
earned  rest.  He  buys  on  orange  ranch  in  California, 
where  they  go  to  live  quietly.  With  the  coming  of 
World  War  II,  Donlevy  is  visited  by  two  of  his  grand- 
sons, Naval  airmen,  who  make  him  realize  how  badly 
planes  are  needed.  Donlevy  goes  to  an  aircraft  factory 
that  Abel  and  his  son  had  established  on  the  West 
Coast  and,  reconciling  with  them,  does  his  bit  for  his 
adopted  land  in  its  time  of  need. 

Herbert  Dalmas  and  William  Ludwig  wrote  the 
screen  play  from  a  story  by  King  Vidor.  Mr.  Vidor 
produced  and  directed  it. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Minstrel  Man"  with  Benny  Fields 
and  Gladys  George 

(PRC,  July  1 ;  time,  68  min.) 
Produced  on  a  higher-than-average  budget,  "Min- 
strel Man"  is  a  very  entertaining  musical-drama,  rep- 
resenting PRC's  most  ambitious  effort  to  date;  it  is 
a  big  step  forward  for  the  company.  It  should  prove 
to  be  a  highly  satisfactory  supporting  feature  in  most 
situations,  and  strong  enough  to  top  a  double-bill  in 
others.  The  story  is  not  exceptional,  but  it  is  pleasant, 
has  heart  interest,  and  ends  in  a  manner  sure  to  please 
audiences.  Benny  Fields,  whose  picture  debut  this  is, 
gives  an  engaging  dramatic  performance,  and  his  ren- 
ditions of  a  number  of  melodious  tunes  are  pleasant 
to  the  ear.  Alan  Dineheart,  Gladys  George,  and  Ros- 
coe  Karns  handle  supporting  roles  capably,  as  does 
Judy  Clark,  who  sings  in  the  "Betty  Hutton"  man- 
ner:— 


July  1,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


107 


Fields,  on  the  opening  night  of  his  new  show,  learns 
that  his  wife  had  died  giving  birth  to  their  daughter. 
Grief -stricken,  Fields  leaves  the  country  and  asks 
Gladys  George  and  Roscoe  Karns,  his  friends,  to  care 
for  the  infant.  He  returns  five  years  later  and,  after 
successfully  resuming  his  career,  goes  to  see  his  daugh' 
ter.  He  is  rebuffed  by  Gladys,  who  accuses  him  of 
abandoning  the  child.  When  she  informs  him  that  he 
is  in  no  position  to  offer  the  child  a  decent  home  life, 
Fields  realizes  the  truth  of  her  words  and  leaves  the 
country  once  again.  After  a  stay  in  Cuba,  he  books 
passage  back  to  America  on  the  S.S.  Morro  Castle. 
Following  the  disastrous  burning  of  the  ship  off  the 
New  Jersey  coast,  Fields1  name  is  listed  among  the 
missing.  Gladys  berates  herself  for  sending  him  away, 
taking  blame  for  his  death.  Actually,  Fields  was  alive, 
but,  resolved  not  to  interfere  with  his  child's  happi- 
ness,  he  assumes  a  different  name  and  leads  every  one 
to  believe  that  he  had  been  a  victim  of  the  disaster. 
As  his  daughter  (Judy  Clark)  grows  to  the  age  of 
sixteen,  Fields  eeks  out  a  living  singing  in  cheap  cafes. 
He  is  found  in  San  Francisco  by  Jerome  Cowan,  a 
theatrical  agent,  who  informs  him  that  Alan  Dine- 
hart,  a  Broadway  producer,  with  whom  Fields  had  a 
misunderstanding  on  the  night  of  his  wife's  death,  was 
going  to  produce  "Minstrel  Man,"  the  rights  to  which 
Fields  owned.  Fields  returns  to  New  York  determined 
to  stop  the  show,  but  when  he  learns  that  his  daughter 
was  star  of  the  show,  he  becomes  reconciled  with  his 
friends  and  joins  Judy  in  the  show's  finale. 

Irwin  Franklin  and  Pierre  Gendron  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Leo  Fromkess  produced  it,  and  Joseph 
H.  Lewis  directed  it.  Harry  Revel  was  Associate  Pro- 
ducer. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"The  Girl  Who  Dared"  with  Lorna  Gray, 
Veda  Ann  Borg  and  Peter  Cookson 

(Republic,  August  5;  time,  56  min.) 
A  routine  murder  mystery  melodrama,  suitable  as 
a  second  feature.  Following  the  formula  set  for  pic 
tures  of  this  type,  the  plot  places  several  persons  in 
a  suspicious  light,  keeping  one  guessing  as  to  the 
murderer's  identity.  The  story  is  somewhat  involved, 
and  since  the  characters  are  at  time  too  talkative,  the 
action  slows  up  occasionally.  The  story's  background 
is  an  isolated  island  during  a  stormy  night,  and  the 
usual  tricks  are  employed  to  create  an  eerie  atmos- 
phere. There  is  a  little  comedy  and  an  incidental 
romance : — 

Living  on  an  isolated  island  connected  to  the  main- 
land by  a  causeway,  John  Hamilton  and  Vivien  Oak- 
land, his  wife,  are  surprised  by  the  arrival  of  friends 
to  attend  a  house  party.  Hamilton  welcomes  them,  but 
explains  that  he  did  not  send  out  invitations.  Included 
among  the  guests  were  Lorna  Gray  and  her  brother, 
Kirk  Alyn;  Veda  Ann  Borg,  a  divorcee,  who  had 
been  having  an  affair  with  Alyn;  Veda's  kindly  twin 
sister  (also  played  by  Miss  Borg) ;  Roy  Barcroft, 
Veda's  jealous  ex-husband;  Grant  Withers,  a  family 
friend;  and  Peter  Cookson,  a  garage  mechanic,  who 
had  driven  Lorna  and  Kirk  to  the  house  when  their 
car  broke  down.  Cookson  had  been  invited  to  remain 
overnight.  Over  the  radio,  all  learn  that  a  doctor  friend 
of  Veda's  had  stolen  a  fortune  in  radium,  and  had 
disappeared.  During  the  night,  Veda  is  stabbed  to 
death,  and  her  twin  sister  hysterically  accuses  the  ex- 
husband  of  the  crime.  Hamilton  attempts  to  reach  the 


police,  but  finds  that  the  telephone  wires  had  been 
cut,  and  that  communication  with  them  would  be  im- 
possible before  morning.  During  the  night,  the  twin 
sister  is  murdered,  and  Willie  Best,  the  colored  butler, 
discovers  the  body  of  the  missing  doctor  in  the  cellar. 
In  the  morning,  Cookson  reveals  to  Lorna  that  he  is 
an  insurance  investigator  in  search  of  the  missing 
radium.  Together,  they  track  down  different  clues 
and  discover  that  Veda  was  involved  with  the  doctor 
in  the  radium  theft,  and  that  a  third  partner,  after 
murdering  the  doctor,  had  murdered  the  twin  sister, 
and  later,  realizing  his  mistake,  returned  to  kill  Veda. 
Through  a  psychological  trick,  Cookson  makes  With- 
ers reveal  himself  as  the  murderer. 

John  K.  Butler  wrote  the  screen  play,  Rudolph  E. 
Abel  produced  it,  and  Howard  Bretherton  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Jungle  Woman"  with  Acquanetta 
and  J.  Carrol  Naish 

(Universal,  July  7;  time,  60  min.) 

The  horror-picture  fans  should  find  this  program 
melodrama  to  their  liking.  It  is  a  sequel  to  Universal's 
"Captive  Wild  Woman,"  produced  last  year,  in 
which  a  mad  scientist  had  transferred  a  female  ape 
into  an  attractive  young  woman.  This  picture  is  void 
of  the  gruesomeness  of  its  predecessor  in  that  it  does 
not  show  the  transformation  from  woman  to  ape;  it 
conveys  that  impression,  as  well  as  the  ape's  vicious 
acts,  by  indirection.  But  what  it  lacks  in  horridness  it 
more  than  makes  up  for  in  suspense,  which  is  sustained 
effectively  all  the  way  through.  The  story  is,  of  course, 
far-fetched,  but  it  has  been  handled  well.  A  good  deal 
of  footage  from  the  first  picture  has  been  incorporated 
into  this  one  by  means  of  the  flashback  method. 

The  story  begins  at  a  coroner's  inquest,  during 
which  J.  Carrol  Naish,  a  scientist,  admits  the  murder 
of  Acquanetta,  who,  he  insists,  had  not  been  a  human 
being.  Prevailed  upon  to  explain,  Naish  relates  how 
John  Carradine,  a  mad  scientist,  had  converted  Ac- 
quanetta from  gorilla  form  to  human  form  by  means 
of  a  glandular  operation.  Emotional  strain  had  caused 
Acquanetta  to  revert  to  gorilla  form  and,  while  she 
was  in  that  form,  she  had  been  shot  by  a  handler. 
Naish  had  taken  the  wounded  ape  to  his  sanitarium 
for  research,  and  had  saved  its  life  with  adrenalin. 
Soon  after,  the  ape  had  escaped,  and  Acquanetta  had 
been  discovered  on  the  grounds.  Because  of  her  failure 
to  react  normally,  Naish  had  put  her  under  observa- 
tion and,  through  his  patient  efforts,  her  mind  had 
improved.  Acquanetta  had  become  attracted  to  Rich- 
ard Davis,  fiance  of  Lois  Collier,  Naish 's  daughter, 
and  she  had  displayed  jealous  hatred  for  Lois.  The 
murder  of  one  of  the  sanitarium's  handymen,  and 
other  mysterious  happenings,  had  confirmed  Naish's 
suspicions  that  Acquanetta  was  none  other  than  the 
gorilla,  which  had  escaped  from  its  cage.  Learning 
that  Acquanetta  was  about  to  murder  his  daughter, 
Naish  had  given  her  an  overdose  of  adrenalin,  killing 
her.  The  coroner's  jury,  confounded  by  Naish's  fan- 
tastic story,  request  to  see  Acquanetta's  body.  At  the 
morgue,  they  find  that  her  body  had  reverted  to 
gorilla  form. 

Henry  Sucher  wrote  the  screen  play,  Will  Cowan 
produced  it,  and  Reginald  LeBorg  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Evelyn  Ankers,  Milburn  Stone,  Samuel 
S.  Hinds,  Dougas  Dumbrille,  Richard  Powers  and 
others. 

Morally  unobjectionable. 


108 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  1,  1944 


life  miserable  for  us,  the  patrons,  and  at  times  it  was 
hard  to  hear  the  picture.  I  certainly  enjoyed  that  pic 
lure! 

"On  my  way  out,  I  couldn't  find  anyone  on  the 
floor,  up  or  downstairs,  and  the  only  person  I  saw 
connected  with  the  theatre  was  a  boy  outside,  chang- 
ing the  marquee. 

"Sounds  ridiculous,  doesn't  it?  But  that  aroused  my 
curiosity  and  I  determined,  then,  that  I  was  going  to 
visit  a  theatre  of  every  type.  Did  I  find  conditions  any 
better  in  those  other  theatres?  I  did  not!  Decidedly  no 
better  and,  in  some  ways,  worse.  Circuit  theatres 
were,  for  the  most  part,  fairly  clean  but,  other  than 
that,  bad,  all  bad. 

"Individually  owned  theatres,  on  the  whole,  gave 
me  the  worst  impression.  Not  only  the  conditions 
mentioned  above,  but  foyers  were  unclean  with  pa- 
pers, candy  and  popcorn  on  the  floor.  In  fact,  they 
were  filthy  and  the  owners  were  standing  around — 
just  standing. 

"What's  your  alibi,  Mister?  Wartime  manpower? 
NUTS!  I  don't  care  what  kind  of  help  you  have,  nor 
how  inexperienced — there  is  no  excuse  for  this  lack 
of  management,  this  indifference  to  your  public,  this 
laziness  on  the  part  of  theatre  executives.  The  major- 
ity of  theatres  arc  now  staffed  with  minors,  most  of 
them  still  attending  schools.  They  are  good  kids,  and 
on  the  whole  will  do  what  they  are  told  to  do,  but 
they  must  be  told,  instructed  and  above  all,  watched. 

"What's  your  alibi,  Mister?  Wartimes?  Yes,  but 
that's  the  answer  generally.  Everything  that  goes 
wrong  these  days  we  blame  on  the  war.  We  are  all 
overworked.  Our  managers  are  overworked  and  we 
are  all  looking  for  an  alibi.  And  war  conditions  give 
us  that  alibi. 

"The  motion  picture  theatres  are  getting  a  black 
eye.  We  live  on  entertainment  and  service.  We  must 
not  let  wartimes  get  us  down.  We  should  be  doing 
everything  in  our  power  to  maintain  our  position  with 
the  public  of  rendering  service  and  entertainment. 
Right  now  we  are  forgetting  competition,  but  the 
day  is  not  far  away  when  that  monster  'competition 
for  jobs  and  business'  will  again  become  a  problem, 
and  the  fellow  who  stays  in  the  good  graces  of  his 
public  will  win  out." 

These  writings  bring  to  the  surface  that  Mr.  Har- 
vey felt  real  anguish  by  the  conditions  he  found 
around  his  territory  and  felt  that  he  ought  to  express 
his  feelings  with  the  hope  that  his  voice  would  be 
heeded. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  conditions  that  are  pre- 
vailing in  Northern  California,  must  prevail  in 
all  the  smaller  communities  throughout  the  United 
States,  the  distributors  could  help  ameliorate  these 
conditions  by  rewarding  the  industrious  exhibitor. 
At  present,  they  do  not  seem  to  be  making  a  distinc- 
tion whether  an  exhibitor's  theatre  is  clean  or  filthy, 
but  they  should,  for  a  filthy  theatre  drives  patrons 
away.  When  a  theatre  is  filthy,  they  suffer  a  loss; 
when  it  is  clean,  they  benefit  by  the  increased  patron- 
age. Why  not,  then,  reward  the  exhibitor  who  will, 
not  only  keep  his  theatre  clean,  but  also  conduct  it 
in  an  orderly  manner,  a  manner  intended  to  render 
service  to  the  motion  picture  public? 

THE  STRENGTH  OF  AN  EXHIBITOR 
ORGANIZATION  DEPENDS 
ON  ITS  PURITY 

There  have  come  into  the  exhibition  field  lately 
some  exhibitors  who  do  not  understand,  naturally, 


many  of  the  controversies  between  exhibitors  and 
producer-distributors,  and  also  between  one  exhibitor 
group  and  another. 

One  of  the  controversies  between  one  exhibitor 
group  and  another  is  that  between  Allied  States  As- 
sociation of  Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  (which  we 
may  call  Allied  for  short)  and  Motion  Picture  The- 
atre Owners  of  America,  known  as  MPTOA. 

In  order  to  give  these  exhibitors  an  idea  as  to  why 
Allied  and  Ml^TOA  differ,  allow  me  to  reproduce 
part  of  an  editorial  that  appeared  in  Jay  Emanuel's 
"The  Exhibitor."  Says  Mr.  Emanuel: 

"One  drawback  to  the  influence  of  the  MPTOA 
among  many  independent  exhibitors  has  been  the 
fact  that  it  contains  in  its  membership  the  circuit- 
<i  {filiates,  whose  presence  is  most  necessary  to  the 
treasury.  True,  the  circuit-affiliates  have  a  perfect 
right  to  organize,  but  their  interests  are  not  the  same 
as  those  of  the  independent  exhibitors.  By  their  pres- 
ence in  MITOA,  they  weaken  the  influence  of  that 
body.  This  was  proven  when  the  purely  independent 
theatre  men  carried  the  load  in  the  tax  and  Clark 
matters. 

"It  would  be  silly  to  declare  that  the  circuit- 
affiliates'  contributions  to  the  MPTOA  treasury  are 
not  important.  Their  membership  dues  run  into  thous- 
ands. The  records  of  the  most  pure  independent  ex- 
hibitor groups  show  that  the  treasury  is  often  the 
weakest  part  of  the  organization,  so  one  may  surmise 
how  important  the  affiliated  dues  are. 

"There  is  no  reason  why  there  should  not  be  in  this 
country  only  one  purely  independent  exhibitor  group. 
The  affiliated  circuits,  with  different  problems  and 
interests,  could  also  form  their  own  group.  Both  could 
cooperate  on  legislative  and  tax  matters,  or  whenever 
the  interests  of  the  business  had  to  be  protected  in  a 
general  matter. 

"But  before  a  real  independent  group  could  func- 
tion, it  would  need  a  war  chest,  and  it  would  demand 
the  confidence  of  its  members.  It  would  not  be  enough 
just  to  pay  dues,  and  to  'let  it  go  at  that.' 

"Any  theatremen's  organization  which  actually  or 
theoretically  is  being  subsidized  by  the  producers  or 
distributors  has  no  reason  to  exist." 

The  viewpoint  that  has  been  expressed  by  Mr. 
Emanuel  in  this  editorial  is  the  viewpoint  that  has 
been  expressed  by  Harrison's  Reports  ever  since  it 
was  founded.  An  independent  exhibitor  organiza- 
tion that  exists  by  the  grace  of  the  producers  or  their 
affiliates  ceases  to  be  independent,  by  reason  of  the 
fact  that,  before  taking  any  action  that  will  serve  the 
interests  of  the  independents,  it  must  always  have  in 
mind  the  possible  withdrawal  of  support  from  the 
producers.  On  the  other  hand,  a  purely  producer- 
exhibitor  organization  can  be  of  considerable  help  to 
a  purely  independent  organization  in  fighting  against 
adverse  legislation  and  burdensome  taxes.  Subsidizing 
a  supposedly  exhibitor  organization  for  the  purpose 
of  using  it  in  legislative  halls  does  not  get  them  any- 
where; the  legislators  are  already  aware  of  the  dif- 
ference between  a  truly  independent  and  a  subsi- 
dized organization. 

There  have  been  reports  lately  that  some  unaffili- 
ated independent  exhibitor  regional  units  are  plan- 
ning to  join  Allied.  The  move  is  sensible  and  should 
bring  great  results  if  consummated.  If  some  exhibitor 
leader  should  feel  that  some  of  the  Allied  policies  are 
wrong,  he  should  fight  against  them  from  within  the 
ranks,  and  not  from  without.  It  is  the  only  way  by 
which  he  can  bring  about  their  elimination. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  TWO 

HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  JULY  1,  1944  No.  27 

(Semi-Annual  Index — First  Half  of  1944) 


Titles  of  Pictures  Reviewed  on  Page 

Action  in  Arabia — RKO  (76  min.)   30 

Address  Unknown — Columbia  (73  min.)   67 

Adventures  of  Mark  Twain,  The — Warner  Bros. 

(130  min.)    76 

Ali  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves — Universal 

(87  min.)    10 

Allergic  to  Love — Universal  (65  min.)   76 

Amazing  Mr.  Forrest,  The— PRC  (69  mm.)  104 

And  the  Angels  Sing — Paramount  (96  min.)   72 

Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble— MGM  (107  min.) ...  58 

Are  These  Our  Parents? — Monogram  (74  min.)   99 

Arizona  Whirlwind — Monogram  (59  min.) .  .not  reviewed 
Attorney's  Dilemna,  The — Republic  (see  "False 

Faces")    1943,  82 

Bathing  Beauty — MGM  (101  min.)   91 

Beautiful  But  Broke — Columbia  (74  min.)   10 

Beautiful  Cheat,  The — Columbia  (see  "What  a 

Woman!")  1943   200 

Beneath  Western  Skies — Republic  (56  min.) .  not  reviewed 

Bermuda  Mystery — 20th  Century-Fox  (66  min.)   67 

Between  Two  Worlds — Warner  Bros.  (112  min.)   78 

Black  Parachute,  The — Columbia  (66  min.)   74 

Boss  of  Boomtown — Universal  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey,  The — United  Artists 

(107  min.)    22 

Broadway  Rhythm — MGM  (115  min.)   14 

Buffalo  Bill— 20th  Century-Fox  (90  min.)   47 

Call  of  the  Jungle — Monogram  (60  min.)  103 

Call  of  the  South  Seas — Republic  (59  min.)   87 

Call  of  the  Rockies — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Candlelight  in  Algeria — 20th  Century-Fox  (85  min.)  .  .  90 

Canterville  Ghost,  The— MGM  (95  min.)   90 

Casanova  in  Burlesque — Republic  (74  min.)   18 

Chinese  Cat,  The — Monogram  (66  min.)   46 

Chip  Off  the  Old  Block— Universal  (79  min.)   30 

Christmas  Holiday — Universal  (93  min.)   95 

Cobra  Woman — Universal  (70  min.)    82 

Cover  Girl — Columbia  (107  min.)   43 

Cowboy  Canteen — Columbia  (72  min.)  not  reviewed 

Cowboy  and  the  Senorita — Republic(78  min.)  .not  reviewed 
Cowboy  in  the  Clouds — Columbia  (55  min.) .  .not  reviewed 

Curse  of  the  Cat  People,  The— RKO  (70  min.)   30 

Days  of  Glory— RKO  (86  min.)   66 

Detective  Kitty  O'Day — Monogram  (61  min.)   58 

Double  Indemnity — Paramount  (106  min.)   72 

Escape  to  Danger — RKO  (84  min.)   22 

Eve  of  St.  Mark,  The— 20th  Century -Fox  (96  min.) ...  82 

Falcon  Out  West,  The— RKO  (65  min.)   38 

Farmyard  Follies — Republic  (see  "Hoosier 

Holiday")  1943  138 

Fighting  Seabees,  The — Republic  (100  min.)   15 

Follow  the  Boys — Universal  (120  min.)   54 

Follow  the  Leader — Monogram  (65  min.)   74 

Forty  Thieves — United  Artists  (60  min.)  not  reviewed 

Four  Jills  in  a  Jeep — 20th  Century-Fox  (89  min.)   46 

Frontier  Outlaw — PRC  (58  min.)  not  reviewed 

Gambler's  Choice — Paramount  (68  min.)   70 

Gaslight— MGM  (114  min.)   78 

Ghost  Catchers — Universal  (69  min.)   96 

Ghost  That  Walked,  The— Columbia  (63  min.)   28 

Gildersleeve's  Ghost — RKO  (64  min.)  102 

Girl  from  Monterrey,  The— PRC  (59  min.)   3 

Girls  He  Left  Behind,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (see 

"The  Gang's  All  Here")  1943,  194 

Girl  in  the  Case — Columbia  (65  min.)   62 

Going  My  Way — Paramount  (127  min.)   39 

Goodnight  Sweetheart — Republic  (67  min.)   95 

Goyescas — RKO  (99J/2  min.)  not  reviewed 

Great  Moment,  The — Paramount  (78  min.)   94 

Guns  of  the  Law — PRC  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 


Hail  the  Conquering  Hero — Paramount  (101  min.)  ....  94 

Hairy  Ape,  The — United  Artists  (91  min.)   83 

Hat  Check  Honey — Universal  (69  min.)   43 

Heavenly  Body,  The— MGM  (95  min.)   2 

Henry  Aldrich,  Boy  Scout — Paramount  (66  min.) ....  6 
Henry  Aldrich's  Little  Secret — Paramount  (74'/2  m.)  .  .  96 
Henry  Aldrich  Plays  Cupid — Paramount  (65  min.).  . .  72 

Her  Primitive  Man — Universal  (80  min.)   60 

Hey  Rookie — Columbia  (77  min.)   62 

Hidden  Valley  Outlaws — Republic  (56  min.) . not  reviewed 

Hi,  Good  Lookin' — Universal  (62  min.)   42 

Hitler  Gang,  The — Paramount  (99  min.)   70 

Home  in  Indiana — 20th  Century-Fox  (104  min.)   86 

Hot  Rhythm — Monogram  (79  min.)   42 

Hour  Before  the  Dawn,  The — Paramount  (73  min.) ...  40 

I  Love  a  Soldier — Paramount  (106  min.)   94 

Imposter,  The — Universal  (94'/2  min.)   26 

In  Our  Time — Warner  Bros.  (110  min.)   23 

Invisible  Man's  Revenge,  The — Universal  (77  m.) .  . .  .  96 
It  Happened  Tomorrow — United  Artists  (85  min.) ...  50 

Jamboree — Republic  (72  min.)   54 

Jam  Session — Columbia  (78  min.)   47 

Jane  Eyre — 20th  Century-Fox  (97  min.)   22 

Johnny  Doesn't  Live  Here  Anymore — Monogram  (79m)  88 

Knickerbocker  Holiday — United  Artists  (85  min.)   38 

Ladies  Courageous — Universal  (88  min.)   51 

Ladies  of  Washington — 20th  Century-Fox  (61  min.)  .  .  88 

Lady  and  the  Monster,  The — Republic  (87  min.)   46 

Lady  in  the  Dark — Paramount  (100  min.)   26 

Lady  in  the  Death  House — PRC  (59  min.)   50 

Lady,  Let's  Dance — Monogram  (88  min.)   30 

Laramie  Trail,  The — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Law  Men — Monogram  (55  min.)   not  reviewed 

Lifeboat — 20th  Century-Fox  (96  min.)   11 

Lodger,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (84  min.)   6 

Louisiana  Hayride — Columbia  (69  min.)   98 

Lumber  Jack — United  Artists  (64  min.)  not  reviewed 

Make  Your  Own  Bed — Warner  Bros.  (83  min.)   83 

Man  from  Frisco — Republic  (91  min.)   70 

Marine  Raiders— RKO  (95  min.)  103 

Marshal  of  Reno — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Mask  of  Dimitrios,  The — Warner  Bros.  (95  min.) ....  95 

Men  on  Her  Mind— PRC  (69  min.)   27 

Meet  the  People— MGM  (100  min.)   58 

Million  Dollar  Kid — Monogram  (64  min.)   11 

Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek,  The — Paramount 

(100  min.)    8 

Mr.  Skeffington — Warner  Bros.  (146  min.)   87 

Mojave  Firebrand — Republic  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Monster  Maker,  The— PRC  (63  min.)   62 

Moon  Over  Las  Vegas — Universal  (70  min.)   60 

My  Best  Gal — Republic  (67  min.)   47 

Mystery  Man — United  Artists  (58  min.)  not  reviewed 

Nabonga — PRC  (71  min.)   15 

Navy  Way,  The — Paramount  (74  min.)   40 

Nelson  Touch,  The — Universal  (see  "Corvette 

K-225")    1943,  158 

Night  is  Ending,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (see  "Paris 

After  Dark")   1943,  162 

Night  of  Adventure,  A — RKO  (65  min.)   91 

Nine  Girls — Columbia  (79  min.)   36 

None  Shall  Escape — Columbia  (87  min.)   7 

Oklahoma  Raiders — Universal  (57  min.)  . . .  .not  reviewed 

Outlaw  Roundup — PRC  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Outlaws  of  Sante  Fe — Republic  (56  min.)  .  . .  .not  reviewed 

Pardon  My  Rhythm — Universal  (61  min.)   75 

Passage  to  Marseille — Warner  Bros.  (110  min.)   31 

Passport  to  Adventure — RKO  (64  min.)   18 

Passport  to  Destiny — RKO  (see  "Passport  to 

Adventure")    18 

Partners  of  the  Trail — Monogram  (55  min.) .  .not  reviewed 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Index  --  First  Half  of  1944,  Page  B  i 


Phantom  Lady — Universal  (87  min.)   18 

Pinto  Bandit,  The — PRC  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Pin  Up  Girl— 20th  Century-Fox  (83  min.)   67 

Port  of  Forty  Thieves,  The — Republic  (58  min.)  102 

Purple  Heart,  The— 20th  Century-Fox  (99  min.)   36 

Racket  Man,  The— Columbia  (65  min.)   7 

Raiders  of  the  Border — Monogram  (53  min.). not  reviewed 

Range  Law — Monogram  (58  min.)  not  reviewed 

Rationing— MGM  (93  min.)   18 

Return  of  the  Ape  Man — Monogram  (61  min.)   99 

Return  of  the  Vampire,  The — Columbia  (69  min.) ....  26 

Riding  West — Columbia  (57  min.)  not  reviewed 

Roger  Touhy,  Gangster — 20th  Century-Fox  (65  min.).  86 
Rosie,  the  Riveter — Republic  (75  min.)   51 

Sailor's  Holiday — Columbia  (60  min.)   39 

Scarlet  Claw,  The — Universal  (75  min.)   78 

Secret  Command — Columbia  (80  min.)   96 

Secrets  of  Scotland  Yard — Republic  (68  nun.)   98 

See  Here,  Private  Hargrove — MGM  (100  min.)   36 

Sensations  of  1945 — United  Artists  (86  min.)  104 

Seven  Days  Ashore — RKO  (74  min.)   66 

Shake  Hands  with  Murder— PRC  (63  min.)   75 

Shine  on  Harvest  Moon — Warner  Bros.  (112  min.) ...  42 

Show  Business— RKO  (92  min.)   66 

Silent  Partner — Republic  (55  min.)   98 

Silver  City  Kid — Republic  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Sing  a  Jingle — Universal  (62  min.)   2 

Slightly  Terrific — Universal  (61  min.)   72 

Song  of  Bernadette,  The — 20th  Century-Fox 

(157  min.)    19 

Song  of  Nevada — Republic  (74  min.)  not  reviewed 

Song  of  Russia— MGM  (107  min.)   4 

Song  of  the  Open  Road — United  Artists  (93  min.)..  71 

South  of  Dixie — Universal  (61  min.)   86 

Spook  Town — PRC  (59  min.)  not  reviewed 

Standing  Room  Only — Paramount  (83  min.)   6 

Stars  on  Parade — Columbia  (64  min.)   87 

Step  Lively— RKO  (89  min.)   103 

Story  of  Dr.  Wassell — Paramount  (136  min.)   71 

Sullivans,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (111  min.)   27 

Summer  Storm — United  Artists  (  107  min.)   82 

Sundown  Valley — Columbia  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Suspected  Person — PRC  (76  min.)   3 

Sweethearts  of  the  U.  S.  A. — Monogram  (64  min.) ....  14 
Swing  High— PRC  (see  "Jive  Junction")  1943   195 

Take  it  Big — Paramount  (74  min.)   94 

Tampico — 20th  Century-Fox  (72  min.)   55 

Tender  Comrade— RKO  (103  min.)   2 

Texas  Masquerade — United  Artists  (59  min.)  .not  reviewed 
There's  Something  About  a  Soldier — Columbia 

(81  min.)    11 

They  Live  in  Fear — Columbia  (66  min.)   99 

This  is  the  Life — Universal  (87  min.)   74 

Three  Men  in  White— MGM  (85  min.)   75 

Three  Russian  Girls— United  Artists  (80  min.)   3 

Thundering  Gun  Slingers — PRC  (60  min.) . . .  not  reviewed 

Timber  Queen — Paramount  (66  min.)   7 

Trocadero — Republic  (74  min.)   59 

Tuscon  Raiders — Republic  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor— MGM  (124  min.)   71 

Two-Man  Submarine — Columbia  (64  min.)   39 

Uncensored — 20th  Century-Fox  (83  min.)   14 

Uncertain  Glory — Warner  Bros.  (102  min.)   59 

Underground  Guerrillas — Columbia  (83  min.)   90 

Uninvited,  The — Paramount  (98  min.)   8 

Up  in  Arms— RKO  (106  min.)   27 

Up  in  Mabel's  Room — United  Artists  (75  min.)   50 

Valley  of  Vengeance — PRC  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Vigilantes  Ride,  The — Columbia  (56  min.) .  .  .not  reviewed 

Voice  in  the  Wind — United  Artists  (85  min.)   38 

Voodoo  Man,  The— Monogram  (62  min.)   19 

Waterfront— PRC  (65  min.)   91 

Weekend  Pass — Universal  (63  min.)   23 

Weird  Woman — Universal  (63  min.)   59 

Whistler,  The — Columbia  (61  min.)   54 

White  Cliffs,  The— MGM  (127  min.)   43 

White  Cliffs  of  Dover,  The  (see  "White  Cliffs")   43 

Wyoming  Hurricane — Columbia  (58  min.)  ..  not  reviewed 

Yellow  Canary,  The— RKO  (84  min.)   63 

Yellow  Rose  of  Texas — Republic  (69  m.)  .  .  .  .not  reviewed 

You  Can't  Ration  Love — Paramount  (77  min.)   40 

You're  A  Lucky  Fellow,  Mr.  Smith — Universal 

Youth  Runs  Wild— RKO  (68  min.)  102 

(64  min.)    10 


RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 

Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave..  Hew  Yor\  19,  H  Y.) 

503  5  Black  Parachute— Carradine-Parks  May  4 

5004  Once  Upon  a  Time — Grant-Blair  May  11 

5041  Underground  Guerrillas — English  cast  May  18 

5207  Riding  West— Starrett  (57  m.)  May  18 

5023  Stars  on  Parade — Merrick-Parks  May  25 

5010  Address  Unknown — Paul  Lukas  June  1 

5043  They  Live  in  Fear — Severn-Parrish  June  15 

5208  The  Last  Horseman — Russcll-Hayden  June  22 

5040  She's  a  Soldier  Too — Bondi-Barker  June  29 

Louisiana  Hayride — Judy  Canova  July  13 

Secret  Command — O'Bricn-Landis  (re.)  .  .  .  .July  20 

U-Boat  Prisoner — Bruce-Bennett  July  25 

Shadows  in  the  Night — Baxter-Foch  July  27 

Mr.  Winkle  Goes  to  War— Rubinson  (re.).  .Aug.  3 

Cry  of  the  Werewolf — Massen-Crane  Aug.  17 

Death  Walks  Alone — Bannon-Hobart  Aug.  17 


Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer  Features 

(1540  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 
Block  7 

424  Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble — Rooney  May 

425  Gaslight — Boycr-Bergman-Cotten   May 

426  Meet  the  People— Ball-Powell  May 

427  Three  Men  in  White — Barrymore  .'.June 

428  Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor — James-Durante  June 

Special 

466  Tunisian  Victory — Documentary  April  28 


Monogram  Features 

(630  Hinth  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H  T.) 

354  Law  Men — J.  M.  Brown  (55  m.)  May  6 

322  Detective  Kitty  O'Day — Jean  Parker  May  13 

321  The  Chinese  Cat — Sidney  Toler  May  20 

312  Follow  the  Leader — East  Side  Kids  June  3 

365  Sonora  Stage  Coach — Trail  Blazers  June  10 

319  Return  of  the  Ape  Man — Lugosi-Carradine.  .  .June  17 

355  Range  Law — J.  M.  Brown  (  58  m.)  (reset) ...  .July  1 
307  Johnny  Doesn't  Live  Here  Anymore — 

Simon-Ellison-Terry  (reset)   July  8 

305  Are  These  Are  Our  Parents? — Neill-Vinson .  .  .July  15 

323  Three  of  a  Kind — Gilbert-Howard  July  22 

366  Trigger  Law — Trail  Blazers  July  29 

Call  of  the  Jungle — Ann  Corio  July  29 

326  Leave  It  to  the  Irish — Dunn-McKay  Aug.  5 

356  West  of  the  Rio  Grande — J.  M.  Brown  Aug.  5 

306  Oh,  What  a  Night — Lowc-Rambeau  Aug.  12 

325  Black  Magic — Sidney  Toler  Aug.  19 


4326 
4327 
4328 
4329 
4330 

4335 
4336 
4337 
4338 


Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  Hew  York  18,  H  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 

Block  6 

Hail  the  Conquering  Hero — Bracken-Raines. 

Take  it  Big — Haley-Hilliard  

Henry  Aldrich's  Little  Secret — Lydon-Smith. 

I  Love  a  Soldier — Goddard-Tufts  

The  Great  Moment — McCrea-Field  

Specials 

Going  My  Way — Crosby-Fitzgerald  

Lady  in  the  Dark — Rogers-Milland  

The  Story  of  Dr.  Wassell — Cooper-Day  

For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls — Cooper-Bergman. 


PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  22,  H  T.) 

456  The  Pinto  Bandit— Tex.  Rangers  No.  6  (56m). Apr.  27 

420  Men  of  the  Sea — English  cast  Apr.  30 

464  Valley  of  Vengeance — Crabbe  No.  6  (56  m.)  .May  5 
418  The  Contender — Crabbe-Judge  May  10 

457  Spook  Town — Texas  Rangers  No.  7  (59  m.)  .  .June  3 

415  Waterfront — Carradine-Naish  (reset)   June  10 

404  Minstrel  Man — Fields-George  (reset)   July  1 

416  Delinquent  Daughters — Carlson-D'Orsay  (re). July  15 

458  Brand  of  the  Devil — Texas  Rangers  No.  8.  .  .  .July  15 

465  Fuzzy  Settles  Down — Crabbe  No.  7  July  25 

417  Seven  Doors  to  Death — Chandler-Clyde  July  25 

421  Machine  Gun  Mama — Armida-Brendel  Aug.  2 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Index 


-  First  Half  of  1944,  Page  Q9///9y 


Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 

316  Jamboree — Ruth  Terry   May  5 

342  Cowboy  ii  the  Lady — Roy  Rogers  (78  m.) .  .May  12 

317  Silent  Partner — Henry-Withers  June  9 

320  Goodnight  Sweetheart — Livingston-Terry ..  .June  17 

343  Yellow  Rose  of  Texas — Rogers  (69  m.)  June  24 

318  Man  From  Frisco — O'Shea-Shirley  July  1 

319  Call  of  the  South  Seas — Martin-Lane  July  2 

356  Call  of  the  Rockies — Burnette-Carson  (56m)  .July  14 

3  305  Comin'  Round  the  Mountain — Autry (reissue) July  15 

321  Secrets  of  Scotland  Yard — Bachelor-Barrier.  .July  26 

344  Song  of  Nevada — Roy  Rogers  (74  m.)  Aug.  5 

322  The  Girl  Who  Dared — Gray-Cookson  Aug.  5 

324  Port  of  40  Thieves — Bachelor-Powers  Aug.  13 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

3311  Tucson  Raiders — Elliott-Hayes  (55  m.)  May  14 

3312  Marshal  of  Reno— Elliott-Blake  (56  m.)  July  2 

461  Silver  City  Kid — Lane-Stewart  (55  m.)  July  20 


RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  20,  H-  Y.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  5 

421  The  Falcon  Out  West — Conway  

422  Days  of  Glory — Peck-Toumanova  

423  Yellow  Canary — Neagle-Greene  

424  Seven  Days  Ashore — Carney-Brown  

425  Show  Business— Cantor-Murphy-Davis 

Block  6 

426  Gildersleeve's  Ghost — Harold  Peary  

427  Marine  Raiders— O'Brien-Ryan  

428  A  Night  of  Adventure — Tom  Conway  

429  Step  Lively — Sinatra-Murphy-DeHaven  .  . . 

430  Youth  Runs  Wild— Smith-Granville  

Specials 

451  The  North  Star — Baxter-Huston  

452  Up  in  Arms — Danny  Kaye  

492  Snow  White  and  the  Seven  Dwarfs  (reissue) 
461  Goyescas — Spanish  production  


Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 


(444  W.  56th  St.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  Y.) 
Block  10 

427  Pin  Up  Girl— Grable-Raye  May 

428  Bermuda  Mystery — Foster-Rutherford  May 

Block  1 1 

429  Eve  of  St.  Mark— O'Shea-Baxter  June 

430  Ladies  of  Washington — Graham-Marshal  June 

431  Roger  Touhy,  Gangster — Foster-McLaglen  July 

432  Candlelight  in  Algeria — English  cast  July 

433  Home  in  Indiana — McCallister-Haver  July 

Special 

Song  of  Bernadette — Jennifer  Jones  not  set 


United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  Y.) 

Lumber  Jack — Hopalong  Cassidy  (64  m.)  Apr.  28 

Up  in  Mabel's  Room— O'Keefe-Reynolds  Apr.  28 

Mystery  Man — Hopalong  Cassidy  (58  m.)  May  31 

Song  of  the  Open  Road — Jane  Powell  June  2 

The  Hairy  Ape — Bendix-Hayward  June  16 

Forty  Thieves — Hopalong  Cassidy  (60  m.)  June  23 

Sensations  of  1945 — Powell-O'Keefe  June  30 

Summer  Storm — Darnell-Sanders   .July  14 

Abroad  with  Two  Yanks — Bendix-O'Keefe  Aug.  4 


Universal  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  20,  H-  Y.) 

8036  Slightly  Terrific — Errol-Rooney  May  5 

8006  Cobra  Woman — Montez-Hall  May  12 

8032  Pardon  My  Rhythm— Jean-Knowles  May  19 

8019  The  Scarlet  Claw— Rathbone-Bruce  May  26 

8085  Boss  of  Boomtown — Rod  Cameron  (56  m.) .  .May  26 
8012  This  is  the  Life — O'Connor-Foster  June  2 

The  Invisible  Man's  Revenge — Hall-Ankers. June  9 
Ghost  Catchers — Olsen  &  Johnson  (reset) .  .June  16 

South  of  Dixie — Gwynne-Bruce  (reset)  June  23 

Christmas  Holiday — Durbin-Kelly  June  30 

Jungle  Woman — Acquanetta-Naish  July  7 

The  Mummy's  Ghost — Chaney-Carradine.  .  .July  7 

8086  Trigger  Trail — Rod  Cameron  July  7 

Twilight  on  the  Prairie — Quillan-Errol  July  14 

8087  Trail  to  Gunsight — Eddie  Dew  Aug.  18 


Warner-First  National  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St.,  Hew  York  18,  H-  Y.) 

313  Shine  on  Harvest  Moon — Sheridan-Morgan.  .Apr.  8 

314  Uncertain  Glory — Flynn-Lucas  Apr.  22 

316  Between  Two  Worlds — Garfield-Henreid  May  20 

317  Make  Your  Own  Bed — Carson-Manning  June  10 

224  This  Is  the  Army — Leslie-Murphy  (re-release)  June  24 

318  The  Mask  of  Dimitnos — Greenstreet-Lorre.  . .  July  1 

315  The  Adventures  of  Mark  Twain — March  July  22 

319  Mr.  Skeffington — Davis-Rains  August 


SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 
Columbia — One  Reel 

5661  Community  Sings  No.  11  (10  m.)  May  16 

5504  The  Disillusioned  Bluebird — Col.  Rhap.  (7m)May  26 
5860  Screen  Snapshots  No.  10  (9^/2)  June  2 

5708  Tangled  Travels — Phantasies  (7  m.)..;>  June  9 

5809  Mat  Maulers  (formerly  "Give  and  Take") — 

Sports   June  19 

5662  Community  Sings  No.  12  June  30 

5709  Mr.  Fore  by  Fore — Phantasies  July  7 

5810  G.  I.  Sports — Sports  July  28 

5603  A  Peekoolyar  Sitcheeayshun — Li'l  Abner 

(reset)   July  28 

5754  Mr.  Moocher — Fox  6?  Crow  July  28 

Columbia — Two  Reels 

5411  Oh,  Baby!— Hugh  Herbert  (18'/2  m.)  Apr.  17 

5422  Crazy  Like  a  Fox— Gilbert  (18J/2  m.)  May  1 

5407  The  Yoke's  On  Me — Stooges  (16  m.)  May  26 

5436  You  Were  Never  Uglier — Clyde  (18  m.)  . .  .June  2 

5423  Mopey  Dopey — Brendel  (16J/2  m.)  June  16 

5140  The  Twin  Brothers — Desert  Hawk  ( 18m)  (re)  July  7 

5412  His  Hotel  Sweet — Herbert  July  9 

5141  The  Evil  Eye— Desert  Hawk  (18m.)  (re.) . .  .July  14 

5142  The  Mark  of  the  Scimitar — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  (re.)   July  21 

5143  A  Caliph's  Treachery — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  (re.)   July  28 

5144  The  Secret  of  the  Palace — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  (re.)   Aug.  4 

5145  The  Feast  of  the  Beggars — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)  (re.)   Aug.  11 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One  Reel 

W-534  Million  Dollar  Cat — Cartoon  (7m.)  (re.)  .May  6 
T-518  Colorful  Colorado— Traveltalk  ( 10m.)  (re)  .May  20 


K-571  The  Immortal  Blacksmith— Pass.  Parade 

(11m.)  May  20 

M-587  Why  Daddy — Miniature  (9  m.)  May  20 

T-519  Roaming  Through  Arizona — Travel. ( 10m)  .June  3 

W-535  The  Tree  Surgeon — Cartoon  (8  m.)  June  3 

M-588  Somewhere,  U.S.A. — Miniature  (10  m.)..June  3 
T-520  City  of  Brigham  Young — Travel.  (10  m.) .  .June  17 

W-536  Happy-Go-Nutty — Cartoon  (7  m.)  June  24 

S-55 5  Movie  Pests — Pete  Smith  July  8 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 

1942-  43 

A-405  Patrolling  the  Ether — Special  (20  m.)  Apr.  22 

A-406  Easy  Life — Special  (20  m.)  May  20 

1943-  44 

X-510  Danger  Area — Special  Release  (22  m.)  Jan.  1 


Paramount — One  Reel 

D3-3  Lulu  Gets  the  Birdie — Little  Lulu  (8  m.) . .  .Mar.  31 

J3-4  Popular  Science  No.  4  (10  m.)  Apr.  17 

E3-3  We're  On  Our  Way  to  Rio — Popeye  (8  m.)  .Apr.  21 
P3-4  Suddenly  its  Spring — Noveltoons  (10  m.) . .  .Apr.  28 

R3-7  Trail  Breakers— Sportlight  (9m.)  Apr.  28 

U3-5  And  To  Think  I  Saw  It  on  Mullberry  Street — 

Mad.  Models  (9  m.)  May  5 

L3-4  Unusual  Occupations  No.  4  (10  m.)  May  12 

D3-4  In  Hollywood — Little  Lulu  (8  m.)  May  19 

Y3-4  Your  Pet  Problem — Speak,  of  Animals  (9m)  .May  19 

E3-4  Anvil  Chorus  Girl — Popeye  (7  m.)  May  26 

J3-5  Popular  Science  No.  5  (10  m.)  June  2 

R3-8  Speed  Couriers — Sportlight  (9  m.)  June  9 

L3-5  Unusual  Occupations  No.  5  ( 10  m.)  June  23 

D3-5  Lucky  Lulu — Little  Lulu  (9  m.)  June  30 

R3-9  Catch  'Em  and  Eat  'Em — Sportlight  July  7 

Y3-5  In  a  Harem — Speak,  of  Animals  July  14 

E3-5  Spinach  Packin'  Popeye — Popeye  July  21 

U3-6  Jasper  Goes  Hunting — Madcap  Models  July  28 

J  3-6  Popular  Science  No.  6  Aug.  4 

E3-6  Puppet  Love— Popeye  Aug.  11 

D3-6  It's  Nifty  to  be  Thrifty— Little  Lulu  Aug.  18 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Index  --  First  Half  of  1944,  Page  DWw 


Paramount — Two  Reels 

FF3-4  Showboat  Serenade — Musical  Parade(20m) .  Apr.  14 

FF3-5  Fun  Time— Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  June  16 

FF3-6  Halfway  to  Heaven — Musical  Parade  (19m)  Aug.  25 

RKO — One  Reel 

44308  On  Paint — Sportscope  (8  m.)  Mar.  24 

44309  Past  Performances — Sportscope  (8  m.)  .  .  .  .Apr.  21 

44310  Boys  Camp — Sportscope  (8  m.)  May  19 

RKO — Two  Reels 

4340?  Radio  Rampage — Edgar  Kennedy  (16  m.).Apr.  28 

43107  Viva  Mexico — This  is  America  (17  m.) ,  .  .  .May  5 

43108  Hot  Money — This  is  America  (17  m.).  .  .  .June  2 

Republic — Two  Reels 

383  The  Tiger  Woman — Stirling'Lane 

(12  episodes)   May  27 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 

4203  Mailman  of  Snake  River — Adventure  (9  m.)  May  5 

4516  My  Boy,  Johnny — Terrytoon  (6|/2  m.)  May  12 

4351  Nymph  of  the  Southland — Sports  (9  m.) .  .  .  .May  26 

4517  Wolf!  Wolf!— Terrytoon  (6  m.)  June  2 

4902  Coney  Island — Lew  Lchr  Makes  the  News 

(9  m.)  June  9 

4518  Eliza  on  the  Ice — Terrytoon  (6  m.)  June  16 

4304  Winning  Form  (formerly  "Gridiron 

Highlights") — Sports  June  30 

4519  The  Green  Line — Terrytoon  (6  m.)  July  7 

4352  Blue  Grass  Gentleman — Sports  July  14 

4520  Carmen's  Veranda — Terrytoon  (7  m.)  July  28 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 

Vol.  10  No.   9 — The  Irish  Question — March  of  Time 

(18  min.)   Apr.  21 

Vol.  10  No.  10 — Underground  Report — March  of  Time 

(20  min.)   May  19 

Vol.  10  No.  11 — Back  Door  to  Tokyo — March  of  Time 

( 19  min.)   June  6 

Universal — One  Reel 

8233  Jungle  Jive — Swing  Symphony  (7  m.)  May  15 

8379  The  Fantastic  Castle— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.) 

(formerly  "Varga  &1  His  Beauties")  May  22 

8360  Mr.  Chimp  Goes  South— Var.  Views  (9  m.)  .May  29 
8239  Fish  Fry— Cartune  (7  m.)  June  19 

8380  The  Honest  Forger— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  June  19 

8361  Bear  Mountain  Game — Var.  Views  (9  m.).  .June  26 

8381  Idol  of  the  Crowd— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  July  24 

8362  Spruce  to  Bomber — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  July  31 

8234  Abou-Ben-Boogie — Swing  Symphony  (7  m.).July  31 

Universal — Two  Reels 

8129  Melody  Garden — Musical  (15  m.)  May  17 

8885  The  Bridge  of  Disaster — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  5  (20  m.)  May  23 

8886  Shadowing  Doom — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  6  (20  m.)  May  30 

8887  Crashing  Timbers — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  7  (20  m.)  June  6 

8888  In  a  Flaming  Plane — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  8  (20  m.)  June  13 

8130  Pagliacci  Swings  it — Musical  (15  m.)  June  14 

8889  Hurtling  Through  Space.  .Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  9  (20  m.)  June  20 

8890  Tricked  by  a  Booby  Trap — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  10  (20  m.)  June  27 

8891  The  Tunnel  of  Terror — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  11  (20  m.)  July  4 

8892  Electrocuted — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  12  (20  min.)  July  11 

8893  The  Boomerang — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  13  (20  m.)  July  18 

8131  Midnight  Melodies — Musical  (15  m.)  July  19 

Vitaphone — One  Reel 

9310  Thugs  With  Dirty  Muggs— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.) 

(reissue)   June  3 

9709  Angel  Puss— Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)  (re.)  June  3 

9508  Filipino  Sports  Parade — Sports  (10  m.  (re.). June  10 
9606  Songs  of  the  Range — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.  (re.)  .June  10 

9311  A  Wild  Hare— Mer.  Mel.  (reissue)  (7m.) 

(re.)   June  17 

9710  Slightly  Daffy— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  (re.)  June  17 

9510  Cattlemen's  Days — Sports  (10  m.)  (re.)  June  24 

9723  Hare  Ribbin — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  (re.)  June  24 

9511  Colorado  Trout— Sports  (10  m.)  (re.)  July  1 


9609 
9711 
9312 

9406 
9724 
9512 
9712 
9313 

9610 
9513 
9713 

9005 
91 12 

9106 
9004 


Junior  Dive  Bombers — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.).  .  .July  1 

Brother  Brat— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  July  15 

The  Cat  Came  Back — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)   July  15 

Throwing  the  Bull — Varieties  (10  m.)  July  29 

Hare  Force — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  July  29 

Champions  of  the  Future — Sports  (10  m.).  .Aug.  12 

Plane  Daffy— Mer.  Mel  (7  m.)  Aug.  12 

Isle  of  Pingo  Pongo — Mer.  Mcl.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)  Aug.  19 

Listen  to  the  Bands — Mel.  Mas.  (10m.)....  Aug.  19 

Bluenosc  Schooner — Sports  (10  m.)  Aug.  26 

Birdy  and  the  Beast — Mer.  Mcl.  (7  m.)  Aug.  26 

Vitaphone — Two  Reels 

Winners  Circle — Special  (20  m.)  May  6 

Trial  by  Trigger — Sante  Fe  Western  (20  m.) 

(reset)   May  27 

Halls  of  Montezuma — Featurette  (20  m.)...July  8 
Devil  Boats — Special  (20  m.)  (reset)  July  22 


NEWSWEEKLY 
NEW  YORK 
RELEASE  DATES 


Pathe  News 


Metrotone  News 


45189 

Sat.  (O). 

.July  1 

284 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.June  29 

45290 

Wed.  (E) 

.July  5 

285 

Tues. 

(O).. 

..July  4 

45191 

Sat.  (O). 

.July  8 

286 

Thurs. 

(E). 

..July  6 

45292 

Wed.  (E) 

.July  12 

287 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.  .July  11 

45193 

Sat.  (O). 

.July  15 

288 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .July  13 

45294 

Wed.  (E) 

.July  19 

289 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.  .July  18 

45195 

Sat.  (O). 

.July  22 

290 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .July  20 

45296 

Wed.   (E). July  26 

291 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.  .July  25 

45197 

Sat.  (O). 

.July  29 

292 

Thurs. 

(E). 

.  .July  27 

45298 

Wed.  (E). 

Aug.  2 

293 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.Aug.  1 

45199 

Sat.  (O). . 

Aug.  5 

294 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.Aug.  3 

452100 

Wed.  (E). 

Aug.  9 

295 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.Aug.  8 

451101 

Sat.  (O).. 

Aug.  12 

296 

Thurs. 

(E).. 

.Aug.  10 

297 

Tues. 

(O).. 

.Aug.  15 

Paramount  News 


ST 
88 
89 
90 
91 


Sunday 
Thurs. 
Sunday 
Thurs. 
Sunday 

92  Thurs. 

93  Sunday 

94  Thurs. 

95  Sunday 

96  Thurs. 


(O). 
(E).. 

(O). 
(E).. 

(O). 
(E) . . 

(O). 
(E).. 

(O). 
(E)... 


97  Sunday  (O). 

98  Thurs.  (E) .  . 


..July  2 
..July  6 
..July  9 
.  .July  13 
.  .July  16 
.  .July  20 
.  .July  23 
.  .July  27 
.  .July  30 
.Aug.  3 
.Aug.  6 
.Aug.  10 


Fox  Movietone 

86  thurs.  (E)  June  29 

87  Tues.  (O)  July  4 

88  Thurs.   (E)  July  6 

89  Tues.  (O)  July  11 

90  Thurs.   (E)  July  13 

91  Tues.  (O)  July  18 

92  Thurs.   (E)  July  20 

93  Tues.  (O)  July  25 

94  Thurs.   (E)  July  27 

95  Tues.   (O)  Aug.  1 

96  Thurs.  (E)  Aug.  3 

97  Tues.   (O)  Aug.  8 

98  Thurs.  (E)  Aug.  10 


Universal 

306  Fri.   (E)  June  30 

307  Wed.  (O)  July  5 

308  Fri.  (E)  July  7 

309  Wed.  (O)  July  12 

310  Fri.  (E)  July  14 

311  Wed.  (O)  July  19 

312  Fri.  (E)  July  21 

313  Wed.  (O)  July  26 

314  Fri.  (E)  July  28 

315  Wed.  (O). .  .Aug.  2 

316  Fri.  (E)  Aug.  4 

317  Wed.  (O). .  .Aug.  9 

318  Fri.  (E)  Aug.  11 


All  American  News 

88  Friday   June  30 

89  Friday  July  7 

90  Friday  July  14 

91  Friday  July  21 

92  Friday  July  28 

93  Friday   Aug.  4 

94  Friday   Aug.  11 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

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Canada                               16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico,  Cuba,  Spain  16.50  A  Motion  pjcture  Reviewing  Service   

Australia New  ' Zealand'  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      Ujj  E(Jitorial  Policy.  No  Problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  circle  7-4622 

a  copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JULY  8,  1944  No.  28 


Has  Theatre  Television  Arrived?  —  No.  1 


In  the  last  few  months  there  have  appeared  in  the  daily 
newspapers  accounts  of  the  progress  that  television  has  made, 
and  the  statement  that,  immediately  after  hostilities  cease, 
there  will  be  a  rush  to  manufacture  television  sets  for  the 
home,  and  television  equipment  for  the  theatres.  These 
statements  have  been  picked  up  by  the  trade  papers  and  have 
been  so  treated  by  them  as  to  throw  a  scare  into  almost  every 
exhibitor.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  some  advice  has  been  given 
to  each  exhibitor  to  put  a  television  receiver  in  his  theatre  as 
soon  as  one  is  obtainable;  on  the  other  hand,  some  quarters 
have  advised  him  not  to  be  disturbed  since,  in  their  opinion, 
television  has  no  place  in  a  motion  picture  theatre. 

All  this  commotion  has  been  caused  by  the  publicity  that 
followed  demonstrations  of  theatre  television  in  recent  years, 
with  the  result  that  the  exhibitors  have  been  either  con- 
fused  or  alarmed. 

In  the  motion  picture  industry,  Harrison's  Reports  has 
been  to  the  forefront  in  dealing  with  technical  subjects  with 
only  one  thought  in  mind- — to  enlighten  the  industry  as  to 
the  progress  of  any  new  art  closely  related  to  motion  picture 
exhibition.  As  said  in  the  issue  of  June  24,  when  in  1928 
talking  pictures  seemed  to  have  come  to  stay,  this  writer 
went  to  a  foremost  authority  on  the  subject,  and,  on  the  in- 
formation  furnished  him,  wrote  a  series  of  articles  by  which 
he  made  clear  how  sound  worked,  and  which  sound  system 
was  the  better.  Later  on  he  obtained  information  on  Wide 
Film  pictures,  third  dimension  pictures,  pictures  in  natural 
colors,  and  on  Television  when  it  was  still  in  its  infancy. 

Since  Television  has  made  considerable  progress  from 
the  time  that  I  wrote  the  last  articles  on  the  subject,  I  went 
to  the  same  authority  and  obtained  the  latest  information, 
and  got  hold  of  writings,  statements,  and  reports  on  the  sub- 
ject from  other  sources,  with  the  object  of  setting  the  minds 
of  the  exhibitors  at  rest  and,  incidentally,  of  making  sug- 
gestions to  such  of  the  other  major  companies  as  are  contem- 
plating to  follow  the  example  of  the  companies  that  have 
already  taken  up  television. 

On  account  of  the  fact  that  many  exhibitors  are  late- 
comers in  the  exhibition  field  and  have  not  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  read  what  was  said  in  this  paper  before  about  tele- 
vision, a  few  of  the  explanations  may  be  repititious. 

What  is  theatre  Television? 

The  presentation  to  the  theatre  audience  of  a  television 
picture  comparable  to  the  talking  picture  in  size  and  defini- 
tion, as  well  as  sufficiently  clear  to  satisfy  an  audience,  and 
entertaining  enough  when  the  audience  compares  its  amuse- 
ment values  with  those  of  the  talking  pictures. 

How  much  has  theatre  television  progressed? 
To  answer  this  question  satisfactorily,  it  is  necessary  that 
you  be  given  some  historical  facts: 

Several  years  ago  television  demonstrations  were  given  in 
London  by  two  companies,  the  Baird  Company  and  the 
Scophony  Corporation. 


The  Baird  Company  used  what  is  known  as  a  cathode-ray 
tube  system.  In  this  system,  there  is  a  glass  tube  that  looks 
something  like  a  very  large  radio  receiver  tube,  but  which 
produces  on  one  flat  end  of  such  tube  an  extremely  bright 
television  picture.  The  pictures  produced  on  that  end  are 
three  or  four  inches  in  size,  and  are  so  brilliant  that  they 
cannot  be  looked  at  with  the  naked  eye.  In  order  to  produce 
the  picture,  television  signals  are  received  by  either  radio  or 
wire;  these  are  then  used  to  control  this  tube,  which  we  may, 
for  convenience,  call  a  "cr"  tube. 

To  operate  these  tubes  so  as  to  obtain  pictures  of  the 
needed  brightness,  considerable  high-voltage  electric  power 
is  required.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  voltages  generally  used 
for  this  purpose  range  between  50,000  and  100,000  volts. 
These  voltages  produce  an  electricity  stream  (electrons), 
which  is  shot  against  the  end  of  the  tube  at  a  material  that 
is  made  to  glow  by  the  electrons  that  strike  it.  By  controlling 
this  stream  of  electricity  while  moving  it  rapidly  over  the 
end  surface  of  the  tube,  there  is  produced  a  television  picture. 

Usually  thirty  complete  pictures  are  produced  each  second 
but,  in  order  to  prevent  flicker,  there  is  used  a  "trick"  that 
gives  the  effect  of  the  production  of  sixty  pictures  per 
second.  This  special  trick  is  called  "interlaced  scanning," 
and  its  use  has,  one  may  say,  an  effect  similar  to  the  three- 
blade  shutter  (or  a  two-blade,  if  direct  current  is  used)  used 
to  prevent  flicker  in  a  moving  picture  projector. 

Once  the  bright  television  picture  is  on  the  "cr"  tube,  it 
is  projected  by  a  special  lens  or  mirror  system  on  the  theatre 
screen. 

The  sizes  of  television  pictures  that  have  been  so  far  pro- 
duced are  between  nine  by  twelve  feet  and  fifteen  by  twenty 
feet.  As  a  general  rule,  however,  the  larger  the  picture  the 
less  bright. 

A  television  demonstration  of  a  second  type  was  given 
in  London  by  the  company  that  had  developed  it — the 
Scophony  Corporation.  This  system  is  entirely  different 
from  that  of  the  Baird  Company.  The  television  signals  are 
received  in  the  same  manner  as  those  in  the  Baird  system — 
by  either  radio  or  wire,  and  are  used  to  control  the  picture 
projector;  but  this  projector  does  not  contain  a  "cr"  tube. 
It  has,  instead,  a  peculiar  device,  called  a  "supersonic  cell"; 
it  looks  very  much  like  a  small  tank  filled  with  a  transparent 
liquid.  Optical  parts,  which  are  rather  elaborate  (lenses  and 
moving  mirrors  or  drums),  are  employed  to  pass  the  light 
from  a  powerful  arc  lamp  through  the  cell,  and  then  pro- 
ject bright  moving  spots,  with  suitable  rapid  motion,  on  the 
screen  on  which  the  television  picture  appears. 

From  this  description  you  will,  I  am  sure,  realize  that  the 
system  is  optical  and  mechanical  in  nature.  The  actual  mo- 
tion of  the  mirror  drums  is  accomplished  by  two  motors,  one 
of  which  runs  at  an  extremely  high  speed. 

The  speed  of  the  two  motors  is,  of  course,  controlled  ac- 
curately so  that  the  pictures  are  formed  in  correct  and  steady 
relationship.       (Continued  on  bac\  page) 


110 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  8,  1944 


"Dixie  Jamboree"  with  Frances  Langford 

(PRC,  no  release  date  set;  time,  71  mm.) 

Those  companies  that  are  grinding  out  program 
musicals  like  sausages  might  learn  a  thing  or  two  if 
they  should  take  a  look  at  PRC's  "Dixie  Jamboree," 
for  even  though  the  story  is  inconsequential  it  has 
been  presented  in  a  refreshing  way,  with  good  comedy 
situations  and  tuneful  music.  It  packs  more  entertain- 
ment either  in  music  or  in  comedy  than  most  pictures 
of  this  type,  and  it  is  the  sort  that  leaves  one  in  a  happy 
mood.  Most  of  the  action  takes  place  aboard  a  Missis- 
sippi River  showboat,  and  many  comical  situations 
result  from  the  efforts  of  Guy  Kibbee  and  Charles 
Buttcrworth  to  perfect  and  sell  a  healing  medicine 
to  the  showboat's  patrons.  Eddie  Quillan  as  a  trumpet 
player,  who  plays  only  when  inspired,  and  Frank 
Jcnks  as  a  racketeer,  who  books  passage  on  the  boat 
to  hide  from  the  police,  add  much  to  the  comedy. 
Frances  Langford  is  very  appealing  as  the  showboat's 
singing  star,  and  her  singing  is  effective,  particularly 
when  she  sings  "Big  Stuff"  to  a  little  colored  picka- 
ninny dressed  in  grown-up  clothes.  The  picture  is 
worthy  of  a  place  on  any  program,  in  any  situation, 
on  either  half  of  a  double-bill: — 

Lylc  Talbot  and  Frank  Jenks,  gangsters  hiding 
from  the  St.  Louis  police,  book  passage  to  New 
Orleans  on  a  Mississippi  River  showboat  captained  by 
Guy  Kibbee,  who  depended  on  the  sale  of  a  patent 
medicine  to  keep  his  boat  in  operation.  Unknown  to 
Kibbee,  negro  helpers  had  mistakenly  dumped  two 
barrels  of  whiskey,  instead  of  water,  into  the  water 
tank  from  which  Kibbee  filled  his  medicine  bottles. 
Before  the  ship  gets  under  way,  Frances  Langford, 
Kibbee 's  niece  and  the  showboat's  star,  meets  Eddie 
Quillan,  an  exceptionally  good  trumpet  player,  who 
could  play  only  when  inspired  by  Frances'  singing. 
She  induces  him  to  join  up  with  the  show.  During  the 
cruise,  the  gangsters  discover  that  the  patent  medicine 
bottles  contained  whiskey,  and  erroneously  believe 
that  the  water  tank  held  many  thousands  of  gallons  of 
whiskey.  When  Kibbee  refuses  their  offer  to  buy  the 
boat,  the  gangsters  plot  to  hijack  the  whiskey.  Frances 
overhears  their  plans  and  informs  Quillan.  But  Talbot 
learns  that  Quillan  and  Frances  had  discovered  his 
plans;  he  imprisons  them  in  an  empty  cabin.  Quillan, 
by  playing  his  trumpet,  attracts  the  attention  of 
Charles  Butterworth,  pianist  in  the  show,  who  frees 
them  just  as  police  board  the  ship  and  arrest  the 
gangsters. 

Sam  Neuman  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jack  Schwarz 
produced  it,  and  Christy  Cabanne  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Fifi  D'Orsay,  Almira  Sessions,  Louise 
Beavers,  the  Ben  Carter  Choir  and  others.  (Suitable 
for  all.) 

"Once  Upon  a  Time"  with  Cary  Grant, 
Janet  Blair  and  Ted  Donaldson 

(Columbia,  May  1 1 ;  time,  89  min.) 
Very  pleasant  entertainment.  It  is  a  delightful 
fantasy,  the  sort  that  should  appeal  to  all  classes  of 
audiences  in  all  age  groups,  for  the  story  is  imagina- 
tive, comical,  and  heart-warming.  Originally  pre- 
sented on  the  radio  under  the  title,  "My  Client 
Curley,"  the  story  revolves  around  a  young  boy  and 
his  dancing  caterpiller,  and  a  selfish  but  likeable 
broken-down  Broadway  producer,  who  attempts  to 
capitalize  on  this  phenomenon  at  the  expense  of  the 
boy's  tender  feelings  and  devotion  to  the  insect.  The 
idea  of  a  dancing  caterpiller  (which,  incidentally,  the 
spectator  never  sees)  and  the  amazement  it  would 
cause,  offered  many  opportunities  for  rich  comedy, 
and  director  Alexander  Hall  has  made  the  most  of 


them,  for  the  doings  keep  one  chuckling  all  the  way 
through.  Ted  Donaldson,  as  the  boy,  is  an  appealing 
youngster,  from  whom  more  will  undoubtedly  be 
heard;  his  boyish  wonderment,  his  love  for  a  pet,  his 
idolatry  of  Grant,  and  his  bitter  disappointment  when 
Grant  breaks  faith  with  him,  are  feelings  he  imparts 
to  the  spectator  effectively.  Cary  Grant,  as  the  pro- 
ducer, is  good  in  a  role  tailored  to  his  style,  and  Janet 
Blair,  James  Gleason,  and  William  Demarcst  lend 
able  support  in  minor  roles.  The  ending,  where  the 
caterpiller  turns  into  a  butterfly,  gives  the  sentimental 
fable  both  a  logical  and  pleasant  twist: — 

Grant,  faced  with  the  loss  of  his  theatre  unless  he 
meets  a  $100,000  note,  meets  Ted,  who  insists  that  he 
look  at  "Curly,"  his  dancing  caterpiller,  which  the 
boy  kept  in  a  shoe  box.  Grant  is  amazed  to  see  the 
caterpiller  rise  on  its  tail  and  dance  to  Ted's  har- 
monica music.  Seeing  in  "Curly"  an  opportunity  to 
raise  the  money  he  needs,  Grant  makes  the  boy  his 
partner  and  sets  out  on  a  publicity  campaign.  The 
newspapermen  scoff  at  his  story  and  refuse  to  look 
into  the  box,  but  Gabriel  Hcatter,  the  radio  commen- 
tator, sees  the  caterpiller  for  himself  and  gives 
"Curly"  national  fame.  When  Ted  overhears  a  rep- 
resentative of  Walt  Disney's  offer  Grant  $25,000  for 
"Curly,"  he  makes  Grant  promise  never  to  sell  the 
worm.  Grant,  however,  privately  demands  $100,000 
from  Disney.  In  the  meantime,  Grant  has  his  troubles 
with  Janet  Blair,  Ted's  sister,  who  refuses  to  permit 
Ted  to  have  anything  to  do  with  him.  But  Grant 
eventually  wins  her  over.  When  Disney  agrees  to 
meet  Grant's  price,  Grant  instructs  James  Gleason, 
his  aide,  to  steal  "Curly"  while  Ted  is  asleep.  Gleason, 
realizing  Grant  was  wrong,  gets  drunk  to  gain  cour- 
age to  take  "Curly"  from  the  boy.  His  noisiness  wakes 
the  boy,  who,  realizing  what  he  was  up  to,  takes 
"Curly"  and  returns  home  to  Janet.  Enraged  when 
Ted  refuses  to  part  with  "Curly,"  Grant,  in  a  fit  of 
temper,  slaps  him.  Soon  after,  "Curly"  disappears, 
and  the  public  and  police  take  up  the  search  for  it. 
Through  it  all,  Ted  refuses  to  see  Grant,  who  was  re- 
morseful because  he  had  destroyed  the  boy's  faith  in 
him.  Finally,  a  group  of  youngsters  bring  Grant  and 
Ted  together  in  Ted's  home.  While  Grant  absently 
picks  a  tune  on  the  piano,  a  butterfly  flies  out  from  the 
mechanism.  It  was  "Curly"  responding  to  the  music. 
Circling  the  room  as  if  bidding  Ted  good-bye,  the 
butterfly  flies  out  the  window. 

Lewis  Meltzer  and  Oscar  Saul  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  Louis  F.  Edleman  produced  it. 


"U-Boat  Prisoner"  with  Bruce  Bennett 

(Columbia,  July  25;  time,  67  min.) 

Just  a  routine  program  war  melodrama,  with 
enough  fisticuffs  and  suspense  to  satisfy  those  action 
fans  who  are  not  concerned  too  much  about  the  plausi- 
bility of  a  plot.  Discriminating  audiences  may  find  it 
a  bit  too  dull.  Several  situations  are  fairly  exciting. 
One  such  situation  is  where  Bruce  Bennett  and  a 
U-Boat  captain,  both  trapped  in  a  sunken  submarine, 
draw  lots  to  see  who  will  remain  behind  to  send  the 
other  to  the  surface  through  a  torpedo  tube.  But  on 
the  whole  it  is  far-fetched  stuff,  and  women  in  par- 
ticular will  find  little  in  it  to  interest  them,  for  it  has 
an  all-male  cast  and  is  without  a  romance : — 

Bruce  Bennett,  an  American  seaman,  notices 
George  Eldridge,  a  crew  member,  leave  their  tanker 
on  a  raft  seconds  before  a  U-Boat  torpedoes  it.  Real- 
izing that  Eldridge  was  a  Nazi  spy,  Bennett  swims  to 
the  raft  and  throws  him  overboard.  Bennett  is  picked 
up  by  the  U-Boat  and,  having  Eldridge's  papers,  rep- 


July  8,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


111 


resents  himself  to  Captain  Erik  Rolf  as  the  spy.  Ben- 
nett is  quartered  with  a  group  of  prisoners,  scientists 
who  were  being  taken  to  Germany  to  do  forced  labor. 
He  reveals  his  identity  to  them.  When  the  U-Boat  is 
chased  and  depth-bombed  unsuccessfully  by  an 
American  destroyer,  the  prisoners  try  to  aid  the  de- 
stroyer by  creating  noises  while  the  U-Boat  lies  silent 
to  avoid  detection.  The  Captain,  to  fool  the  destroyer 
into  thinking  that  the  U-Boat  had  been  blown  up, 
sends  a  sick  sailor,  against  the  man's  will,  up  to  the 
surface  through  the  torpedo  tubes.  The  sailor  manages 
to  survive  the  ordeal  long  enough  to  inform  the 
Americans  of  the  deception.  The  U-Boat  continues  a 
game  of  hide-and-seek  with  the  destroyer,  but  Ben- 
nett manages  to  knock  out  the  radio  operator,  and  to 
send  a  signal  to  the  Americans.  In  a  last  desperate 
effort  to  escape,  the  Captain  surfaces  during  a  fog  and 
sends  his  men  out  on  a  raft,  with  magnetic  mines,  to 
blow  up  the  destroyer.  The  Americans  rout  the  men, 
and  the  mines  slip  into  the  water  and  blow  up  the 
U-Boat,  which  sinks  to  the  bottom.  A  few  men  remain 
alive  in  the  locked  torpedo  room,  including  Bennett 
and  the  captain.  They  draw  lots  to  see  who  will  re- 
main behind  to  send  the  others  to  the  surface  through 
the  torpedo  tubes.  Bennett  loses  the  draw.  As  Ben- 
nett puts  the  Captain  into  one  of  the  tubes,  a  scientist, 
whom  every  one  thought  dead,  knocks  Bennett  un- 
conscious and  sends  him  up  in  another  tube,  leaving 
the  captain  wedged  in  the  first  tube  to  die. 

Aubrey  Wisberg  wrote  the  screen  play,  Wallace 
McDonald  produced  it  and  Lew  Landers  directed  it. 


"The  Mummy's  Ghost"  with  Lon  Chaney, 
John  Carradine  and  Ramsay  Ames 

(Universal,  July  7;  time,  60  min.) 

Mediocre!  It  is  the  fourth  in  Universale  "Mummy" 
series  of  program  horror  melodramas,  and  it  is  also 
the  weakest  of  the  lot.  At  the  Rialto  Theatre  in  New 
York,  a  house  noted  for  its  avid  mystery  and  horror 
fans,  the  audience  greeted  the  actions  of  the  characters 
with  derisive  laughter.  And  one  cannot  blame  them, 
for  the  proceedings  become  ludicrous  to  the  extreme 
as  the  players  strain  to  inject  creepiness  and  all  the 
other  well  known  nonsense  identified  with  pictures 
of  this  type.  Few  horror  pictures,  if  any,  are  logical, 
but  this  one  carries  absurdity  too  far  in  its  telling  of  a 
mummy's  kidnapping  a  young  woman,  who  was  the 
reincarnation  of  his  sweetheart,  dead  for  more  than 
3000  years.  The  story  ends  in  a  manner  that  leaves 
an  opening  for  a  continuation  of  the  series,  but  unless 
Universal  finds  stronger  story  material  it  would  be 
better  off  to  drop  the  series : — 

John  Carradine,  ordained  to  priesthood  by  the 
High  Priest  of  Arkam  in  Egypt,  is  told  that  thirty 
years  previously,  American  Egyptologists  had  broken 
into  the  tomb  of  the  Princess  Ananka  and  had  carried 
away  her  sarcophagus.  The  High  Priest  explains  that 
the  Princess  had  died  3000  years  previously  accursed 
for  the  sin  of  falling  in  love  with  Kharis  (Lon 
Chaney) ,  a  man  beneath  her  station  in  life.  As  punish- 
ment, Kharis  had  been  placed  into  the  tomb  and,  all 
these  years,  had  been  kept  alive  by  a  secret  brew  of 
Tana  leaves,  in  order  to  destroy  any  one  molesting 
the  tomb.  Kharis  had  followed  the  Egyptologists  to 
America  and  had  killed  them  all.  The  high  priest, 
feeling  that  Kharis  was  still  alive,  sends  Carradine  to 
America  to  locate  him  and  to  bring  back  the  Princess' 
remains.  Arriving  in  the  United  States,  Carradine 
goes  to  the  town  of  Mapleton,  where  he  contacts 
Kharis.  After  committing  a  number  of  murders,  thus 


rousing  the  townspeople,  Kharis  leads  Carradine  to 
the  Scripps  College  Museum,  where  they  discover  that 
the  Princess'  remains  had  turned  to  dust,  a  fact  which 
indicated  that  she  had  been  reincarnated  into  human 
form.  Carradine  orders  Kharis  to  find  the  reincarnated 
person.  Some  hidden  instinct  leads  Kharis  to  Ramsay 
Ames,  a  college  student,  and  he  carries  the  sleeping 
girl  to  a  lonely  shack  where  Carradine  awaited  him. 
Carradine,  succumbing  to  the  girl's  beauty,  decides  to 
keep  her  for  himself.  The  jealous  Kharis  thereupon 
strangles  him  and,  taking  Ramsay  in  his  arms,  heads 
toward  a  dangerous  swamp,  to  escape  from  a  posse 
led  by  Robert  Lowery,  Ramsay's  sweetheart.  As 
Kharis  stumbles  along,  Ramsay's  form  slowly  turns 
into  the  mummified  remains  of  the  ancient  Princess. 
Both  disappear  beneath  the  treacherous  swamp  waters 
just  as  the  posse  reaches  them. 

Griffin  Jay,  Henry  Sucher,  and  Brenda  Weisberg 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Ben  Pivar  produced  it,  and 
Reginald  Le  Borg  directed  it.  (Not  for  children.) 


"Machine  Gun  Mama"  with  Armida, 
EI  Brendel  and  Wallace  Ford 

(PRC,  August  2;  time,  62  min.) 

Despite  the  far-fetched  and  somewhat  nonsensical 
story,  this  is  a  fairly  amusing  program  comedy  with 
music.  It  lags  occasionally,  but  it  should  please  audi- 
ences fairly  well  because  of  the  comedy  situations  that 
arise  when  two  Brooklyn  truck  drivers  find  themselves 
deep  in  Mexico  with  an  elephant  on  their  hands.  Some 
of  the  comedy  is  pure  slapstick.  Except  for  an  occa- 
sional burst  of  her  fiery  latin  temper,  Armida  plays  a 
subdued  role  in  a  very  appealing  way.  One  wishes, 
however,  that  she  were  given  more  of  an  opportunity 
to  sing  and  dance.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  little  less 
story  and  a  bit  more  music  would  have  helped  the  pic- 
ture considerably: — 

Wallace  Ford  and  El  Brendel,  two  Brooklyn  truck 
drivers,  lose  the  delivery  address  for  their  cargo — an 
elephant — and  find  themselves  stranded  in  Mexico. 
To  dispose  of  the  elephant,  the  two  men  offer  to  sell  it 
to  Julian  Rivero,  owner  of  a  defunct  carnival,  whose 
daughter,  Armida,  enthusiastically  accepts  the  idea, 
and  asks  the  two  men  to  wait  a  few  days  for  payment. 
Armida  and  Ford  are  attracted  to  each  other.  Jack 
LaRue,  a  racketeer,  to  whom  the  carnival  owner  paid 
exorbitant  interest  on  a  loan,  fears  lest  the  elephant 
boost  the  carnival's  business  and  enable  Rivero  to 
repay  the  loan.  Moreover,  he  resented  the  attentions 
Armida  lavished  on  Ford.  When  detectives  arrive  in 
town  looking  for  two  men  with  an  elephant,  Ford 
declines  to  go  through  with  the  sale  of  the  animal  lest 
he  get  in  trouble.  This  action  rouses  Rivero's  anger. 
Meanwhile  the  owner  of  the  elephant  arrives  in  town 
and  demands  that  the  police  arrest  Ford  and  Brendel. 
To  add  to  Ford's  troubles,  LaRue  steals  a  sum  of 
money  from  the  carnival's  safe  and  leads  Armida  and 
her  father  to  believe  that  Ford  was  the  thief.  And  to 
complicate  matters  even  more,  Armida  assumes  that 
Ford  is  married  when  the  police  inform  her  that  an 
American  woman  had  arrived  in  town  in  search  of  her 
husband.  Ford  and  Brendel  escape  from  the  police  and 
go  to  Armida  to  plead  their  innocence.  She  receives 
them  coldly,  but  when  the  American  woman  identi- 
fies LaRue  as  her  husband,  and  the  police  uncover  him 
as  the  thief,  Armida  realizes  that  she  had  done  Ford 
and  Brendel  an  injustice. 

Sam  Neuman  wrote  the  screen  play,  Jack  Schwar- 
produced  it,  and  Harold  Young  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Luis  Alberni  and  others.  (Suitable  for  all.) 


112 


HARRISON  S  REPORTS 


July  8,  1944 


The  Scophony  system  obtains  its  light  for  the  image,  as 
already  said,  from  an  arc  lamp,  whereas  the  "cr"  tube  system 
obtains  its  light  from  what  is  called  a  fluorescent  material. 
This  material  glows  brightly  at  the  end  of  the  "cr"  tube 
when  the  controlled  electrical  stream  "paints"  on  it  the 
television  picture. 

Both  the  Baird  and  the  Scophony  systems  aroused  con- 
sidcrable  interest.  The  selling  of  admission  tickets  by  theatres 
that  showed  television  pictures  in  London  of  either  horse 
races  or  prize  fights  proved  possible.  The  programs  were 
picked  up  by  the  British  Broadcasting  Corporation,  and  were 
sent  out  by  radio;  they  were  then  picked  up  by  the  television 
receiver  at  the  theatre.  Spot  news  of  this  sort  seemed  to  at- 
tract theatregoers  who,  in  one  case,  paid  to  the  theatre  for  a 
ticket  several  dollars.  The  pictures  were  pronounced  fairly 
good  in  each  case,  but  no  one  can  say  how  long  they  would 
have  attracted  the  public,  or  whether  it  was  this  new  art 
or  the  sports  events  that  held  the  public's  attention. 

Did  the  public  feel  the  same  pleasure  seeing  the  event  at 
a  theatre  by  means  of  television  as  it  would  if  it  had  seen  it 
at  the  race  track? 

It  is,  of  course,  possible  to  follow  a  horse  race  on  a  tele- 
vision screen  without  knowing  which  horse  will  win  until 
the  race  is  over.  In  such  a  case,  the  excitement  created  is 
undoubtedly  as  great  as  that  at  the  race  track  itself. 

In  this  respect,  television  seems  to  have  a  certain  advant- 
age over  a  newsreel  of  the  same  race,  even  if  the  newsreel 
picture  should  be  better,  for,  in  television,  the  spectator  docs 
not  know  in  advance  which  horse  will  win,  whereas  in  a 
newsreel  the  result  of  the  race  is  already  known.  Conse- 
quently, the  pleasure  that  a  person  will  derive  from  seeing 
the  event  televised  is  much  better  than  seeing  it  in  a  newsreel. 

There  has  been  one  major  theatre  television  demonstration 
given  in  the  United  States  by  the  Radio  Corporation  of 
America  (RCA) — a  pioneer  in  the  American  theatre  tele- 
vision field.  The  event  took  place  at  the  New  Yorker 
Theatre,  in  New  York  City;  it  was  given  by  RCA  on  a 
fifteen  by  twenty  foot  screen,  the  main  event  being  a  prize 
fight,  fought  within  a  few  blocks  of  the  theatre.  Some  secon- 
dary events  of  varied  interest  were  shown  that  same  eve- 
ning. This  demonstration  was  shown  to  an  invited  audience 
consisting  of  several  hundred  guests.  The  editor  of  this 
paper  was  there,  and  the  impression  he  received  was  that 
the  brightness  of  the  picture  was  lacking  considerably  at 
that  time;  it  lacked  also  the  smoothness  of  moving  picture 
projection.  The  audience,  however,  seemed  to  be  favorably 
impressed. 

The  equipment  was  of  the  "cr"  type,  and  the  optical  pro- 
jection system  employed  differed  greatly  from  that  of  the 
usual  film  projector;  it  consisted  of  a  large  mirror  and  a 
so-called  "correction  plate."  It  was  very  efficient  in  picking 
up  the  light  from  the  "cr"  tube  and  sending  it  to  the  screen 
— it  picked  up  practically  all  the  light. 

The  Baird  Company,  too,  has  demonstrated  theatre  tele- 
vision equipment  in  New  York,  in  a  small  studio-theatre, 
projecting  a  nine  by  twelve  foot  picture.  This  equipment  was 
also  of  the  "cr"  tube  type. 

The  Scophony  Corporation  of  America,  too,  set  up 
theatre  television  equipment  of  the  mechanical  optical  type 
in  its  New  York  studios,  where  it  projected  a  picture  of  ap- 
proximately nine  by  twelve  feet.  Likewise  at  the  Rialto 
Theatre,  in  New  York  City,  showing  broadcast  pictures  to 
a  regular  audience. 

(Continued  next  wee\) 


TAXATION  WITHOUT 
REPRESENTATION 

Under  the  heading,  "The  Ascap  Racket,"  "Chick"  Lewis 
printed  the  following  editorial  in  the  June  17  issue  of  his 
Showmen's  Trade  Review: 


"The  New  Jersey  Allied  meeting  in  Atlantic  City  reminds 
us  that  the  organization  might  do  well  to  consider  and 
sponsor  a  strong  fight  against  the  Ascap  seat  tax.  In  the 
midst  of  booming  business  it  seems  that  this  important  matter 
has  been  forgotten  again. 

"In  our  opinion  this  levy  is  unwarranted  and  unjustified. 
In  the  silent  days  when  a  theatre  employed  musicians  and 
organists,  they  were  in  a  position  to  control  the  music  being 
played.  Today  they  have  no  control  over  it  whatever.  They 
get  their  music  in  cans  along  with  the  pictures  they  buy  and 
they  have  to  reproduce  it  whether  they  like  it  or  not. 

"Why  the  two  national  exhibitor  organizations  have  done 
so  little  about  this  situation  is  something  we've  never  been 
able  to  figure  out.  But  there  is  no  other  single  activity  they 
can  sponsor  that  will  help  the  vast  majority  more  than  the 
fight  against  the  Ascap  scat  levy." 

In  the  issue  of  Harrison's  Reports  of  September  8, 
1934,  there  was  published  an  enlightening  article  by  Mr. 
George  S.  Ryan,  the  eminent  attorney  of  Boston.  In  that 
article  it  was  pointed  out  that,  though  in  the  days  of  silent 
pictures  Ascap  was  not  doing  interstate  business,  and  there- 
fore the  Society  could  not  be  sued  under  the  Federal  anti- 
trust laws,  since  the  advent  of  talking  pictures  it  may  come 
under  these  laws,  for  their  music  is  part  and  parcel  of  the 
films,  which  are  interstate  commerce. 

That  there  is  a  grave  injustice  committed  on  the  exhibi- 
tors when  they  are  asked  to  pay  royalty  for  music  that  they 
may  not  want  to  play,  but  they  must  because  it  is  recorded 
on  the  sound  track,  no  one  may  question.  But  since  no 
action  has  been  taken  by  any  exhibitor,  the  Society  continues 
to  collect  royalties  from  exhibitors  who  do  not  wish  to  create 
a  controversy  that  may  give  them  annoyance. 

Something  should  be  done  to  clarify  the  issue.  And  the 
only  way  that  it  could  be  clarified  is  through  the  courts,  with 
the  exhibitor  organizations  intervening  as  friends  of  the 
court.  If  the  courts  should  determine  that  the  Society  is 
within  its  rights  in  collecting  this  royalty,  then  the  exhibi- 
tors would  have  no  way  out  but  to  pay.  But  they  should 
know  whether  or  not  they  have  to  pay  this  obnoxious  tax. 


CAN  YOU  EAT  YOUR  CAKE  AND 
STILL  HAVE  IT? 

A  recent  issue  of  Daily  Variety  published  partly  the  fol- 
lowing: 

"First-run  theatre  operators  feel  no  immediate  threat  in 
announcement  of  large  personnel  layoffs  slated  for  several 
aircraft  plants  here  during  next  few  months.  Exhibitors 
point  out  that  as  long  as  product  has  top  commercial  audi- 
ence values,  box  office  will  continue  to  be  big  locally.  Another 
angle  to  layoff  is  that  theatre  trade,  if  following  normal 
course,  would  increase  due  to  added  leisure  time  of  former 
war  workers  before  finding  new  employment.  .  .  ." 

My  friend  Arthur  Ungar,  editor  of  Daily  Variety,  seems 
to  be  the  kind  of  person  who  believes  that  one  could  eat 
his  cake  and  still  have  it.  He  believes  that,  even  if  men  are 
laid  off  from  the  war  plants,  the  picture  theatre  business  will 
be  good  just  the  same,  for  the  defense  plant  workers  will 
have  plentiful  leisure  time  and  will  spend  their  money  going 
to  the  movies  until  they  find  a  new  job. 

Even  if  he  should  be  right,  the  "millenium"  will  end 
when  and  if  they  get  a  new  job;  they  will  be  broke,  and  will 
begin  saving.  It  is  then  that  the  picture  theatres  will  feel  the 
effect,  particularly  if  the  quality  of  pictures  remains  at  the 
present  low  level. 

And  talking  about  the  low  level  of  picture  quality,  have 
you  ever  seen  a  time  when  the  quality  was  poorer  than  it  is 
today?  And  to  think  that  the  producers  have  reduced  the 
number  of  pictures  with  the  intention  of  raising  quality  by 
spending  more  money  on  each  picture!  And  we  haven't 
reached  the  bottom  yet;  watch  July  and  August — you'll  be 
surprised! 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  JULY  15,  1944 


No.  29 


WANT  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  PLENTY! 


A  theatre  has  closed  its  doors  in  Philadelphia  be' 
cause  of  high  film  rentals — The  New  Ritz. 

To  the  film  companies,  the  closing  down  of  The 
New  Ritz  is  not  important  because  it  is  a  small  house 
and  a  last  run. 

But  to  the  people  of  the  community  that  The  New 
Ritz  served  its  closing  is  important,  for  it  was  their 
theatre,  and  the  prices  it  charged  were  what  they 
could  afford  to  pay. 

To  the  owner  of  The  New  Ritz,  too,  its  closing  is 
important,  because  he  now  finds  himself  deprived  of 
his  means  of  making  a  livelihood. 

The  closing  of  The  New  Ritz  should  be  of  interest 
to  every  one  of  you  who  makes  his  livelihood  operat- 
ing a  theatre,  because  the  next  one  to  suffer  such  a 
fate  may  be  you. 

An  industry  that  counts  its  profits  in  millions  and 
pays  its  executives  sky-high  salaries  could  not  afford 
to  keep  The  New  Ritz  open. 

There  are  hundreds  of  New  Ritzes  throughout  the 
nation.  They  are  the  "marginal"  theatres  of  the  mo- 
tion picture  industry — theatres  that  operate,  through 
no  fault  of  their  own,  always  on  the  borderline  be- 
tween profit  and  loss.  These  theatres  need  all  the 
"breaks"  to  eke  out  a  mere  existence. 

Yes,  there  are  "marginal"  exhibitors,  just  as  there 
are  marginal  farmers,  and  marginal  oil  diggers,  and 
marginal  producers  of  every  sort.  The  government 
pours  out  annually  millions  of  dollars  to  keep  these 
small  operators  in  business,  for  they  are  essential  to 
the  national  economy. 

The  "marginal"  exhibitor,  because  of  showing  late 
run  pictures,  which  have  a  limited  drawing  power, — 
equivalent  to  the  thin  soil  of  the  eroded  farm — is  asked 
to  meet  nationally  formulated  sales  terms  beyond 
his  capacity  to  pay  out  of  the  intake. 

No  one  helps  the  "marginal"  exhibitor — not  the 
government,  nor  the  film  companies,  nor  the  organiza- 
tions that  are  supposed  to  help  him  stay  in  business. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  plight  of  the  "marginal"  ex- 
hibitor, because  of  conditons  created  by  the  war,  has 
been  aggravated  by  a  greatly  increased  overhead — he 
has  to  pay  higher  wages  to  his  employees,  and  every- 
thing he  buys  costs  him  a  great  deal  more  than  in 
normal  times.  And  to  make  matters  even  more  burden- 
some, the  "marginal"  exhibitor,  in  many  cases,  finds 


that  his  receipts  have  taken  a  dip  as  a  result  of  shifts 
in  population  to  defense  areas,  as  well  as  of  the  fact 
that  many  of  his  regular  patrons,  now  flush  with 
prosperity,  attend  earlier  runs,  which  charge  higher 
admission  prices.  These  conditions  have  created 
"draught"  areas,  where  the  closings  will  increase 
unless  the  distributors  offer  these  exhibitors  aid  in  the 
form  of  reduced  film  rentals. 

The  "marginal"  theatres  may  be  unimportant  to 
the  distributors  economcally,  but  they  are  important, 
not  only  to  the  communities  they  serve,  but  also  to  the 
entire  nation,  for  they,  too,  sell  bonds  and  war  stamps; 
they,  too,  show  War  Activities  subjects,  promoting 
the  war  effort.  But  equally  important  is  the  role  they 
play  in  their  communities  by  furnishing  the  people 
with  amusement.  Moreover,  these  exhibtors  keep  their 
eyes  on  the  local  law-makers,  and  are  an  important 
factor  in  promoting  good  will  for  the  industry.  For 
all  these  reasons,  the  industry  leaders  should  see  to  it 
that  these  theatres  operate  on  a  basis  that  will  enable 
their  owners  to  make  a  livelihood. 

The  plight  of  the  "marginal"  exhibitors  is  known 
to  the  heads  of  the  film  companies,  and  their  branch 
managers  know  which  of  these  cases  need  immediate 
aid.  Such  aid  as  has  been  offered  in  some  of  the  cases 
has  been  so  meager  that  the  receivers  have  felt  that 
it  was  an  act  of  charity  on  the  part  of  the  distributors 
rather  than  an  effort  to  correct  their  condition.  And 
so  the  "marginal"  exhibitors  continue  to  be  sacrificed 
to  the  fetish  of  the  40%  film  rental  and  to  other 
burdensome  conditions  prescribed  by  the  home  offices. 
And  the  New  Ritzes  will  continue  to  close  down, 
because  the  sales  heads  refuse  to  recognize  that  the 
exhibitor  has  an  overhead,  and  that  pictures  merit  no 
higher  allocations  than  such  as  will  enable  the  ex- 
hibitor to  cover,  from  what  he  takes  in,  his  overhead 
and  as  will  leave  enough  for  him  to  make  a  living. 

To  the  "marginal"  exhibitor  the  question  of  whether 
pictures  shall  be  sold  in  blocks  of  either  five  or  twelve, 
or  whether  the  cancellation  privilege  shall  be  either 
10%  or  20%  is  of  lesser  importance  than  that  the  few 
good  pictures  that  are  produced  each  year  shall  be 
sold  to  him  at  a  price  that  will  enable  him  to  stay  in 
business. 

Here  is  a  challenge  to  the  heads  of  the  industry — 
a  challenge  to  their  sense  of  fairness  toward  the 
"marginal"  exhibitor, — the  underdog. 


KEEP  SELLING  BONDS  —  THEY'RE  STILL  FIGHTING  OVER  THERE 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  15,  1944 


"Block  Busters"  with  the  East  Side  Kids 

(Monogram,  Sept.  16;  time,  61  min.) 

A  good  addition  to  the  "East  Side  Kids"  series  of 
program  comedy-melodramas;  it  keeps  one  enter- 
tained throughout.  The  story  is  not  particularly  ex- 
citing or  novel  but  it  has  some  good  human  touches 
and  plentiful  comedy.  The  time  the  "Kids"  match  wits 
with  a  well-bred,  young  Frenchman,  and  the  comedy 
is  provoked  by  their  efforts  to  teach  him  their  way  of 
life.  As  in  the  other  pictures,  the  comedy  is  of  the 
rowdy  type,  but  one  cannot  help  laughing  at  the 
"Kids'  "  pranks,  particularly  the  antics  of  Hunts 
Hall.  Leo  Gorcey 's  misuse  of  the  English  language  is 
additional  cause  for  laughter: — 

Learning  the  Minerva  Urccal,  a  wealthy  dowager, 
planned  to  rent  an  old  house  on  the  lower  East  Side 
so  that  her  French-born  grandson  (Fred  Pressel)  will 
learn  how  American  boys  live,  Leo  Gorcey  and  his 
gang  decide  to  discourage  her  by  leading  her  to  be- 
lieve that  the  neighborhood  was  an  unfit  place  for 
Pressel.  The  "Kids"  stage  a  fight  with  a  rival  gang 
on  the  day  Miss  Urecal  and  Pressel  arrive  to  examine 
the  house.  Pressel  and  Gorcey  get  into  a  fight  and 
both  are  brought  to  Court,  where  the  judge  places 
them  in  the  custody  of  each  other,  with  the  stipula- 
tion that  neither  must  get  into  a  fight.  To  keep  his 
eye  on  Gorcey,  Pressel  becomes  a  member  of  the  gang. 
He  joins  their  baseball  team  when  they  teach  him 
the  game.  Pressel,  a  handsome  lad,  attracts  the  girls 
of  the  neighborhood,  and  Gorcey  has  his  hands  full 
keeping  the  jealous  members  of  the  gang  from  fight- 
ing with  him.  Meanwhile  Pressel  becomes  a  proficient 
ball  player  and  a  favorite  of  the  team's  fans.  The 
"Kids,"  angered  by  his  popularity,  decide  not  to  let 
him  play  in  the  big  game.  The  ninth  inning  of  the 
game  finds  the  "Kids"  trailing  their  opponents.  A 
local  merchant  offers  to  send  the  boys  to  the  country 
if  they  win.  Realizing  that  Bill  Chaney,  the  team's 
sickly  bat  boy,  would  benefit  greatly  by  such  a  vaca- 
tion, Gorcey  relents  and  allows  Pressel  to  play.  The 
young  man  hits  a  home  run  and  wins  the  game. 

Houston  Branch  wrote  the  story,  Sam  Katzman  and 
Jack  Diets  produced  it,  and  Wallace  Fox  directed  it. 
Barney  Sarecky  was  associate  producer.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Gabriel  Dell,  Billy  Benedict,  Harry  Langdon, 
Roberta  Smith,  Noah  Beery,  Sr.,  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Leave  It  To  the  Irish"  with  James  Dunn 
and  Wanda  McKay 

(Monogram,  August  5;  time,  61  min.) 
Passable  program  fare.  It  is  a  breezy  comedy- 
mystery  melodrama,  in  which  a  private  detective, 
aided  by  the  police  chief's  daughter,  rounds  up  a 
crime  ring  and  solves  a  number  of  murders.  There  is 
nothing  novel  in  the  plot  nor  in  the  characterizations, 
but  it  offers  enough  fast  action,  excitement,  and 
comedy,  to  hold  the  attention  of  non-discriminating 
audiences.  Most  of  the  comedy  is  provoked  by  James 
Dunn's  troubles  with  the  police  chief,  and  the  pre- 
dicaments he  gets  himself  into  as  he  tries  to  divert  sus- 
picion from  himself.  The  love  interest  is  mildly 
romantic: — 

Dunn,  a  private  detective,  is  hired  by  Barbara 
Woodell  to  solve  the  murder  of  her  husband,  who 
had  been  a  fur  dealer.  Barbara  informs  Dunn  of  a 
mysterious  note  she  had  received  asking  her  to  come 
to  a  night-club  operated  by  Jack  LaRue.  Accompany- 


ing her  to  the  club,  Dunn  is  warned  by  LaRue  to 
steer  clear  of  the  case.  Meanwhile  Barbara  receives 
a  note  from  one  of  the  waiters  asking  her  to  meet  him 
at  a  shabby  hotel.  Dunn  takes  her  to  the  hotel,  only 
to  find  the  waiter  murdered.  Frightened,  Barbara  asks 
Dunn  to  drop  the  case,  but  he  determines  to  solve  the 
murders.  Wanda  McKay,  Dunn's  sweetheart  and 
daughter  of  police  chief  Arthur  Doft,  decides  to  help 
Dunn.  Both  investigate  the  dead  fur  dealer's  ware- 
house, where  they  discover  evidence  that  he  had  been 
dealing  in  stolen  furs,  and  that  LaRue  had  been  asso- 
ciated with  him.  LaRue,  learning  that  his  racket  had 
been  found  out,  removes  the  evidence  from  the  ware- 
house before  Dunn  returns  to  the  scene  with  Wanda's 
father.  Chidcd  by  the  police  chief  for  failing  to  prove 
his  claim,  Dunn  determines  to  trap  LaRue.  He  goes 
to  LaRue's  office.  There  he  finds  the  gangster  murd- 
ered, and  is  himself  knocked  unconscious  by  one  of 
LaRue's  henchmen.  Later,  Dunn  finds  himsef  sus- 
pected of  the  murder  by  the  police.  But  he  clears 
himself  of  the  charge  through  a  ballistic  test,  and 
manages  to  round  up  the  gang  and  the  stolen  furs. 
He  proves  to  the  police  that  LaRue  had  murdered 
Barbara's  husband  because  the  fur  dealer  and  one  of 
his  own  henchmen  were  double-crossing  him,  and  that 
the  henchman,  in  turn,  had  murdered  LaRue. 

Tim  Ryan  and  Edward  M.  Davis  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Lindsley  Parsons  produced  it,  and  William 
Beaudine  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Vince  Barnett, 
Dick  Purcell  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Black  Magic"  with  Sidney  Toler 

(Monogram,  August  19;  time,  65  min.) 

This  latest  of  the  "Charlie  Chan"  murder  mystery 
melodramas  suffers  from  a  weak  script,  but  it  will 
probably  go  over  with  the  series  followers.  In  spite 
of  the  fact  that  the  murderer's  identity  is  not  revealed 
until  the  end,  the  story  fails  to  hold  one's  interest  be- 
cause, throughout  the  proceedings,  it  does  not  make 
clear  the  motive  each  suspect  might  have  had  in  the 
commission  of  the  crime.  The  spectator  learns  of  the 
motive  at  the  finish,  when  "Chan"  conveniently  traps 
the  murderer  and  explains  his  reasons  for  the  crime. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  story  is  no  more  than  a  hodge- 
podge of  mysterious  doings,  none  of  which  are  logical, 
and  all  of  which  were  obviously  designed  to  give  Sid- 
ney Toler,  as  the  fabulous  Chinese  detective,  an  op- 
portunity to  display  his  amazing  powers  of  deduction. 
For  comedy,  there  are  the  usual  situations  in  which  a 
colored  chauffeur  (Manton  Moreland)  is  frightened 
by  skeletons  and  the  like: — 

On  the  eve  of  his  first  vacation  in  years,  Charlie 
Chan  is  compelled  to  undertake  the  task  of  solving 
the  murder  of  Dick  Gordon,  a  psychic  medium,  be- 
cause Frances  Chan,  his  daughter,  had  been  seated 
at  the  seance  table  in  Gordon's  studio  when  he  had 
been  shot.  The  police  were  baffled  because  neither  the 
gun  nor  the  bullet  that  killed  Gordon  could  be  found. 
Chan,  aided  by  his  daughter  and  Manton  Moreland, 
his  chauffeur,  proceeds  with  the  investigation  and 
questions  those  who  were  present  at  the  seance.  While 
Chan  discovers  evidence  proving  that  Gordon  had 
been  killed  by  a  bullet  made  of  poisoned  frozen  blood, 
two  of  the  witnesses  are  murdered  mysteriously.  Satis- 
fied that  he  had  enough  clues  to  trap  the  murderer, 
Chan  holds  a  seance  with  the  same  persons  in  at- 
tendance and  traps  Frank  Jacquet,  a  business  man, 


July  15,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


115 


into  admitting  the  killing  because  of  a  revenge  motive. 
Chain  explains  that  Jacquet  had  been  horribly  dis- 
figured in  an  accident  years  previously,  and  that  the 
murdered  man  had  run  off  with  Jacquet 's  wife  (Jac- 
queline DeWitt) .  Jacquet,  after  having  had  his  face 
rebuilt  through  plastic  surgery,  had  hunted  for  the 
pair  and  had  carried  out  his  vow  to  kill  Gordon.  The 
murder  solved,  Chan  and  his  daughter  prepare  to 
leave  for  their  vacation. 

George  Callahan  wrote  the  screen  pay,  and  Philip 
N.  Krasne  and  James  S.  Burkett  produced  it.  Phil 
Rosen  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"A  Wave,  A  Wac  &  A  Marine"  with 
Henny  Youngman,  Elyse  Knox 
and  Sally  Eilers 

(Monogram,  Sept.  30;  time,  80  min.) 
Monogram  has  given  this  comedy,  with  some  music, 
a  better  than  average  production,  but  it  is  wasted  on 
mediocre  material;  at  best,  it  is  no  better  than  ordinary 
program  fare.  The  trouble  with  the  picture  is  that  it 
is  too  "talky,"  and  a  good  deal  of  the  dialogue,  which 
is  of  the  wise-cracking  variety,  is  unintelligible  be- 
cause the  players  speak  indistinctly  and  too  fast.  Most 
of  the  comedy  stuations  are  inane,  and  slapstick  is 
often  resorted  to  as  the  players  strain  to  provoke 
laughs.  This  may  amuse  children,  but  aduts  will  prob- 
ably be  bored  by  the  ridiculousness  of  the  whole  thing. 
Henny  Youngman,  who  makes  his  screen  debut  in  this 
picture,  is  a  fairly  good  comedian  on  the  stage  and  on 
the  radio,  but  on  the  screen  his  antics  fail  to  amuse 
one;  his  acting  is  amateurish.  The  picture  has  its  amus- 
ing spots,  but  there  are  not  enough  of  them  to  lift  the 
production  above  mediocricity.  The  title  is  mislead- 
ing in  that  the  story  and  the  backgrounds  are  remote- 
ly concerned  with  the  men  and  women  of  the  armed 
forces: — 

Henry  Youngman,  field  representative  for  Sally 
Eiler's  Hollywood  agency,  mistakes  Elyse  Knox  and 
Anne  Gillis,  understudies,  for  Ramsay  Ames  and 
Marjorie  Woodworth,  the  real  stars  of  a  Broadway 
show,  and  signs  them  to  appear  in  pictures.  He  brings 
the  girls  to  Hollywood,  where  Sally,  furious  at  the 
blunder  discharges  him.  Meanwhile  Richard  Lane, 
Sally's  ex-husband  and  an  actors'  representative  him- 
self, signs  Marjorie  and  Ramsay  to  a  contract  and 
turns  them  over  to  Sally,  hoping  that  it  will  lead  to 
a  reconciliation  with  her.  But  Marjorie  monopolizes 
Lane,  causing  Sally  considerable  annoyance.  Mean- 
while Henny  manages  to  obtain  a  trial  engagement 
for  Anne  and  Elyse  in  a  night-club,  and  he  is  shocked 
to  learn  that  the  girls  neither  sing  nor  dance.  The 
girls,  however,  make  a  hit  in  a  dramatic  sketch.  Alan 
Dinehart,  a  producer,  signs  them  to  a  contract  and 
announces  that  they  will  replace  Marjorie  and  Ram- 
say as  the  stars  of  his  forthcoming  picture.  Later, 
Dinehart  finds  himself  in  a  predicament  when  Elyse 
joins  the  WAVES  and  Anne  joins  the  WACS.  And 
to  add  to  his  troubles,  Marjorie  and  Ramsay  demand 
that  they  be  starred  in  accordance  with  their  contract. 
Lane,  who  had  joined  the  Marines,  saves  the  situation 
by  suggesting  to  Dinehart  that  he  shoot  the  scenes 
of  Elyse  and  Anne  first,  since  they  had  two  weeks 
before  induction.  Marjorie  and  Ramsay  are  mollified 
with  the  promise  of  starring  roles  in  another  picture, 
and  Sally  and  Lane  are  reunited. 


Hal  Fimberg  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sebastian  Cris- 
tillo  produced  it,  and  Phil  Karlstein  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Charles  (Red)  Marshal,  Cy  Kendall, 
Connie  Haines,  Freddie  Rich  and  his  orchestra,  and 
others.  Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Take  It  or  Leave  It"  with  Phil  Baker 
and  Edward  Ryan 

(20th  CenturyFox,  August;  time,  71  min.) 

A  unique  and  thoroughly  enjoyable  musical  enter- 
tainment, the  sort  that  should  go  over  with  all  types 
of  audiences.  Based  on  Phil  Baker's  "Take  It  or  Leave 
It"  radio  quiz  program,  the  story  revolves  around  a 
youthful  sailor  who  attends  one  of  Baker's  programs 
and  is  queried  on  the  subject  of  "Scenes  from  Motion 
Picture  Hits  of  the  Past."  This  gives  the  producer  an 
opportunity  to  flash  on  the  screen  outstanding  musical 
comedy  scenes  from  such  pictures  as  "Lillian  Russell," 
"One  in  a  Million,"  "Tin  Pan  Alley"  and  other  top 
musicals  of  past  years.  The  players  appearing  in  these 
scenes  include  Shirley  Temple  (at  the  age  of  five), 
Alice  Faye,  Betty  Grable,  Jack  Oakie,  Billy  Gilbert, 
the  Ritz  Brothers,  Tyrone  Power,  Borah  Minnevitch's 
Harmonica  Rascals,  the  Ink  Spots,  the  Nicholas 
Brothers,  Sonja  Henie,  Glenn  Miller  and  his  orches- 
tra, George  Montgomery,  Buster  Keaton  and  others. 
The  story  in  itself  is  lightweight,  but  it  has  been  de- 
veloped in  so  amusing  a  fashion  that  it  keeps  one 
laughing  throughout.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  specta- 
tor enjoys  the  quiz  game  as  he  himself  tries  to  answer 
the  different  queries,  such  as  the  names  of  the  stars 
and  the  titles  of  the  pictures  from  which  the  old 
scenes  were  taken : — 

Learning  that  Marjorie  Massow,  his  wife,  was 
worried  because  her  physician  had  been  drafted,  Ed- 
ward Ryan,  a  sailor,  attempts  to  secure  the  services 
of  Dr.  Roy  Gordon,  a  noted  obstetrician.  Ryan  is 
told  that  the  doctor  was  too  busy  to  accept  another 
patient,  but  in  order  to  dispel  Marjorie's  fears  he 
assures  her  that  he  had  concluded  arrangements  with 
Dr.  Gordon.  That  evening  Marjorie  and  Ryan,  ac- 
companied by  Stanley  Prager,  his  pal,  attend  Phil 
Baker's  quiz  show,  and  Ryan  is  selected  as  one  of 
the  contestants.  Ryan  selects  as  his  subject  "Scenes 
from  Motion  Picture  Hits  of  the  Past,"  and,  with  the 
help  of  Baker's  pointed  hints,  wins  the  $64  question. 
Baker  asks  him  what  he  will  do  with  the  money,  and 
Ryan  explains  that  his  wife  was  going  to  have  a  baby. 
When  Baker  asks  him  the  name  of  his  doctor,  Ryan, 
to  further  assure  Marjorie,  mentions  Dr.  Gordon's 
name.  Realizing  that  Gordon  was  a  high-priced 
physician,  Baker  induces  Ryan  to  continue  with  the 
contest,  paying  him  $64  for  each  correct  answer. 
Marjorie  becomes  ill  in  the  midst  of  the  program,  and 
Ryan's  pal  rushes  her  to  a  hospital.  Ryan,  confused 
and  excited,  admits  to  Baker  that  he  did  not  engage 
Dr.  Gordon.  Baker,  understanding  his  predicament, 
speaks  into  the  microphone  and  exhorts  Dr.  Gordon, 
if  he  was  listening,  to  rush  to  the  hospital.  The  doctor, 
listening  to  the  radio  in  a  taxi,  hears  the  plea  and 
hurries  there,  but  an  interne  delivers  the  baby  before 
he  arrives.  He  promises,  however,  to  tell  Marjorie 
that  he  delivered  the  baby,  so  that  she  would  be  happy 
in  the  thought  that  her  husband  did  not  let  her  down. 

Harold  Buchman,  Snag  Wcrris  and  Mac  Benoff 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Bryan  Foy  produced  it,  and 
Benjamin  Stoloff  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Frank 
Jenks,  Nana  Bryant  and  others. 


116 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  15,  1944 


Has  Theatre  Television  Arrived?  —  No.  2 

(Continued  from  last  wee\) 


Before  being  able  to  determine  whether  or  not  to  install  a 

television  equipment  in  your  theatre,  it  is  necessary  that  you 
take  into  consideration  the  following  factors: 

(1)  Is  your  theatre  so  constructed  as  to  enable  the  tele- 
vision  engineers  to  install  the  equipment  without  extensive 
architectural  alterations?  If  your  projection  booth  is  not 
large  enough  to  take  in  the  equipment,  alterations  must  be 
made.  How  many  scats  will  have  to  be  removed  so  that  the 
television  picture,  when  projected,  may  clear  the  heads  of 
the  patrons?  Will  the  picture  be  good  enough  to  be  satis- 
factory in  the  front  rows  of  the  orchestra?  Is  the  floor  where 
the  equipment  will  be  installed  strong  enough  to  support  the 
added  weight?  Remember  that  the  weight  of  the  television 
equipment  is  considerable  and  you  must  be  sure  that  no 
accident  will  happen  after  installation. 

In  the  opinion  of  Harrison's  Reports,  no  theatre  is  now 
constructed  fully  to  meet  the  requirements  of  television 
projecting;  alterations  have  to  be  made  more  or  less  in  every 
theatre.  As  to  the  cost  of  these  alterations,  you  will  have  to 
obtain  it  from  an  architect  or  contractor. 

(2)  How  much  will  the  television  equipment  cost? 
Although  theatre  television  has  been  demonstrated  enough 

to  prove  its  practicability,  no  figures  as  to  the  cost  of  the 
equipment  are  at  present  available.  (Figures  in  the  tens  of 
thousands  of  dollars  were  mentioned  before  the  war.)  Nor 
can  the  equipment  manufacturers  give  you  even  approximate 
figures  at  this  time,  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the  manu- 
facture of  television  equipment  will  not  be  possible  until 
after  the  war,  and  they  cannot  foresee  at  this  time  what  the 
scale  of  wages  for  labor,  and  what  the  cost  of  the  material, 
will  be  at  that  time.  Besides,  there  will  have  to  be  consider- 
able further  experimentation,  in  the  shop  as  well  as  in  the 
theatre,  before  television  is  perfected.  And  the  experiments 
cannot  be  conducted  with  full  force  until  after  the  war.  But 
there  is  no  question  in  this  writer's  mind  that  the  cost  of  the 
equipment  will  be  quite  high. 

(3)  Will  the  exhibitors  be  able  to  obtain  the  services  of 
skilled  television  operators? 

It  is  understood  that  some  moving  picture  operator  unions, 
feeling  that  television  work  comes  under  their  jurisdiction, 
are  planning  to  train  projectionists  in  the  use  of  television 
equipment.  At  present  there  are  no  technicians  of  this  kind 
available. 

(4)  What  will  be  the  scale  of  their  wages? 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  television  equipment  is  far 
more  complicated  than  the  equipment  for  the  projection  of 
motion  pictures,  the  television  operator  will  require  much 
greater  technical  knowledge  than  the  average  moving  picture 
projectionist  now  possesses.  Consequently,  their  wages  will 
undoubtedly  be  much  higher  than  the  wages  of  the  moving 
picture  projectionist.  If  the  film  projectionist  also  projects 
the  television  pictures,  he  may  ask  for  a  corresponding  wage 
increase. 

(5)  Now  we  come  to  another  factor,  one  that  is  far  more 
important  than  the  factors  so  far  discussed :  From  what 
source  will  the  exhibitor  be  able  to  obtain  his  television  en- 
tertainment? 

At  present  there  is  no  theatre  television  broadcasting,  and 
it  is  doubtful  if  the  home  television  broadcasters  will  permit 
the  use  of  their  programs  by  halls  that  charge  an  admission 
price.  Besides,  if  these  programs  are  copyrighted,  as  the  case 
may  be,  the  exhibitor  may  get  himself  into  legal  complica- 
tions in  the  event  that  he  used  these  programs  without  the 
broadcaster's  authorization. 

In  cases  where  a  program  is  sponsored  by  an  advertiser, 
an  arrangement  with  the  sponsor  as  well  as  with  the  broad- 
casting station  may  be  possible  if  the  exhibitor  would  agree 
to  televise,  not  only  the  program,  but  also  the  advertising 
part  of  it. 

When  the  time  comes,  it  is  possible  that  there  may  be 
established  stations  that  will  send  television  programs  di- 
rectly to  the  theatres,  on  frequencies  assigned  only  to  theatre 
television,  to  reach  the  theatre  by  radio.  The  picture  might 


have  greater  detail  and  sharpness  than  the  pictures  that  are 
now  exhibited  at  home.  At  first,  the  picture  will  undoubtedly 
be  in  black  and  white,  but  as  time  goes  on  it  may  be  in  color. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  home  television  sets  will,  in  the  next  ten 
or  twenty  years,  probably  be  receiving  their  programs  also  in 
natural  colors. 

As  said,  the  programs  may  be  sent  over  by  radio.  There  is, 
however,  another  way  of  transmitting  a  television  program — 
over  the  wires.  But  ordinary  telephone  wires  will  not  usually 
serve  the  purpose  (except  for  short  distances);  the  use  of 
coaxial  cables  will  be  necessary.  These  are  small  flexible 
metal  pipes  through  the  center  of  which  a  wire  is  run.  This 
wire  is  mounted  on  insulators,  to  keep  it  away  from  the 
outer  shielding  pipe. 

The  coaxial  cables  are  capable  of  carrying  television  pic- 
tures without  interference  and  have,  from  the  point  of  view 
of  the  exhibitor,  an  advantage  over  radio  transmission: 
anything  that  goes  into  the  coaxical  cable  is  private — it 
cannot  be  picked  up  except  by  those  who  are  connected  to 
the  cables,  whereas  radio  television  can  be  picked  up  by  any 
one  owning  a  set,  unless  systems  on  unusual  frequencies  or 
with  secrecy  devices  are  employed. 

The  coaxial  cables  will,  no  doubt,  be  furnished  by  the 
Telephone  Company  on  a  rental  basis.  In  all  probability  a 
proportionate  part  of  this  rental  will  be  charged  to  the 
theatre,  either  separately,  or  included  in  the  charge  for  the 
entire  program. 

Whether  radio  or  cable  is  used  to  carry  the  programs  to 
the  theatres,  however,  it  is  clear  that  the  programs  must 
originate  somewhere.  They  may  originate,  either  in  a  studio, 
where  live  actors  will  be  used,  or  in  a  projection  room,  by 
means  of  sound  films,  or  in  what  are  known  as  "mobile 
pickups."  These  are  similar  to  newsreel  pickups.  For  news- 
reels  a  cameraman  with  his  camera  and  film,  and  sometimes 
a  sound  recorder  is  needed.  For  television  it  is  necessary  to 
have  at  least  one  cameraman  with  a  television  camera  and  a 
sound  pick-up,  these  being  sent  to  where  an  interesting  event 
is  to  take  place.  Sometimes  the  event  can  be  filmed  simul- 
taneously. 

But,  in  the  case  of  television,  the  outfit  that  is  sent  out  for 
pick-up  purposes  is  often  and  necessarily  more  elaborate: 
there  are  more  than  one  cameraman  with  cameras  and  with 
control  equipment.  The  cameras  feed,  either  into  a  coaxial 
cable,  or,  more  generally,  into  a  television  transmitter.  The 
television  transmitter  sends  the  program  to  a  receiving  set 
at  the  central  studio  location,  and  there  it  is  connected  with 
the  distributing  system  that  carries  it  to  the  theatres.  Thus  the 
pictures  and  sounds  of  a  baseball  game,  of  the  launching  of 
a  ship,  or  of  any  other  either  outdoor  or  indoor  event  can  be 
picked  up  and  carried  instantly  to  each  of  the  theatres  served. 
(Continued  next  wee\) 


FIFTH  WAR  LOAN  DRIVE  EXTENDED 

As  most  of  you  already  know,  the  Treasury  Department 
has  requested  the  motion  picture  industry  to  continue  its 
War  Bond  selling  efforts  throughout  July  because  the  finan- 
cial needs  of  the  Government  have  increased  greatly  due  to 
the  Normandy  invasion  and  the  great  progress  that  is  being 
made  in  the  Pacific  and  all  other  battlefronts. 

In  view  of  this  new  development,  R.  J.  O'Donnell,  Na- 
tional "Fighting  Fifth"  Chairman,  has  made  the  following 
announcement: 

"Instead  of  closing  our  records  on  July  8  as  originally 
planned,  we  are  now  going  to  close  them  on  July  27.  Accord- 
ingly, the  final  report  form  will  be  sent  to  all  participating 
exhibitors  on  or  about  July  20  to  cover  all  Bonds  sold  from 
June  1  through  July  27.  All  exhibitors  are  requested  to  keep 
their  records  in  good  order  until  the  closing  date  and  to  mail 
them  to  the  National  Committee  on  the  night  of  July  27, 
so  that  the  entire  drive  can  be  cleaned  up  and  a  proper  and 
complete  report  subsequently  made  to  the  industry  and  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury." 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

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United  States   $15.00  R««m1«19  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  Room  1014  Publisher 

Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain          16.50  A  Motion  picture  Reviewing  Service   

ureat  ^"tain  •  ■••"••••*■  10<o  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 
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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JULY  22,  1944  No.  30 


Has  Theatre  Television  Arrived?  —  No.  3 


(Continued  from  last  wee\) 


Because  of  the  fact  that  all  the  major  film  companies,  with 
the  exception  of  Warner  Brothers,  were  caught  "asleep  at 
the  switch"  when  sound  came  into  the  industry,  some  of 
these  companies  are  now  determined  to  keep  up  with  tele- 
vision progress  by  establishing  television  subsidiaries. 

The  first  company  to  set  up  a  subsidiary  has  been  Para- 
mount— Television  Productions. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Paramount  stockholders, 
held  on  June  20,  Mr.  Barney  Balaban,  president  of  Para- 
mount, made  the  following  remarks  in  his  report  to  them: 

"Much  is  being  heard  on  all  sides  as  to  the  place  television 
will  take  in  the  post-war  world.  Paramount  started  studying 
this  new  method  of  communication  soon  after  the  present 
management  came  in.  We  looked  over  what  was  happening 
in  this  field  both  in  the  United  States  and  in  Europe  and 
reached  the  conclusion  that  in  television  there  exists  an 
instrument  which,  when  properly  combined  with  entertain- 
ment values,  could  have  at  some  time  in  the  future  a  pro- 
nounced effect  on  the  entertainment  field. 

"Paramount  made  some  judicious  investments  in  promis- 
ing ventures,  and  put  into  operation  television  broadcasting 
stations  in  Chicago  and  Hollywood.  Allen  B.  DuMont 
Laboratories,  in  which  we  have  a  substantial  interest,  has 
started  operation  of  a  station  in  New  York  City. 

"It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  forecast  with  any  degree  of 
accuracy  the  future  development  of  Television.  It  is  too 
closely  tied  up  with  the  science  called  'electronics'  and  new 
discoveries  in  that  field  may  change  the  outlook  at  any  time. 
That  this  medium  is  a  logical  extension  of  our  activities  in 
more  ways  than  one  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  sound  pic- 
tures are  also  an  electronic  product.  The  DuMont  Labora- 
tories have  become  an  important  producer  of  complicated 
electronic  equipment  for  the  government  for  military  and 
naval  purposes. 

"We  have  carefully  studied  the  use  of  television  as  an 
adjunct  to  our  -theatres.  We  have  an  interest  in  Scophony 
Corporation  of  America  which  has  two  of  the  most  promising 
developments  for  obtaining  large  screen  television  which  may 
be  useful  in  theatres.  We  have  developed  practically  instan- 
taneous means  of  recording  on  film  and  showing  in  pro- 
jectors the  television  pictures  and  sound  which  may  be 
brought  to  our  theatres  by  either  radio  or  wire.  It  is  probable 
that  television  will  add  to  the  attractions  of  the  theatre." 

From  what  Mr.  Balaban  reported  to  the  Paramount  stock- 
holders, one  cannot  find  out  what  Paramount  has  in  mind  as 
to  the  introduction  of  television  into  the  motion  picture 
industry,  beyond  saying  that  his  company  will  make  use  of 
it  in  the  Paramount  theatres. 

In  order  to  obtain  a  clarification  of  Mr.  Balaban's  state- 
ment, I  called  on  Mr.  Paul  Raibourn,  president  of  Television 
Productions,  the  Paramount  subsidiary,  but  the  best  that  I 
could  conclude  from  his  statements  was  that  he  himself  does 
not  know  what  trend  television  will  take.  He  said  to  me  that 
they  have  entered  this  field  in  an  exploratory  way,  stating 
that,  if  Paramount  did  not  enter  the  field,  some  other  com- 


pany naturally  would.  So  Paramount's  taking  up  television 
will  not,  as  he  said,  alter  history.  (These  are  not  his  exact 
words,  but  such  is  the  meaning.)  The  only  definite  state- 
ment he  made  to  me  is  that  this  company  will  install  large 
television  screens  in  Paramount  theatres.  He  does  not  know 
at  this  time  whether  sponsored  television  advertising  will 
play  any  part  in  their  theatre  television  activities. 

As  I  was  leaving  his  office,  I  obtained  a  copy  of  the  speech 
he  made  to  the  Radio  Executives  Club  the  day  before. 

When  I  arrived  at  my  office  I  read  this  speech,  and  I  may 
say  that,  beyond  a  considerable  number  of  good  jokes  he 
"cracked,"  the  speech  contains  nothing  that  would  enlighten 
the  industry,  particularly  the  exhibitors.  Perhaps  his  excuse 
is  that  he  did  not  make  that  speech  for  the  exhibitors.  He 
did  say,  however,  that  "motion  picture  companies  may  make 
films  for  television  and  television  may  supplement  feature 
film  fare  in  theatre  programs." 

One  more  revelation  he  made  in  another  part  of  his  speech 
is  that  television  can  be  used  for  advertising;  also,  ".  .  .  it  is 
possible  that  advertisers  will  be  willing  to  put  advertising  on 
before  their  public  in  an  amount  which  will  correspond  to 
these  figures"  (figures  given  in  the  first  part  of  the  para- 
graph). Perhaps  this  statement  gives  a  pretty  strong  hint  of 
what  is  in  the  mind  of  the  Paramount  executives  in  develop- 
ing television. 

One  of  the  other  major  film  companies  to  interest  itself  in 
television  is,  as  you  undoubtedly  know  by  this  time,  RKO; 
it  has  set  up  the  RKO  Television  Corporation,  to  make  avail- 
able "to  the  producers  of  television  entertainment  a  complete 
program-building  service." 

On  the  third  page  of  this  Corporation's  prospectus,  there 
is  the  following  statement,  printed  in  red  ink,  apparently  for 
emphasis: 

"No  single  individual  advertiser,  no  single  advertising 
agency,  nor  any  group  of  advertising  agencies  could  possibly 
operate  such  enormous  facilities  as  RKO  and  its  subsidiary, 
Pathe  News,  Inc.,  now  offer  the  potential  television  users  of 
this  country.  These  facilities  are  now  available  to  both 
reputable  advertisers  and  recognized  advertising  agencies 
through  RKO  Television  Corporation.  The  same  facilities 
make  it  possible  for  RKO  Television  Corporation  to  offer 
advertisers  not  only  filmed  television  programs,  but  live- 
talent  productions  as  well.  .  .  ." 

In  an  effort  to  have  the  RKO  Television  Corporation's 
advertising  activities  clarified,  I  called  on  Mr.  Ralph  B. 
Austrian,  executive  vice-president  of  the  Corporation.  I 
asked  him  whether  his  company's  theatre  television  activities 
will  include  also  sponsored  advertising  on  the  screens  of  the 
theatres  owned  either  by  RKO  or  by  other  film  companies. 
He  answered  in  the  negative.  I  asked  him  also  whether  tele- 
vision shows  for  the  home,  produced  by  other  film  television 
companies,  as  well  as  his  own  company,  would  not  tend  to 
keep  people  away  from  the  theatres,  and  he  answered  this 
question,  too,  in  the  negative.  He  did  not  think  that  any 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


118 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  22,  1944 


"Wing  and  a  Prayer"  with  Don  Ameche 

(20th  Century-Fox.  August;  time,  95  min.) 

A  good  war  melodrama.  Combining  fact  and  fiction,  and 
played  by  an  all-male  cast,  the  story  revloves  around  an 
unnamed  United  States  airplane  carrier  and  the  important 
role  it  played  in  our  country's  naval  strategy  shortly  after 
the  Pearl  Harbor  disaster.  The  action  is  fast  moving,  excit- 
ing, and  filled  with  suspense.  Considerable  footage  is  given 
over  to  life  aboard  the  carrier,  the  manner  in  which  the 
planes  land  and  take  off,  the  protective  measures  for  crashes, 
and  the  methods  with  which  attacks  are  repulsed — all  this 
has  been  presented  in  a  highly  interesting  fashion,  without 
interfering  with  the  story.  Except  for  the  aerial  sequences, 
all  the  action  takes  place  aboard  the  carrier,  and  for  this 
reason  the  picture  is  different  from  most  war  melodramas, 
making  its  box-office  chances  favorable.  There  is  some 
comedy  to  relieve  the  tension: — 

Immediately  after  the  attack  on  Pearl  Harbor,  when  the 
public  was  asking  where  our  Navy  was,  Naval  strategists  in 
Washington,  to  give  the  Japanese  Admirals  the  impression 
that  our  forces  were  weak,  widely  scattered,  and  unwilling 
to  join  battle,  order  Charles  Bickford,  Commander  of  Car- 
rier X,  to  sail  his  ship  to  certain  parts  of  the  Pacific  so  that 
it  could  be  spotted  by  the  enemy.  The  orders  explicitly  stated 
that  under  no  circumstances  were  the  ship's  planes  to  en- 
gage in  combat  with  the  Jap  planes.  They  must  run  away. 
The  effect  of  this  order  on  the  men  was  morale-breaking; 
they  were  compelled  to  stand  by  helplessly  while  attacking 
Jap  Zeros  shot  down  their  buddies.  The  carrier's  tactics, 
however,  fool  the  enemy,  who  orders  his  fleet  to  sail  towards 
Midway.  The  plan  of  strategy  accomplished,  Bickford  ex- 
plains it  to  his  men  and  orders  them  to  close  combat  and 
fight  to  win.  The  Battle  of  Midway  takes  place,  and  the 
Japanese  Navy  is  dealt  a  severe  blow. 

The  all-male  cast  includes  Don  Ameche,  as  the  stern  com- 
mandant in  charge  of  flying  operations;  Dana  Andrews,  as 
the  easy-going,  soft-spoken  squadron  commander;  and  Wil- 
liam Eythe,  as  the  ex-movie  star  turned  pilot — all  give  cap- 
able pcrfomances. 

Jerome  Cady  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  William  A. 
Bacher  and  Walter  Morosco  produced  it.  Henry  Hathaway 
directed  it.  Others  in  the  cast  include  Sir  Ccdric  Hardwicke, 
Kevin  O'Shea,  Richard  Jacckel,  Henry  Morgan,  Richard 
Crane  and  others.  Suitable  for  all. 


"The  Contender"  with  Buster  Crabbe 

(PRC,  May  10;  time,  66  min.) 

There  isn't  a  new  twist  in  this  often  told  tale  of  a  prize- 
fighter who  allows  success  to  go  to  his  head,  but  it  should 
get  by  as  a  supporting  feature  in  small-town  and  neighbor- 
hood theatres.  The  story  and  treatment  follow  a  beaten  path; 
the  hero  is  presented  as  an  ingrate,  forgetting  his  friends 
after  gaining  fame,  forsaking  the  heroine  for  a  pretty  blonde 
(the  promoter's  girl-friend),  and  taking  to  drink  and  being 
beaten.  In  the  end,  of  course,  he  becomes  regenerated  and 
his  friends  forgive  him.  There  are  the  usual  fight  scenes, 
which  should  please  the  action  fans: — 

To  satisfy  his  young  son's  desire  to  attend  a  military 
academy,  where  the  tuition  fees  were  beyond  his  means, 
Buster  Crabbe,  a  truck  driver,  enters  a  boxing  tournament 
in  the  hope  of  winning  a  $500  prize.  Milton  Kibbee,  a  re- 
tired fight  manager,  sees  in  Crabbe  the  makings  of  a  cham- 
pion, and  decides  to  train  him.  Aided  by  Kibbee's  wise 
counsel,  Crabbe  wins  the  tournament  and  becomes  a  leading 
contender  for  the  heavyweight  crown.  Arline  Judge,  a  femi- 
nine sports  writer,  falls  in  love  with  Crabbe  and  becomes 
attached  to  Donald  Mayo,  his  son,  but  Crabbe  is  attracted 
to  Julie  Gibson,  a  lady  of  loose  morals.  Success  goes  to 
Crabbe's  head  and  he  begins  to  lead  a  gay  life,  visiting  night 
clubs,  drinking,  and  keeping  late  hours.  Despite  his  flagrant 
abuse  of  training  rules,  he  manages  to  win  bout  after  bout, 
but  he  ignores  his  obligations  to  his  son  and  alienates  his 
friends.  His  failure  to  pay  the  tuition  fee  compels  Donald 
to  leave  military  school.  When  he  slaps  the  boy  in  a  fit  of 
temper,  his  friends,  including  his  manager,  leave  him.  Broke, 
Crabbe  goes  to  Julie  for  financial  aid,  only  to  be  told  that 
she  was  through  with  him.  Crabbe  leaves  town  and,  assum- 
ing a  different  name,  continues  his  fighting  career.  But  his 
life  of  dissipation  has  its  effect  and  he  is  beaten  badly  in 
each  fight.  Arline  and  Kibbee  finally  locate  him  and  make 
him  see  the  error  of  his  ways.  He  resolves  to  turn  over  a  new 
leaf  when  Arline  agrees  to  marry  him  and  make  a  home 
for  his  son. 

George  Sayre,  Jay  Doten,  and  Raymond  Shrock  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Bert  Sternbach  produced  it,  and  Sam  Newfield 
directed  it.  Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Mr.  Winkle  Goes  to  War"  with 
Edward  G.  Robinson  and  Ruth  Warwick 

(Columbia,  August  3;  time,  77  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  comedy-drama,  of  program 
grade,  centering  around  a  44-year-old,  mild-mannered  bank 
clerk,  whose  induction  into  the  army  gives  him  a  long  sought 
opportunity  to  change  his  way  of  life,  both  professionally 
and  domestically.  The  story  is  just  another  variation  of  the 
"worm  that  turns"  theme,  containing  little  that  is  original, 
but  it  has  enough  amusing  situations  and  human  interest  to 
make  it  a  pleasing  entertainment.  Most  of  the  action  takes 
place  against  an  army  background,  and  much  of  the  comedy 
is  provoked  by  Edward  G.  Robinson's  struggles  with  com- 
bat training.  There  is  one  battle  sequence,  on  a  South  Pacific 
isle,  which  is  quite  thrilling: — 

Robinson,  a  bank  clerk  for  fourteen  years  and  tired  of  it, 
resigns  his  position  to  open  up  a  "fix-it"  shop,  where  he 
could  do  odd  jobs  with  the  assistance  of  Ted  Donaldson,  an 
orphan,  to  whom  he  had  become  devoted.  Ruth  Warwick, 
his  wife,  objects  to  the  resignation  and  demands  that  he 
cither  return  to  the  bank  or  go  live  in  the  "fix-it"  shop. 
Robinson  chooses  the  latter.  Soon  after,  Robinson  receives 
a  notice  from  his  draft  board  and,  despite  his  belief  that  he 
was  physically  unfit,  passes  the  examination.  He  is  inducted 
into  the  army  and  given  a  desk  job.  Weary  of  working  at  a 
desk,  Robinson  pleads  with  Richard  Lane,  his  sergeant,  to  be 
made  a  regular  soldier  so  that  he  could  work  with  his  hands. 
His  request  is  granted,  and  though  the  basic  training  course 
saps  his  last  ounce  of  strength,  he  doggedly  refuses  to  quit. 
When  the  draft  age  is  lowered  to  thirty-eight  and  he  is 
offered  an  honorable  discharge,  Robinson  elects  to  remain 
in  the  service  so  that  he  could  accompany  his  buddies  over- 
seas. In  the  South  Pacific,  Robinson  is  sent  to  repair  a  bull- 
dozer just  as  the  Japs  attack.  He  heads  the  bulldozer  for  a 
hidden  enemy  machine-gun  nest  and  plows  the  Japs  under. 
Wounded  and  honorably  discharged,  Robinson  returns  home 
a  hero  and,  despite  the  honors  heaped  upon  him,  he  remains 
his  own  quiet,  unassuming  self.  He  becomes  reconciled  with 
his  wife,  who,  converted  to  his  way  of  thinking,  encourages 
him  to  resume  business  in  the  "fix-it"  shop. 

Waldo  Salt,  George  Carey,  and  Louis  Solomon  wrote  the 
screen  play  from  the  novel  by  Theodore  Pratt.  Jack  Moss 
produced  it,  and  Alfred  E.  Green  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Bob  Haymcs,  Robert  Armstrong  and  others. 


"Delinquent  Daughters"  with  Fifi  D'Orsay 
and  Teala  Loring 

(PRC,  June  15;  time,  72  min.) 

No  better  and  no  worse  that  most  juvenile  delinquency 
pictures  that  have  been  produced  to  date.  Like  the  others, 
it  suffers  from  a  weak  and  unconvincing  story,  poor  dialogue< 
and  faulty  direction.  It  follows  a  trite  formula  in  its  presenta- 
tion of  juvenile  waywardness,  depicting  youngsters  commit- 
ting crimes  and  otherwise  conducting  themselves  in  immoral 
fashion.  As  usual,  the  blame  is  placed  on  the  laxity  of  par- 
ents, and  it  resorts  to  ineffective  preachment  to  put  over  its 
message.  The  industry  has  yet  to  produce  an  intelligent 
juvenile  delinquency  picture: — 

Fifi  D'Orsay,  owner  of  a  popular  cafe  frequented  by  'teen- 
age youngsters,  becomes  jealous  of  the  attentions  Jon  Daw- 
son pays  to  Teala  Loring,  a  high  school  girl  who  thought 
it  smart  to  be  tough.  Under  Dawson's  tutelage,  Teala,  Jimmy 
Zaner,  and  Johnny  Duncan  had  been  leading  a  life  of  petty 
crime,  snatching  purses  and  holding  up  gas  stations.  June 
Carlson,  an  unsophisticated  youngster  seeking  escape  from 
her  stern  father,  becomes  innocently  invloved  in  one  of  the 
crimes  when  she  accompanies  Teala  and  Jimmy  on  an  auto 
ride.  In  making  their  getaway,  the  car  strikes  and  kills  a 
pedestrian.  The  police  trace  the  murder  car  to  Fifi's  cafe, 
but  Dawson  cleverly  furnishes  an  alibi  for  the  youngsters. 
Returning  home  at  a  late  hour,  June  is  ordered  out  by  her 
father.  She  walks  down  to  the  docks  where  she  meets  Johnny, 
who  had  run  away  from  his  drunken  father.  Both  decide  to 
leave  town  and  get  married.  But  Police  Lt.  Joe  Devlin  ap- 
prehends the  pair  and  takes  them  to  the  home  of  Judge 
Frank  McGlynn.  The  judge  summons  their  parents  for  a 
lecture,  and  all  agree  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf.  Meanwhile 
Dawson,  Teal  and  Jimmy  commit  a  payroll  robbery,  in  which 
Jimmy  is  shot  dead,  and  Dawson  and  Teala  lose  their  lives 
when  their  escape  car  overturns.  The  Judge,  aided  by  the 
police,  turns  Fifi's  cafe  into  a  respectable  rendezvous  for 
children. 

Arthur  St.  Clair  wrote  the  screen  play.  Donald  C.  McKean 
and  Albert  Herman  produced  it.  Mr.  Herman  directed  it. 
Not  for  children. 


July  22,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


119 


"Dragon  Seed"  with  Katharine  Hepburn 
and  Walter  Huston 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  145  min.) 

A  powerful  drama,  magnificently  and  artistically  pro- 
duced; it  will  undoubtedly  turn  out  to  be  an  outstanding 
box-office  success.  Based  on  Pearl  S.  Buck's  best-selling  novel 
of  the  same  title,  it  eloquently  tells,  through  the  medium  of 
a  typical  Chinese  farmer's  family,  of  the  savagery  with  which 
the  Japanese  descended  upon  China,  and  of  the  determina- 
tion of  the  Chinese  people  to  resist  the  invader  at  all  costs. 
The  action  is  suspenseful  and  grimly  realistic  in  its  depiction 
of  Japanese  wantoness  and  human  suffering,  and  there  are 
many  situations  that  are  so  heart-rendering  that  one  finds  it 
difficult  to  control  the  tears.  Not  all  the  action  is  grim,  how- 
ever, for  there  are  many  moments  of  rich  humor  in  the 
petty  bickerings  of  the  family,  and  there  is  an  appealing 
romance.  Despite  the  picture's  unusual  length,  one's  interest 
is  held  all  the  way  through.  The  production  is  lavish,  and 
the  acting  by  the  capable  cast  is  flawless. 

The  action  takes  place  during  1937  in  a  small  village  in 
China's  interior,  where  Ling  Tan  (Walter  Huston)  works 
on  his  farm  with  his  three  sons,  Lao  Er  (Tuhran  Bey),  Lao 
Ta  (Robert  Bice),  and  Lao  San  (Hurd  Hatfield).  Other 
members  of  the  family  include  Jade  (Katharine  Hepburn), 
Lao  Er's  wife,  who  thirsts  for  the  knowledge  in  books;  Ling 
Tan's  wife  (Aline  MacMahon),  and  Orchid  (Frances  Raf- 
ferty),  Lao  Ta's  wife,  and  their  two  children.  The  peace 
and  quiet  of  the  village  is  violated  by  a  flight  of  Japanese 
bombers  that  leave  destruction  and  death  in  their  wake. 
Thousands  of  refugees  choke  the  road  leading  to  Free  China 
to  fight  the  Japs  from  there.  Jade  and  her  husband,  realizing 
that  their  country  could  not  survive  without  freedom,  join 
the  march.  Weeks  later,  Japanese  troops  enter  the  village  and 
begin  a  program  of  pillage,  marauding,  and  rape.  Ling's 
farm  is  destroyed,  and  Orchid  is  violated  and  killed.  Ling, 
his  wife,  and  Orchid's  children  are  left  alone  when  Lao  Ta 
and  Lao  San  join  the  guerilla  fighters.  Months  later,  Jade, 
her  husband,  and  their  new  baby  return  to  the  farm  and 
find  Ling  and  his  wife  suffering  from  starvation  and  pesti- 
lence. They  learn  that  Orchid's  children  had  died.  The  young 
couple  organize  the  farmers  into  guerilla  fighters  to  hamper 
the  Japanese.  Learning  that  Wu  Lien  (Akim  Tamiroff), 
Ling's  brother-in-law,  had  become  a  "Quisling,"  Jade  goes 
to  the  village  to  visit  him  and  manages  to  poison  the  food 
being  prepared  for  a  banquet.  Wu  Lien  is  shot  for  the  deed 
as  the  Japanese  officers  die.  Jade  and  her  hubsand  unsuc- 
cessfully try  to  convince  the  farmers  to  burn  their  homes  and 
their  crops,  but  Ling,  realizing  that  he  must  destroy  what 
he  loves  to  make  it  useless  to  the  Japs,  sets  fire  to  his  farm. 
The  others  follow  his  example  and  join  him  on  the  trek  to 
Free  China,  to  till  the  soil  and  grow  food  for  the  Chinese 
defenders. 

Marguerite  Roberts  and  Jane  Murfin  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  Pandro  S.  Berman  produced  it.  Jack  Conway  and 
Harold  S.  Bucquet  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  J.  Carrol 
Naish,  Agnes  Moorehead,  Henry  Travers,  Robert  Lewis, 
Jacqueline  De  Wit  and  others. 

Since  the  scenes  indicating  rape  are  handled  with  delicacy, 
the  picture  is  suitable  for  all. 

"The  Seventh  Cross"  with  Spencer  Tracy, 
Signe  Hasso  and  Hume  Cronyn 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  111  min.) 

This  is  an  interest-holding,  taut  anti-Nazi  drama.  It  is 
well  produced,  expertly  acted,  and  even  deeply  emotional  at 
times,  but  it  is  a  cheerless  entertainment,  and  for  that  reason 
it  will  have  to  depend  upon  the  popularity  of  Spencer  Tracy, 
and  upon  the  fame  of  the  best-seller  novel  from  which  it  was 
adapted.  The  action  takes  place  in  Germany,  during  1936, 
when  those  Germans  who  disagreed  with  the  Nazi  ideology 
were  persecuted,  and  it  revolves  around  a  fugitive  from  a 
concentration  camp  and  his  efforts  to  evade  capture  by  the 
Gestapo.  Because  of  the  interesting  plot  developments,  the 
story  hold  one  in  suspense  from  beginning  to  end.  Spencer 
Tracy  does  a  creditable  job  as  the  fugitive  who  is  chased,  but 
high  honors  go  to  Hume  Cronyn  for  his  excellent  portrayal 
of  a  mild-mannered  German  family  man,  who,  though  prop- 
erly fearful  of  the  Gestapo,  risks  his  security  to  aid  his  friend. 
There  is  a  brief  romantic  interlude: — 

Tracy,  an  anti-Nazi  German,  and  six  other  imprisoned 
liberals  escape  from  a  concentration  camp.  George  Zucco, 
the  camp's  commandant,  vows  to  capture  them  and  to  nail 
them  to  seven  crosses  erected  in  the  prison  yard  to  serve 
as  an  example  to  the  other  prisoners.  One  by  one  the  men 
are  caught  by  the  Gestapo  until  only  Tracy  remains  free 
and  alive.  Embittered  and  tortured  almost  to  insensibility, 
Tracy  makes  his  way  across  Germany,  scarcely  managing 


to  keep  ahead  of  his  pursuers.  People  he  never  met  before, 
but  who  were  sympathetic  to  his  escape,  aid  him.  He  is 
bitterly  disappointed  when  he  reaches  his  home  town  and  his 
former  sweetheart,  now  married,  refuses  to  help  him.  He 
makes  his  way  to  the  apartment  of  Hume  Cronyn,  an  old 
friend,  who,  with  his  wife  (Jessica  Tandy),  offers  to  help 
him  at  great  risk  to  themselves.  Meanwhile  Herbert  Rudley, 
another  old  friend,  tries  to  locate  him  and  with  the  aid  of 
Kurt  Katch,  an  underground  leader,  succeeds  in  getting  a 
passport  and  travel  permit  to  him.  They  also  arrange  his 
passage  to  Holland.  While  waiting  for  the  boat  to  sail,  Tracy 
hides  out  at  a  waterfront  inn  where  Signe  Hasso,  an  under- 
priviliged  waitress,  risks  her  life  to  protect  him  from  the 
Gestapo.  They  fall  in  love,  and  he  leaves  her  on  a  note  of 
faith,  eager  to  live  and  to  pay  back  a  debt  to  the  people 
who  had  helped  him. 

Helen  Deutsch  wrote  the  screen  play  based  upon  the  novel 
by  Anna  Seghers.  Pandro  S.  Berman  produced  it,  and  Fred 
Zinnemann  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Agnes  Moorehead, 
Felix  Bressart,  Ray  Collins,  Alexander  Granach,  Steve  Geray 
and  others.    Suitable  for  all. 


"Since  You  Went  Away"  with  Claudette 
Colbert,  Jennifer  Jones,  Joseph  Cotten, 
Shirley  Temple,  Monty  Woolley  and 
Robert  Walker 

(United  Artists,  no  release  date  set;  time,  171  min.) 
In  keeping  with  his  reputation  as  a  producer  of  outstand- 
ing motion  pictures,  David  O.  Selznick  has  made  "Since 
You  Went  Away"  into  an  impressive  drama,  offering  enter- 
tainment that  has  something  for  every  type  of  audience. 
It  should  particularly  appeal  to  women,  for  it  has  deep 
human  interest  and  there  is  much  in  it  to  make  them  weep. 
It  is  an  episodic  but  stirring  and  inspiring  tale  of  America's 
home  front  during  the  present  conflict,  told  through  the 
experiences  of  a  mother  and  two  daughters,  who  readjust 
themselves  to  a  new  mode  of  living  when  the  head  of  the 
family  goes  to  war.  It  is  a  story  of  hardships,  heartbreaks, 
and  sacrifices,  of  war-time  romance  and  tragedy,  and  of 
courage,  faith,  and  devotion.  This  is  all  developed  in  a 
realistic  manner,  and  in  such  a  way  as  to  hold  one's  inter- 
est for  most  of  its  two  hours  and  fifty-one  minutes  running 
time.  It  should  be  said,  however,  that  the  picture's  length 
is  unnecessarily  excessive;  the  same  story  could  be  told  well 
within  two  hours,  without  losing  any  of  its  effectiveness. 
Some  judicious  cutting  would  eliminate  a  number  of  lagging 
spots.  The  performances  of  the  cast  are  uniformly  excellent 
and  the  popularity  of  the  players  should  in  itself  assure  the 
picture's  success.  Many  patrons  will  undoubtedly  be  dis- 
appointed to  find  that  Lionel  Barrymore,  listed  as  one  of 
the  seven  stars,  appears  for  less  than  two  minutes  in  a  brief 
sequence  as  a  clergyman.  This  sequence  has  the  appearance 
of  having  been  inserted  to  give  the  picture  added  name  value. 
The  direction  is  expert,  and  the  production  values  are  of  the 
highest  order.  Being  a  Selznick  picture,  however,  compari- 
sons are  in  order,  and  it  must  be  said  that  "Since  You  Went 
Away,"  though  an  excellent  production,  does  not  attain  the 
epic-like  qualities  of  "Gone  With  the  Wind." 

The  story  revolves  around  the  "Hilton"  family,  com- 
posed of  Claudette  Colbert  and  her  two  daughters,  Jennifer 
Jones  and  Shirley  Temple.  When  Claudette's  husband  (who 
is  never  shown)  enters  the  army,  her  daughters  induce  her 
to  take  in  a  boarder  to  help  meet  household  expenses.  They 
rent  a  room  to  Monty  Woolley,  a  crotchety,  retired  army 
officer,  and  through  him  Jennifer  meets  and  falls  in  love 
with  Robert  Walker,  his  grandson  and  an  army  private. 
Woolley  disliked  the  boy  because  he  had  failed  to  make  the 
grade  at  West  Point.  Notified  that  her  husband  was  missing 
in  action,  Claudette  and  her  daughters  bravely  cling  to  the 
hope  that  he  will  return  safely.  A  tragic  note  is  added  when 
news  comes  of  Walker's  death  on  the  battlefield.  The  spirits 
of  the  family  are  brightened  by  the  occasional  visits  of  Joseph 
Cotten,  a  Naval  officer  and  old  family  friend.  Stoically  hid- 
ing their  loneliness  and  despair,  the  family  joins  in  the  task 
of  aiding  the  war  effort.  Claudette  toils  as  a  welder  in  a 
shipyard,  Jennifer  becomes  a  nurse  and  aids  in  the  rehabilita- 
tion of  wounded  soldiers,  and  Shirley  helps  collect  scrap 
metal  and  waste  paper.  Their  courage  and  faith  are  rewarded 
on  Christmas  Eve,  when  Claudette  learns  that  her  husband 
was  safe  and  homeward  bound. 

The  story  is  by  no  means  all  tragic.  There  is  considerable 
comedy  in  many  of  the  situations,  with  most  of  the  laughter 
being  provoked  by  Monty  Woollcy's  testincss,  and  by  Joseph 
Cotten's  flippancy. 

Mr.  Selznick  wrote  the  screen  play  and  produced  it,  and 
John  Cromwell  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Hattie  Mc- 
Daniel,  Nazimova,  Agnes  Moorehead,  and  many  others. 


120 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  22,  1944 


television  show,  picked  up  by  the  home  television  set,  could 
keep  any  one  away  from  theatres  that  showed  good  pictures. 

Before  leaving,  I  pointed  out  to  him  that,  if  every  tele- 
vision company  that  would  furnish  television  events  to  the 
theatres  were  to  send  a  pick-up  crew  to  the  scene  of  an 
event,  there  would  be  duplication  of  effort  and  an  unneces- 
sary expense. 

Instead  of  giving  you  the  answer  he  gave  me,  let  me 
reproduce  a  paragraph  from  a  speech  he  made  before  the 
Television  Seminar  of  the  Radio  Executives  Club,  on  June  8, 
for  the  question  is  answered  very  clearly: 

"The  question  has  been  asked:  Who  is  going  to  supply 
the  necessary  pickup  equipment  and  personnel  to  televise 
these  events  and  carry  them  as  far  as  the  nearest  coaxial  cable 
connection?  The  broadcast  chains  or,  let  us  call  them  tele- 
casting chains,  could  perform  this  function  but,  if  they  do 
not  desire  to  do  so,  the  theatre  group  could  well  afford  their 
own  cooperative  sets  of  pickup  equipment  and  their  own 
operating  personnel  would  transport  it  to  the  scene  of  the 
event,  just  as  sound  newsreel  cameras  are  today." 

As  a  layman,  I  am  a  bit  confused  by  Mr.  Austrian's  ideas 
as  to  how  important  events  could  be  picked  up  by  an  outside 
television  crew  and  relayed  in  some  manner  to  the  theatres. 
To  begin  with,  the  case  of  the  newsreels  are  not  analogous; 
the  camera  crews  are  sent  out,  not  by  the  exhibitors,  but  by 
the  distributors.  Then  again,  the  newsreels  are  put  out  by 
the  distributors  more  for  the  advertising  there  is  in  it  for 
their  companies'  names  than  for  profit.  And  there  is  much 
duplication  of  effort  and  unnecessary  expense,  because  each 
newsreel  crew  goes  to  the  same  scene  of  an  important  event. 
It  is  seldom  that  only  one  outfit  is  sent  and  the  shots  shared 
by  all  newsreels. 

But  most  of  my  confusion  comes  from  the  fact  that,  though 
there  will  supposedly  be  several  major  film  companies  set  up 
for  the  purpose  of  providing  television  entertainment  for 
the  theatres,  the  pick-up  of  television  events  is  to  be  left  to 
exhibitor  groups,  who  know  nothing  about  the  technique  of 
television.  It  docs  not  seem  logical.  It  seems  to  involve  the 
exhibitors  entering  the  business  of  production. 

In  his  speech,  Mr.  Austrian  made  another  statement  that 
seems  confusing.  He  said: 

"Events  of  national  and  international  importance  would 
be  shown  by  theatres  of  course  without  any  extra  charge. 
When  our  President  speaks,  naturally  the  exhibitor  will 
include  his  image  and  his  words  as  part  of  the  program  and 
schedule  the  rest  of  the  show  accordingly." 

There  are  many  obstacles  in  the  carrying  out  of  such  an 
idea.  To  begin  with,  the  President  usually  speaks  from 
Washington.  The  television  pick-up  may  or  may  not  be  able 
to  send  the  President's  image  to  New  York,  and  certainly 
not  to  Chicago  and  to  all  points  West,  nor  to  many  parts  of 
the  North,  as  well  as  of  the  South,  for  the  simple  reason 
that,  at  present,  the  television  broadcast  range  is  limited.  A 
television  image  may  be  relayed,  using  methods  available  at 
present  and  by  highly  experienced  operators,  three  hundred 
miles  with  certainty,  five  hundred  miles  probably  but  not 
with  certainty,  and  one  thousand  miles  with  a  prayer.  Until 
television  has  progressed  enough  to  relay  television  images 
from  Coast  to  Coast,  Mr.  Austrian's  prediction  of  having 
events  of  international,  as  well  as  of  national,  importance 
televised  on  the  screens  of  all  the  theatres  will  remain  only 
a  dream. 

Another  obstacle  to  the  exhibitor's  carrying  out  his  sug- 
gestion is  the  fact  that,  if  an  exhibitor  whose  theatre  is  in  a 
rock-ribbed  Republican  community  should  announce  that 
he  will  televise  the  President  making  a  speech,  he  might  just 
as  well  close  down  his  theatre  for  the  evening. 

Even  if  political  differences  should  not  keep  patrons  away 
from  a  theatre,  why  should  they  go  to  a  theatre  to  see  and 
hear  the  President  speak  when  they  can  stay  within  the 
comfort  of  their  homes  and  do  so,  if  they  should  happen  to 


have  a  television  receiving  set? — and  in  all  probability  most 
of  them  will! 

Still  another  drawback  is  "timing."  If  the  President  should 
choose  to  speak  at,  for  example,  10  P.M.,  the  time  he  usually 
chooses  for  his  talks  to  the  nation,  it  would  be  9  P.M.,  in 
the  Central-Time  Zone,  8  P.M.,  in  the  Mountain-Time 
Zone,  and  7  P.M.,  in  the  Pacific-Time  Zone.  That  certainly 
would  give  the  exhibitors  in  each  time  zone  a  problem  to 
solve,  not  to  mention  the  problem  the  public  will  be  con- 
fronted with,  for  between  seven  and  eight  o'clock  is  the 
dinner  hour  for  the  majority  of  the  picture-goers. 

Since  distance  and  time  arc  obstacles  in  the  televising  of 
an  event,  it  may  be  necessary  to  take  sound  pictures  of  it, 
develop  the  negative,  make  positive  prints  and  either  ship 
them  by  air  or  by  train  to  all  the  television  stations  located 
outside  the  television  transmitting  range.  But  by  the  time 
that  the  prints  are  received  and  then  televised  for  the 
theatres,  the  event  will  be  of  not  much  greater  interest  to  the 
picture-goer  than  it  would  be  if  he  saw  it  in  a  newsreel. 
(Perhaps  the  President's  speech  could  be  distributed  by  tele- 
vision at  10  P.M.,  and  simultaneously  photographed  and 
sound  recorded.  The  quickly  developed  film  might  then  be 
repeated  one  or  two  hours  later  over  a  nation-wide  television 
network — but  this  is  all  far  off.) 

We  have  had  an  example  of  this  in  the  case  of  the  recent 
Republican  Convention,  in  Chicago:  Several  thousand  feet 
of  the  convention  were  taken  with  a  sound  camera;  the  first 
positive  print  was  edited,  the  negative  cut  accordingly,  posi- 
tive prints  were  made  and,  by  the  time  they  were  delivered 
to  the  telecasting  stations  in  New  York,  Philadelphia  and 
Schenectady,  twenty  hours  had  elapsed.  Only  television  sets 
in  and  around  Chicago  were  able  to  pick  up  the  event  di- 
rectly from  the  Chicago  television  station. 

And  why  should  the  exhibitor  pay  a  large  sum  of  money 
to  buy,  install  and  operate  television  equipment  to  project 
on  his  television  screen  events  that  have  been  relayed  to  him 
by  the  telecasting  station  from  film,  when  he  can  show  a 
newsreel  of  the  same  subject  at  a  fraction  of  the  cost? 
(Continued  next  wee\) 


"Men  of  the  Sea"  with  an  all-English  cast 

(PRC,  April  30;  time.  49  min.) 

This  is  a  slow-moving,  British-made  program  drama, 
which,  despite  its  short  running  time,  is  tedious  all  the  way 
through.  The  story  is  trite  and  uninteresting;  and  most  of 
the  dialogue  is  difficult  to  understand  because  of  the  thick 
English  accents.  Moreover,  none  of  the  players  are  known  to 
American  audiences. 

The  story  revolves  around  a  Cornish  sea-faring  family, 
which  had  been  bound  to  the  sea  for  many  generations.  For 
years,  the  sea  had  taken  its  toll  of  the  family,  and  the  mother 
fretted  lest  she  lose  her  husband  and  one  remaining  son.  She 
persuades  her  son  to  settle  down  in  a  shop  and  marry  his 
sweetheart,  and  induces  her  husband  to  give  up  the  sea  to 
grow  cabbages.  Everything  goes  well  until  war  breaks  out 
and  the  son  decides  to  join  the  Navy  as  a  wireless  operator. 
The  mother  quarrels  with  him  when  she  learns  of  his  deci- 
sion. Some  time  later,  word  is  received  that  the  son's  ship 
had  been  sunk  and  that  he  was  missing.  The  husband,  despite 
his  promise  to  quit  the  sea,  volunteers  to  serve  on  a  ship. 
Bitter  at  the  loss  of  her  son  and  her  husband's  refusal  to 
remain  at  home,  the  mother  loses  her  faith  in  God.  But  when 
the  Admiralty  reveals  that  her  son  is  safe,  she  regains  her 
faith  and,  realizing  the  true  meaning  of  the  war,  gives  her 
blessing  to  her  husband  as  he  leaves  on  his  ship. 

Manning  Haynes  wrote  the  story,  James  B.  Sloan  pro- 
duced it,  and  Norman  Walker  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Wilfrid  Lawson,  Mary  Jerrold,  Kathleen  O'Regan,  William 
Freshman  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  JULY  29,  1944  No.  31 


Has  Theatre  Television  Arrived?  —  No.  4 

(Continued  from  last  wee\) 


One  other  film  company  that  has  taken  up  television  is 
the  Hughes  Tool  Company,  controlled  by  Howard  Hughes. 
But  since  it  is  rumored  that  Mr.  Hughes  can  hardly  count 
the  millions  that  he  is  making  each  year,  a  few  millions  lost 
or  made  in  a  television  venture  may  not  make  any  more 
impression  on  him  than  would  the  weight  of  a  mosquito  on 
the  proboscis  of  an  elephant. 

An  official  of  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  has  informed  me 
that  his  company  has  given  television  deep  thought,  but  it 
is  not  yet  ready  to  announce  what  it  intends  to  do. 

A  Universal  executive  has  informed  me  that  his  company 
will  not  take  up  Television,  and  will  be  waiting  eagerly  for 
the  television  series  of  articles  to  appear  in  these  columns. 

An  executive  of  Warner  Bros,  has  informed  me  that  his 
company's  engineers  are  now  making  a  study  of  television 
but  have  not  yet  concluded  their  findings.  Consequently, 
they  are  not  in  a  position  to  say  just  now  what  their  course 
will  be. 

Twentieth  Century-Fox  has  its  engineers  constantly  study- 
ing the  problem  but  its  executives  feel  that  the  television 
picture  is  far  from  being  as  good  as  the  motion  picture,  both 
from  the  technical  and  the  entertaining  point  of  view,  and 
for  that  reason  they  are  not  going  to  do  anything  about  it 
at  present  and  perhaps  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

United  Artists  is  surveying  the  field  but  whether  it  will  go 
into  television  or  not  depends,  according  to  one  of  its  top 
executives,  on  each  of  the  partners. 

Republic  feels  that  television  is  competitive  to  motion 
pictures  and  it  will  do  nothing  about  it  other  than  to  fight  it 
as  a  competitor. 

I  requested  the  RCA  Manufacturing  Company  of  Cam- 
den, N.  J.,  to  be  kind  enough  to  send  to  New  York  City  an 
engineer  of  theirs  with  whom  I  could  have  a  talk  in  an  effort 
to  find  out  how  much  progress  RCA  has  made  in  the  theatre 
television  field,  so  as  to  advise  you  accordingly. 

One  of  their  experts  came  to  New  York  and  our  talk  was 
very  pleasant  and  enlightening.  He  assured  me  that  RCA 
will  make  theatre  television  equipment  as  fast  as  material  is 
released  by  the  WPB  for  civilian  use. 

Keeping  in  mind  the  interests  of  the  smaller  exhibitors,  I 
suggested  to  this  expert  that  RCA  should  manufacture 
small  equipment,  moderately  priced,  compact  and  light,  to 
be  put  on  rollers,  so  that  it  could  be  rolled  to  the  place  of 
one  of  the  projectors,  which  could,  in  turn,  be  rolled  out  of 
the  way  when  television  images  are  to  be  projected  on  the 
screen.  This  would  make  expensive  architectural  altera- 
tions in  the  theatre  unnecessary.  The  most  an  exhibitor 
might  have  to  do  would  be  to  have  his  projection  room  made 
a  little  longer  so  that  the  television  equipment,  when  not  in 
use,  might  be  rolled  out  of  the  way. 

The  RCA  expert  liked  the  idea  and  promised  me  that  he 
will  submit  it  to  his  home  office  for  consideration. 

*        *  * 

From  what  has  already  been  said,  it  is  easy  enough  to  see 
that  no  exhibitor  need  go  into  a  panic  about  theatre  tele- 


vision and  rush  wildly  into  this  new  entertainment  field,  for, 
to  begin  with,  the  art  has  not  progressed  to  the  point  where 
he  must  have  a  television  set  or  go  out  of  business.  After  all, 
the  question  of  whether  he  should  or  should  not  have  a  tele- 
vision equipment  installed  in  his  theatre  is  a  matter  of  eco- 
nomics and  not  one  of  emotion,  for  him  as  well  as  his  com- 
petitors. He  must  first  figure  out  how  much  the  equipment 
and  its  installation  will  cost,  as  well  as  its  operation,  main- 
tenance, replacements  and  repairs,  and,  of  course,  the  cost 
of  the  entertainment  that  will  be  furnished  to  him.  After 
arriving  at  an  approximate  figure,  he  must  then  ask  himself 
whether  his  seating  capacity  is  enough  to  enable  him  to  give 
the  television  entertainment  profitably  without  raising  his 
admission  prices,  and,  if  not,  whether  his  patrons  will  stand 
a  raise  in  the  admission  prices  and,  if  so,  what  that  raise 
should  be.  Then  he  must  estimate  whether  the  additional 
income  will  enable  him  to  pay  for  the  entertainment,  for  the 
operation  of  the  equipment,  for  its  maintenance,  and  for  the 
amortization  of  the  original  cost. 

But  even  if  he  came  to  fairly  favorable  conclusions  after 
taking  all  costs  into  consideration,  he  has  other  problems  to 
consider,  pretty  important  in  themselves.  The  first  is,  as  said, 
the  time  element.  This  cannot  be  brushed  off  by  the  represen- 
tative of  a  television  program  producer  or  of  a  television 
equipment  manufacturer.  You  cannot  stop  in  the  middle  of 
a  picture  to  show  a  television  event;  many  of  your  patrons 
may  not  stand  for  it.  If  you  should  stop  the  picture  too  often 
against  their  wishes,  you  may  lose  their  patronage.  And  such 
a  loss  may  be  almost  as  much  as  the  gain. 

Then  again,  what  will  you  do  if  a  television  event,  instead 
of  lasting  twenty  or  thirty  minutes,  lasted  only  five  minutes? 
Let  us  take  as  our  example  a  prize  fight:  it  may  last  ten 
rounds;  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  last  only  one  round.  How 
are  you  going  to  cover  the  lost  time?  Will  you  rent  an  extra 
reel,  or  two  reels,  for  an  emergency?  Wouldn't  that  add  to 
your  operating  cost?  This  is  an  important  item  for  small 
theatres. 

But  suppose  people  come  to  your  theatre  to  see  the  tele- 
vision of  an  important  event  and  paid  an  advanced  admis- 
sion price,  and  the  event  was  cancelled  the  last  minute: 
What  are  you  going  to  do  in  such  a  case?  Are  you  going  to 
refund  the  extra  charge?  Imagine  the  trouble!  (Cancella- 
tion of  an  event  at  the  last  minute  has  happened  and  can 
happen  again.) 

Suppose,  again,  that  you  are  showing  a  top-rental  pic- 
ture and  you  are  informed  by  the  television  company  that 
an  important  event  is  to  take  place  on  one  of  the  days  of 
the  engagement;  will  the  film  company  make  any  concession 
to  you  for  the  extra  cost  of  the  event?  Will  it  demand  its 
share  of  the  advanced  admission  price?  Personally  I  doubt 
that  any  concession  will  be  granted  to  you. 

And  how  about  jurisdictional  fights  among  the  labor 
unions?  Such  conflicts  may  arise  from  a  dozen  causes,  none 
of  which  may  be  your  own  doing.  One  of  such  causes  may 
be  the  scale  of  wages.  Will  the  moving  picture  projectionists 
be  willing  to  work  for  less  than  the  television  operators,  even 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


122 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  29, 1944 


"Mile.  Fifi"  with  Simone  Simon, 
John  Emery  and  Kurt  Kreuger 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  69  min.) 

A  rather  slow  but  interesting  program  drama,  with  good 
production  values.  Based  on  two  of  Guy  dc  Maupassant's 
patriotic  stories,  the  action  takes  place  in  France,  during  the 
Franco-Prussian  war  in  1871,  and  the  story  revolves  around 
a  pretty  French  laundress,  who  puts  love  for  her  country 
above  all.  The  picture  draws  a  parallel  with  France's  present- 
day  predicament  in  that  it  depicts  the  brutality  of  Prussian 
occupation;  the  aristocrats'  collaboration  with  the  enemy 
and  their  efforts  to  escape  the  rigors  of  occupation;  and  the 
courage  with  which  true  Frenchmen  and  Frenchwomen 
stubbornly  offer  resistance.  It  has  considerable  human  appeal, 
and  one  is  sympathetic  to  the  heroine  who  is  subjected  to 
cruel  treatment  by  the  aristocrats,  and  by  a  sadistic  Prussian 
officer.  There  is  no  comedy  to  relieve  the  tension: — 

Included  in  a  group  of  passengers  fleeing  Rouen  in  a 
coach  are  three  smug  aristocratic  couples,  anxious  to  escape 
to  England;  John  Emory,  a  patriot,  whose  courage  was  be- 
ginning to  waver;  and  Simone  Simon,  a  laundress,  returning 
to  her  home  in  Clcrcsville.  The  aristocrats  openly  show  their 
scorn  for  Simone  when  she  professes  her  hatred  for  the 
Prussians.  Halting  overnight  at  an  inn,  the  travelers  arc 
placed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Kurt  Kreuger,  a  ruthless 
Prussian  lieutenant,  whom  brother  officers  had  nicknamed 
"Mile.  Fifi."  Angered  when  Simone  declines  an  invitation 
to  dine  with  him,  Kreuger  forbids  them  all  to  leave.  Simone's 
stubborn  attitude  keeps  the  group  at  the  inn  for  several  days 
until  she  succumbs  to  their  pressure  and  agrees  to  dine  with 
Kreuger.  Simone  learns  that  Kreuger  had  no  desire  for  her 
other  than  a  sadistic  determination  to  make  her  follow  Prus- 
sian orders.  The  following  day,  Simone  is  disillusioned  when 
her  fellow  passengers  shun  her  as  though  she  were  a  way- 
ward girl.  Arriving  in  Cleresville,  Simone  is  forced  to  join 
a  party  given  by  drunken  German  officers.  There,  she  is 
subjected  a  second  time  to  the  demands  of  Kreuger.  She 
stabs  him  fatally,  and  flees,  Emory,  whose  courage  had  been 
restored  by  Simone's  faith  and  conviction,  helps  her  to 
escape.  The  town's  church  bell,  which  an  aged  priest  had 
refused  to  ring  to  celebrate  the  Prussian  victory,  finally 
tolls  as  Kreuger's  funeral  cortege  passes  by. 

Josef  Mischcl  and  Peter  Ruric  wrote  the  screen  play,  Val 
Lewton  produced  it,  and  Robert  Wise  directed  it. 

There  are  a  few  objectionable  sex  situations. 


"Three  Little  Sisters"  with  Mary  Lee, 
Ruth  Terry  and  Cheryl  Walker 

(Republic,  release  date  not  set;  time  68  min.) 

A  fairly  pleasant  program  comedy.  The  story,  which  is 
based  on  the  deception  theme,  is  routine  and  unfolds  in  an 
obvious  manner,  yet  it  should  fit  nicely  in  a  double-feature 
bill.  Most  of  the  comedy  is  provoked  by  the  predicaments 
three  sisters  get  themselves  into  as  they  try  to  keep  a  soldier 
from  learning  that  they  were  the  poorest  family  in  town,  and 
that  the  sister  he  had  fallen  in  love  with,  through  correspond- 
ence, was  a  wheel-chair  invalid.  Several  tuneful  musical 
numbers  have  been  worked  into  the  story  without  retarding 
the  action.  The  romantic  leads  are  played  by  Cheryl  Walker 
and  William  Terry,  the  love  team  of  "Stage  Door  Canteen"; 
this  fact,  properly  exploited,  should  prove  beneficial  at  the 
box-office:- — 

Cheryl  Walker,  Ruth  Terry,  and  Mary  Lee,  sisters,  live 
in  a  small  town  where  they  earn  a  living  washing  clothes 
for  the  villagers.  Cheryl,  an  invalid,  had  been  corresponding 
with  William  Terry,  a  soldier,  whom  she  had  never  met,  and 
her  letters  to  him,  written  by  Mary,  described  her  luxurious 
life  in  the  town's  Manor  House,  a  vacant  mansion  owned  by 
Charles  Arnt,  a  skinflint.  When  Terry  writes  Cheryl  that 
he  is  coming  to  town  for  a  visit,  the  girls  become  panic- 


stricken  lest  he  learn  the  truth.  Mary  induces  Jackie  Moran, 
her  boy-friend,  who  worked  for  Arnt,  to  give  her  the  keys 
to  the  Manor.  The  girls  move  in  before  Terry's  arrival,  and 
Cheryl  and  Mary  agree  to  switch  identities  during  his  visit. 
Mary  is  pleasantly  surprised  when  Terry  ignores  her  and 
devotes  himself  to  Cheryl.  Meanwhile  Ruth  finds  herself 
attracted  to  Frank  Jenks,  Terry's  buddy,  and,  to  make  con- 
versation, mentions  that  she  and  her  sisters  planned  to  open 
a  canteen  in  the  Manor.  When  Jenks  returns  to  camp,  he 
mentions  Ruth's  plan  to  Colonel  Addison  Richards,  who 
heartily  endorses  the  idea  and  sends  trucks  full  of  soldiers 
and  an  army  band.  Arnt  storms  into  the  Manor  at  the  height 
of  the  party  and  demands  that  the  girls  be  arrested.  The 
sisters  explain  the  hoax  to  Terry,  but  he  thinks  nothing  of 
it,  having  fallen  in  love  with  Cheryl.  The  soldiers  begin  to 
cheer  Arnt,  who,  overjoyed  to  find  himself  popular,  drops 
the  charges  against  the  girls;  donates  the  Manor  House  as 
a  permanent  canteen;  and  offers  to  send  Cheryl  to  a  special- 
ist so  that  she  and  Terry  could  dance  on  the  veranda  in  the 
near  future. 

Olive  Cooper  wrote  the  screen  play,  Harry  Grey  produced 
it,  and  Joseph  Santlcy  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Milt 
Kibbec,  Lillian  Randolph,  Forrest  Taylor  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Bride  By  Mistake"  with  Laraine  Day, 
Alan  Marshal  and  Marsha  Hunt 

(RKO.  no  release  date  set;  time,  81  min.) 

A  good  romantic  comedy.  The  story  is  not  particularly 
novel  or  even  logical;  yet  it  holds  one's  attention,  for  it  has 
been  directed  with  skill  and  acted  engagingly  by  a  capable 
cast.  The  action  revolves  around  a  fabulously  wealthy  girl, 
who  seeks  a  husband  but  wants  to  protect  herself  against 
fortune  hunters.  Many  humorous  complications  arise  when 
she  falls  in  love  with  an  aviator  and  puts  him  to  the  test  by 
switching  identities  with  her  attractive  secretary,  a  married 
woman,  and  even  urges  him  to  propose  to  her.  Although  the 
outcome  is  obvious,  it  does  not  detract  from  one's  enjoyment 
of  the  picture,  since  the  methods  employed  to  bring  about 
the  final  results  are  romantically  amusing: — 

To  guard  against  fortune  hunters,  Laraine  Day,  a  wealthy 
shipyard  owner,  averts  newspaper  publicity  and  has  Marsha 
Hunt,  her  secretary-companion,  impersonate  her  whenever 
she  has  to  appear  in  public.  Laraine's  intimates  favor  the 
idea  of  her  getting  married,  especially  Edgar  Buchanan,  her 
guardian,  and  Allyn  Joslyn,  Marsha's  husband,  who  wanted 
to  settle  down  to  a  normal  married  life.  At  Marsha's  sug- 
gestion, Buchanan  arranges  a  tea  party  for  a  group  of 
aviators  stationed  in  a  rest  camp  nearby  Laraine's  estate,  so 
that  Laraine,  masquerading  as  Marsha,  could  meet  some 
eligible  men.  Captain  Alan  Marshal  attends  the  party,  and 
Laraine  finds  herself  attracted  to  him.  Believing,  however, 
that  he  has  eyes  only  for  Marsha  and  her  supposed  wealth, 
Laraine  decides  to  test  him.  She  arranges  a  week-end  party 
at  her  beach  house,  and  deliberately  throws  Marsha  and 
Marshal  together,  much  to  the  consternation  of  Joslyn.  She 
even  urges  Marshal  to  propose  marriage.  Marsha  becomes 
intoxicated  and,  forgetting  her  marital  status,  accepts  his 
proposal.  Laraine  becomes  dejected  at  having  lost  him.  That 
night,  Marshal  is  shocked  to  see  Joslyn  entering  Marsha's 
bedroom.  In  the  morning,  he  gives  Joslyn  a  beating  and 
insists  that  Laraine  leave  her  "immoral"  employer.  When 
she  refuses,  Marshal  carries  her  out  of  the  house  bodily,  de- 
termined to  protect  her  morals.  They  marry,  and  not  until 
she  tells  him  to  look  at  her  name  on  the  license  does  he  learn 
who  she  really  is. 

Phoebe  and  Henry  Ephron  wrote  the  screen  play  from 
an  original  story  by  Norman  Krasna,  Bert  Granet  produced 
it,  and  Richard  Wallace  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Slim 
Summerville,  John  Miljan  and  others. 

There  are  no  objectionable  situations. 


July  29,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


123 


"Music  in  Manhattan"  with  Anne  Shirley, 
Dennis  Day  and  Phillip  Terry 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  81  min.) 

An  entertaining  comedy-farce  with  music,  of  program 
grade.  The  story  is  neither  serious  nor  sensible,  but  it  is  gay, 
and  offers  considerable  comedy,  a  pleasant  romance,  and  a 
few  very  tuneful  musical  numbers,  in  which  Anne  Shirley 
and  Dennis  Day  make  a  charming  singing  team.  There  are 
a  number  of  amusing  situations,  fashioned  along  the  lines 
of  those  found  in  bedroom  farces,  which  should  provoke 
hearty  laughter.  The  action  moves  at  a  steady  pace,  and 
holds  one's  attention  even  though  one  knows  in  advance 
just  how  it  will  end.  Charlie  Barnet's  orchestra  and  Nilo 
Menendez  and  his  Rhumba  Band  furnish  the  music: — 

Needing  money  to  help  save  the  musical  show  of  which 
she  was  the  star,  Anne  Shirley  decides  to  go  to  Washington 
to  ask  her  guardian  for  financial  aid.  Raymond  Walburn, 
the  show's  musical  director,  obtains  a  plane  reservation  for 
Anne  by  informing  the  ticket  clerk  that  she  was  the  secret 
bride  of  Phillip  Terry,  a  war  hero,  who  was  to  be  presented 
with  the  Congressional  Medal.  Newspapermen  learn  of  the 
story,  and  Anne,  unaware  of  the  hoax,  finds  herself  whisked 
to  Terry's  hotel  suite  when  she  arrives  in  Washington.  Terry, 
who,  too,  was  ignorant  of  the  hoax,  gallantly  permits  her  to 
stay  overnight  because  of  the  room  shortage.  Anne  slips 
away  in  the  morning  and,  after  a  disappointing  interview 
with  her  guardian,  returns  to  New  York  for  the  evening 
show.  She  is  amazed  to  find  the  theatre  packed,  but  soon 
learns  the  reason  when  she  sees  the  headlines  hailing  her  as 
Terry's  bride.  She  does  not  deny  the  story  lest  the  show  fail 
and  her  co-workers  lose  their  jobs.  Terry,  believing  Anne 
had  resorted  to  a  cheap  publicity  trick,  decides  to  embarass 
her  by  moving  into  her  apartment.  Dennis  Day,  Anne's 
fiance,  vainly  tries  to  eject  him  from  the  apartment.  In  the 
morning,  the  situation  becomes  complicated  when  Jane 
Darwell,  Terry's  mother,  arrives  at  the  apartment  to  meet 
her  new  "daughter-in-law,"  and  to  stay  for  a  few  days.  By 
this  time,  Anne  and  Terry  had  fallen  in  love,  but  neither 
would  admit  it.  To  solve  the  problem,  they  decide  to  really 
get  married  and  then  to  secure  an  annulment.  But  Terry's 
mother,  believing  they  had  an  insignificant  quarrel,  tries  to 
patch  things  up  by  telling  Terry  that  Anne  was  going  to 
have  a  baby.  Blaming  Dennis  for  the  "deed,"  Terry  gives 
him  a  beating  and  leaves  on  a  war-bond  tour.  Anne,  realiz- 
ing he  cared  for  her,  tears  up  the  annulment  papers  and 
joins  him  upon  his  return. 

Lawrence  Kimble  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  John  H.  Auer 
produced  and  directed  it. 

Morally  unobjectionable. 

"Crime  By  Night"  with  Jerome  Cowan 
Jane  Wyman  and  Faye  Emerson 

(Warner  Bros.,  Sept.  9;  time,  73  min.) 

A  routine  program  murder-mystery  melodrama,  with  an 
espionage  angle.  The  story  is  somewhat  far-fetched,  but 
since  the  pace  is  fast  and  it  has  some  comedy  one's  attention 
is  held  fairly  well.  Although  an  attempt  is  made  to  keep 
the  audience  guessing,  the  identity  of  the  guilty  persons 
becomes  quite  obvious  early  in  the  proceedings.  The  solving 
of  the  crimes  follows  the  well-worn  "Thin  Man"  pattern  in 
which  a  suave  detective  and  his  pretty  secretary  track  down 
the  clues.  The  romantic  interest  is  incidental: — 

Jerome  Cowan,  a  private  detective,  is  retained  by  Stuart 
Crawford,  a  crippled  musician,  to  defend  him  from  being 
charged  with  the  murder  of  his  wealthy  father-in-law,  a 
chemical  manufacturer.  Crawford  explains  that  he  was  sure 
to  be  the  principal  suspect,  because  he  had  often  quarrelled 
violently  with  the  dead  man,  whose  daughter  (Eleanor 
Parker)  he  had  divorced.  In  one  of  these  quarrels,  the  old 
man  had  hit  him  with  an  ax,  causing  the  amputation  of  one 
hand.  Aided  by  Jane  Wyman,  his  secretary,  Cowan's  in- 


vestigation brings  him  in  contact  with  Creighton  Hale,  the 
dead  man's  secretary;  Charles  Lang,  a  singer  at  a  local  hotel 
and  fiance  of  Crawford's  ex-wife;  and  Faye  Emerson,  a  con- 
cert manager,  who  represented  Lang.  Cowan,  after  a  care- 
ful search,  learns  that  the  dead  man  had  developed  an 
important  chemical  formula,  needed  in  the  prosecution  of 
the  war.  He  learns  also  that  Lang  had  tried  to  obtain  the 
formula  through  Eleanor.  Lang,  sensing  that  Cowan  was 
closing  in  on  him,  attempts  to  kill  the  detective.  He  is  ar- 
rested and  put  in  the  same  cell  with  Faye's  chauffeur,  who 
had  been  jailed  for  drunkeness.  The  following  morning, 
Lang  is  found  dead.  Cowan,  suspicious  of  Faye,  tricks  her 
into  attempting  the  murder  of  an  important  witness.  He 
proves  that  Faye,  posing  as  a  concert  manager,  was  actually 
the  head  of  a  saboteur  ring,  and  that  Lang  and  the  chauf- 
feur were  her  accomplices.  The  chauffeur  had  murdered 
Lang  to  keep  him  silent.  Cowan  proves  also  that  Faye  had 
engineered  the  chemical  manufacturer's  death,  knowing  that 
the  son-in-law  (Crawford)  would  be  suspected. 

Richard  Weill  and  Joe  Malone  wrote  the  screen  play,  and 
William  Clemens  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Cy  Kendall, 
Charles  Wilson,  Juanita  Stark  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Abroad  with  Two  Yanks"  with 
William  Bendix,  Dennis  O'Keefe 
and  Helen  Walker 

(United  Artists,  Aug.  4;  time,  79  mm.) 

If  your  audiences  want  a  change  from  the  serious  type  of 
war  melodramas  that  have  been  shown  lately,  they  should 
find  this  fast-moving  service  comedy  an  amusing  entertain- 
ment. The  story,  treatment,  and  characterizations  are  remi- 
niscent of  the  "Flagg-Quirt"  formula,  in  which  two  Marines, 
buddies,  continually  vie  for  the  attentions  of  the  same  girl, 
who  loves  neither.  The  fact  that  the  story  is  thin  does  not 
matter  much,  for  their  are  plentiful  gags — some  old,  others 
new,  but  mostly  all  comical  even  though  they  frequently 
resort  to  slapstick.  The  sequence  in  which  William  Bendix 
and  Dennis  O'Keefe,  dressed  in  female  clothes,  chase  each 
other  at  a  charity  bazaar,  should  provoke  peals  of  laughter 
in  well-filled  theatres.  The  action  is  void  of  war  scenes: — 

Arriving  at  an  Australian  port  for  a  furlough,  -William 
Bendix  proudly  boasts  to  Dennis  O'Keefe,  his  buddy,  that 
he  had  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Helen  Walker,  a  local 
young  lady,  given  to  him  by  John  Loder,  an  Australian 
soldier,  whose  life  he  had  saved.  O'Keefe  beats  Bendix  to 
Helen's  home  and,  representing  himself  as  Bendix,  proceeds 
to  tell  her  of  the  heroic  rescue.  Bendix  arrives  in  the  midst 
of  the  story  and,  to  get  even,  tells  Helen  that  O'Keefe  was 
slightly  insane.  Deciding  to  capitalize  on  Bendix's  statement, 
O'Keefe,  impersonating  an  army  doctor,  telephones  Helen 
and  informs  her  that  he  (O'Keefe)  was  a  psychopathic  case 
whom  she  could  help  by  humoring.  Seeing  that  O'Keefe  Was 
getting  the  better  of  him  with  Helen,  Bendix  reveals  to  her 
the  hoax;  and  in  order  to  prevent  O'Keefe  from  making 
further  headway  with  her,  Bendix  sees  to  it  that  both  he 
and  his  rival  land  in  the  guardhouse.  To  gain  their  release, 
both  agree  to  act  as  chorus  girls  in  the  camp  show.  O'Keefe 
uses  his  feminine  disguise  as  a  means  of  escape,  going  to 
Helen's  house  where  a  charity  bazaar  was  in  progress.  Bendix 
pursues  him.  Both  get  into  a  series  of  difficulties  because  of 
their  female  attire,  and  eventually  locate  Helen  in  the  garden 
of  her  home.  There,  they  hear  her  accept  Loder's  proposal  of 
marriage.  Both  men  manfully  swallow  their  defeat  and,  as 
they  leave,  they  are  joined  by  a  detail  of  military  police  who 
march  them  back  to  the  guardhouse. 

Charles  Rogers,  Wilkie  Mahoney,  and  Ted  Sills  wrote 
the  screen  play,  Edward  Small  produced  it,  and  Allan  Dwan 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  George  Cleveland,  John  Abbott 
and  others. 

Morally  unobjectionable. 


124 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


July  29, 1944 


though  their  technical  knowledge  is  not  as  great  as  that  of 
the  latter? 

There  are  still  other  problems,  but  one  of  the  most  serious 
is  the  fact  that,  as  I  see  it  now,  you  will  have  no  control  over 
the  program  that  will  be  sent  to  you  by  the  telecasting  com- 
pany. Many  of  these  programs  may  cause  ill  feelings  among 
a  number  of  your  patrons.  For  instance,  if  you  were  to  show 
a  prize  fight  in  a  strictly  religious  town,  you  may  have  an 
avalanche  of  protests,  the  kind  that  may  mean  a  reduction 
in  your  receipts.  If  you  were  to  show  a  horse  race,  you  may 
have  a  worse  fight  on  your  hands.  So,  as  you  see,  some  of 
the  programs  may  coin  money  for  one  exhibitor  in  one 
town,  but  ruin  another  exhibitor  in  a  different  town. 

Though  I  have  presented  problems  that  many  of  you  will 
undoubtedly  be  confronted  with,  I  do  not  mean  to  discourage 
you  from  making  a  deep  study  of  the  television  problems. 
Study  television  intelligently  and  determine  for  yourself 
whether  it  is  necessary  for  you  to  install  a  television  equip- 
ment, and,  if  so,  whether  it  will  be  a  profitable  investment. 

Personally  I  believe  that  television  will  ultimately  be 
shown  in  theatres  that  will  give  television  entertainment  ex- 
clusively. But  this  is  an  opinion  of  my  own.  As  television 
is  developed,  it  may  prove  wrong;  or  it  may  prove  right. 

You  will  be  interested  to  know,  I  am  sure,  that  the  Society 
of  Motion  Picture  Engineers  is  studying  the  problem  care- 
fully. The  Television  Projection  Practice  Sub-Committee,  a 
part  of  the  Theatre  Engineering  Committee  of  that  Society, 
is  actively  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  field  under  the  chair- 
manship of  Mr.  Lester  Isaac,  Supervisor  of  Projection  of 
Locw's,  Inc.  The  recommendations  of  this  Sub-Committee 
will  undoubtedly  be  of  great  help  to  all  exhibitors,  as  were 
the  reports  of  the  Projection  Practice  Sub-Committee  when 
it  dealt  with  film  projection  and  the  specifications  for  proper 
projection  rooms. 

As  new  information  on  this  subject  becomes  available, 
Harrison's  Reports  will  print  it  so  as  to  keep  you  ac- 
quainted with  the  progress  of  television  insofar  as  it  affects 
the  operation  of  motion  picture  theatres.  We  shall  also  pre- 
sent shortly  a  set  of  special  television  topics  of  interest  to  you, 
under  classified  headings. 

THE  END 


"Janie"  with  Joyce  Reynolds 
Edward  Arnold  and  Ann  Harding 

(Warner  Bros.,  Sept.  2;  time,  101  min.) 

Based  on  Brock  Pemberton's  successful  Broadway  stage 
play,  of  the  same  title,  this  is  a  pleasantly  amusing  comedy, 
with  a  particular  appeal  for  adolescents.  The  younger  genera- 
tion should  find  it  to  their  liking,  for  most  of  the  action  re- 
volves around  'teen-aged  youngsters,  and  it  sets  forth,  in  a 
humorous  vein,  the  problems  that  beset  a  high  school  miss, 
when  the  army  establishes  a  base  near  her  home  town  and 
she  forsakes  her  local  beau  for  a  handsome  young  soldier. 
It  is  a  well-acted,  well-produced  picture  that  moves  at  high 
speed  and  has  a  number  of  highly  amusing  situations,  but 
it  lacks  originality.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  one  might  class  the 
production  as  a  female  "Henry  Aldrich"  picture,  but  with 
better  production  values.  Joyce  Reynolds,  a  newcomer,  gives 
a  bright  performance  as  "Janie,"  and  Clare  Foley,  an  eight- 
year-old  youngster,  is  excellent  as  "Janie's"  sister,  a  role  she 
enacted  in  the  stage  play.  Her  malicious  interference  in 
"Janie's"  affairs,  and  the  price  she  sets  on  her  nuisance 
value,  furnish  some  of  the  picture's  brightest  spots.  Addi- 
tional comedy  is  provoked  by  a  middle-aged  romance  be- 
tween Robert  Benchley,  as  a  debonair  bachelor,  and  Barbara 
Brown,  as  a  gay  widow.  The  fame  of  the  stage  play  may  be 
of  considerable  help  at  the  box-office: — 

When  the  army  establishes  a  base  near  Hortonville,  news- 
paper publisher  Edward  Arnold  writes  an  editorial  warning 
of  the  pitfalls  facing  the  town's  girls.  Joyce  Reynolds,  his 
sixteen-year-old  daughter,  remains  loyal  to  her  high  school 
sweetheart  (Richard  Erdman)  until  Robert  Hutton,  a  nine- 
teen-year-old private,  comes  to  town.  Joyce  is  fascinated  by 
Hutton's  uniform  and  Yale  polish,  but  does  not  know  what 
to  do  about  Erdman.  The  bitter  rivalry  between  the  two 


boys  gets  her  into  many  difficulties.  Learning  that  her 
mother  (Ann  Harding)  and  father  were  to  attend  a  party, 
and  that  the  house  would  be  empty  of  adults,  Joyce  plans 
to  spend  a  quiet  evening  at  home  with  Hutton  and  two 
of  her  girl-friends,  who,  too,  had  soldier  beaux.  Jealous, 
Erdman  notifies  the  soldiers  in  town  that  Joyce  was 
holding  open  house  for  all  men  off  duty.  The  soldiers 
begin  to  arrive  at  Joyce's  home  in  groups  and  squads 
and  before  long  a  riotous  party  is  in  full  swing.  The 
noise  arouses  the  neighbors,  who  call  the  police  —  mili- 
tary and  civilian — to  restore  the  peace.  The  police  arrive 
simultaneously  with  Joyce's  parents  and  the  commander  of 
the  army  camp.  A  quarrel  ensues  when  Arnold  surveys  the 
damage  to  his  home,  but  Joyce  restores  amity  when  she  in- 
forms the  commandant  that  the  party  was  clean  fun  and 
that  his  men  had  behaved  like  gentlemen.  The  following 
day,  Joyce  and  her  girl-friends  are  wet-eyed  as  the  soldiers 
depart  on  a  troop  train,  but  their  eager  young  eyes  turn 
with  dawning  expectancy  when  another  train  enters  the 
station  loaded  with  Marines. 

Agnes  Christine  Johnston  and  Charles  Hoffman  wrote 
the  screen  play  from  the  play  by  Josephine  Bcntham  and 
Herschel  V.  Williams,  Jr.  Alex  Gottlieb  produced  it,  and 
Michael  Curtiz  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Alan  Hale, 
Hattie  McDanicl,  Russell  Hicks  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"The  Falcon  in  Mexico"  with 
Tom  Conway  and  Mona  Maris 

(RKO.  no  release  date  set;  time,  70  min.) 

Typical  in  story  development  and  production  values  to 
the  other  pictures  in  the  series,  "The  Falcon  in  Mexico" 
offers  fairly  good  program  entertainment  for  the  followers 
of  murder-mystery  melodramas.  It  holds  one  in  suspense 
because  of  the  danger  to  Tom  Conway,  who  gives  his  usual 
good  performance  as  the  suave  private  detective;  and  since 
the  murderer's  identity  is  not  revealed  until  the  end,  it  keeps 
one  guessing.  Most  all  the  action  takes  place  in  Mexico,  and 
the  backgrounds  and  customs  give  the  picture  an  interesting 
touch.  There  is  some  comedy,  but  no  romance: — 

Passing  an  art  gallery  late  one  evening,  Conway  comes 
upon  Cecilia  Callejo,  a  Mexican  girl,  trying  to  force  the 
door.  He  offers  to  help  her  when  she  explains  that  she  was 
after  a  portrait  of  herself.  Inside,  Conway  finds  the  gallery 
owner  murdered  just  as  the  police  arrive.  Cecilia  vanishes, 
and  Conway  finds  himself  accused  of  the  murder.  An  ex- 
amination of  the  painting  discloses  that  it  was  a  recent  por- 
trait of  Cecilia,  and  a  tag  indicated  that  it  had  been  sold  to 
Emory  Parnell,  an  art  collector,  and  that  it  had  been  painted 
by  Bryant  Washburn,  who  had  presumably  died  fifteen 
years  previously.  Interested  in  how  the  dead  man  could  have 
painted  a  recent  portrait,  Conway  escapes  the  police.  After 
learning  that  Parnell  had  a  large  collection  of  Washburn's 
paintings,  Conway  contacts  Martha  MacVicar,  Washburn's 
daughter,  who  informs  him  of  her  belief  that  her  father  was 
alive  in  Mexico.  She  persuades  Conway  to  take  her  there. 
In  Mexico  City,  Conway  goes  to  an  inn  where  Washburn 
had  his  studio,  and  there  meets  Mary  Currier,  the  inn  keeper, 
who  had  been  in  love  with  Washburn.  He  meets  also,  Mona 
Maris  and  Joseph  Vitale,  dancers,  who  were  married.  Mona 
was  Washburn's  widow.  Conway  becomes  embroiled  in 
many  mysterious  happenings  as  he  tries  to  learn  if  Washburn 
is  still  alive.  He  is  threatened  by  Mona,  who  feared  lest  she 
be  branded  a  bigamist;  Cecilia  is  murdered  mysteriously; 
an  attempt  is  made  on  Martha's  life;  and  Parnell  hounds  him 
for  the  return  of  Cecilia's  portrait.  Washburn  eventually 
reveals  himself  to  Martha,  explaining  that  he  pretended  to 
be  dead  so  that  she  would  benefit  from  the  insurance  money. 
As  they  speak,  Washburn  is  mysteriously  shot  dead.  Con- 
way traps  Parnell  as  the  murderer,  and  proves  that  he  had 
committed  the  crimes  because  his  collection  of  paintings 
would  have  been  valueless  if  Washburn  were  alive. 

George  W.  Yates  and  Gerald  Geraghty  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Maurice  Geraghty  produced  it,  and  William  Berke 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Nestor  Paiva  and  others. 

Morally  unobjectionable.  • 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  AUGUST  5,  1944  No.  32 


A  Newfangled  Sales  Policy  That  Should  Be  Rejected 


The  announcement  by  United  Artists  that  David  Selz- 
nick's  "Since  You  Went  Away"  will  be  sold  under  a  policy 
that  will  require  the  exhibitor  to  increase  his  existing  admis- 
sion price  by  50%  has  raised  the  ire  of  exhibitors  every 
where — and  rightfully  so. 

To  begin  with,  the  adoption  of  such  a  policy  comes  at  a 
most  unpropitious  time  for  now,  more  than  ever,  the  exhibi- 
tor  is  beginning  to  feel — through  his  box-office — the  indig- 
nation of  his  patrons,  who  are  protesting  vehemently  against 
the  practice  of  making  them  pay  a  premium  for  every  so- 
called  quality  picture,  but  offering  them  no  rebate  on  the 
"duds."  And  the  unfortunate  part  of  it  all  is  that  the 
exhibitor,  through  no  fault  of  his  own,  finds  the  resentment 
levelled  against  him,  for  few  of  his  patrons  realize  that  the 
higher  admission  price  is  set  by  the  producer-distributor  as 
a  condition  of  licensing  the  picture. 

Much  has  been  written  in  these  columns  and  in  other 
trade  papers  about  the  fallacy  of  "juggling"  admission 
prices  because  of  the  breach  it  causes  in  the  relationship 
between  the  exhibitor  and  his  patrons.  Nevertheless,  in  re- 
cent months,  when  a  producer  made  a  picture,  which  he 
believed  to  be  slightly  above  average  quality,  the  exhibitor 
was  given  an  ultimatum  to  raise  his  admission  prices.  And 
along  with  raised  admission  prices  goes  the  equally  objection- 
able increased  rentals. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  the  first  picture  to  be  sold  on  a  70% 
basis  was  Selznick's  "Gone  With  The  Wind."  When  the 
exhibitors  agreed  to  pay  such  a  high  percentage  of  their 
receipts  for  a  picture,  they  helped  establish  a  precedent. 
Immediately,  other  producer-distributors  demanded  70% 
for  their  pictures.  They  produced  pictures,  which,  in  their 
opinion,  were  on  a  par  with  "Gone  With  The  Wind,"  and  if 
Selznick  could  get  70%,  so  could  they. 

Now  comes  Selznick  with  a  new  advanced  admission  price 
policy,  which,  if  accepted  by  the  exhibitors,  will  establish 
another  precedent  that  may  cause  them  no  end  of  headaches, 
for  without  a  doubt  the  other  producer-distributors  will 
again  maintain  that,  if  Selznick  can  "get  away  with  it,"  so 
can  they. 

In  a  recent  bulletin,  Allied  States  Association  points  out 
that,  "heretofore  when  a  producer  has  wanted  to  force  in- 
creased admission  prices  he  has  first  offered  his  opus  for 
showing  at  advanced  admissions  (usually  a  fixed  amount 
for  all  theatres)  and  then  has  retired  the  picture  for  a  year 
before  offering  it  to  the  theatres  for  exhibition  at  regular 
prices.  This  enabled  exhibitors  who  felt  they  could  not  or 
should  not  boost  their  prices  to  postpone  the  playing  of  the 
picture.  In  some  cases  it  developed,  in  the  meantime,  that 
the  picture  was  not  so  hot  and  they  did  not  play  it  at  all. 

"Now  United  Artists  has  devised  a  new  scheme  which 
includes  all  the  benefits  to  the  distributor  of  the  old  scheme, 
abolishes  fixed  uniform  prices,  poses  a  'now  or  never'  prob- 
lem for  the  exhibitor,  and  gyps  the  public  just  as  effectively. 
United  Artists  says,  in  effect,  that  the  exhibitors  in  order  to 
get  the  picture  on  their  regular  availability  must  increase 
their  admission,  not  to  a  uniform  figure,  such  as  50c,  75c, 
or  $1.00,  but  by  50%  of  their  established  admissions.  This 
will  preserve  the  variations  between  theatres  having  different 
basic  price  scales,  but  the  public  gets  soaked  just  the  same. 


"All  emphasis  is  on  playing  the  picture  while  it  is  hot;  no 
'cooling  time'  in  which  to  find  out  whether  the  picture  is 
really  as  good  as  the  producer  claims  it  to  be." 

Why  has  United  Artists,  at  the  apparent  insistence  of 
Selznick,  deviated  from  the  accepted  form  of  advanced  price 
treatment— the  roadshow?  The  answer  is,  in  the  opinion  of 
this  writer,  that  "Since  You  Went  Away,"  though  a  good 
picture  and  an  outstanding  box-office  attraction  because  of 
its  all-star  cast,  is  a  grossly  overrated  production,  deliberately 
lengthened,  which  Selznick,  on  the  basis  of  his  reputation 
and  with  the  aid  of  a  high-powered  publicity  campaign,  is 
trying  to  sell  to  the  exhibitors  and  to  the  public  as  a  picture 
of  epic  proportions.  But  he  does  not  dare  to  exhibit  it  on  a 
roadshow  basis  lest  it  meet  with  the  dubious  success  of  other 
pictures  roadshown  recently,  thus  giving  the  exhibitors  an 
opportunity  to  size  up  the  production  for  what  it  really  is, 
and  enabling  them  to  resist  excessive  rental  demands. 

In  explaining  the  policy,  United  Artists  issued  the  follow- 
ing statement: 

"It  is  the  belief  of  the  producer  and  the  distributor  that 
the  policy  of  a  fixed  admission  price  required  from  all 
theatres  regardless  of  their  sequence  of  runs  does  not  fit 
'Since  You  Went  Away,"  as  the  policy  of  a  fixed  roadshow 
admission  price  would  thwart  the  desire  of  David  O.  Selz- 
nick to  have  his  picture  shown  to  the  greatest  number  of 
people  in  the  shortest  possible  time.  .  .  ." 

If  Selznick  is  so  eager  to  show  his  picture  "to  the  greatest 
number  of  people  in  the  shortest  possible  time,"  by  what  line 
of  reasoning  does  he  conclude  that  he  can  crowd  more 
people  into  the  theatres  by  charging  higher  admission 
prices?  Perhaps  he  has  discovered  some  new  theory  of  either 
economics  or  mathematics. 

Let  us  be  practical  about  this :  The  selling  policy  of 
"Since  You  Went  Away"  has  but  one  purpose — to  avoid 
the  possibility  of  a  failure  on  a  roadshow  basis,  and  yet  to 
compel  the  exhibitor  to  accept  the  picture  on  an  advanced 
admission  price  basis  under  threat  that,  should  he  fail  to 
book  it,  his  competitor,  with  a  later  run,  will  get  the  picture, 
thus  causing  a  loss  of  prestige  to  his  theatre. 

Surely,  if  "Since  You  Went  Away"  is  the  outstanding 
picture  it  is  heralded  to  be — one  that  has  mass  appeal,  Selz- 
nick should  feel  securely  confident  that  he  will  get  a  fair 
return  on  his  investment  by  allowing  the  public  to  see  the 
picture  at  regular  admission  prices.  The  record  shows  that 
"Mrs.  Miniver,"  which  MGM  sold  at  regular  admissions  in 
order  that  it  might  be  seen  by  the  greatest  number  of 
people  in  the  shortest  possible  time,  was  one  of  the  greatest 
box-office  attractions  of  all  time.  Then  again  there  is  "Going 
My  Way,"  another  outstanding  picture  presently  making 
the  rounds  at  regular  prices;  according  to  reports,  this  pic- 
ture should  gross  for  Paramount  between  five  and  seven 
million  dollars. 

It  is  high  time  that  the  exhibitors  resisted  the  ever- 
increasing  demands  of  the  producer-distributors  who  refuse 
to  recognize  that  there  is  a  saturation  point  to  the  rental  an 
exhibitor  can  pay  for  a  picture,  and  to  the  admission  price 
he  can  charge  to  his  patrons.  Perhaps,  with  enough  exhibi- 
tor opposition,  the  producer-distributors  can  be  made  to 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


126 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  5,  1944 


"Barbary  Coast  Gent"  with  Wallace  Beery 
and  Binnie  Barnes 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  87  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  western-like  melodrama. 
Though  there  is  more  talk  than  action,  it  should  prove  satis- 
fying to  the  Wallace  Beery  fans.  Beery  is  presented  as  a 
swindler,  who  thinks  nothing  of  duping  men  out  of  money. 
True,  he  eventually  changes  his  ways  and  becomes  a  sort  of 
Robin  Hood  to  protect  investors  in  a  legitimate  mining  ven- 
ture, but  the  moral  effect  of  the  story  is  bad,  even  though  it  is 
handled  in  a  humorous  vein.  The  story  is  set  in  1880  against 
the  background  of  a  booming  Western  town.  It  has  some 
good  comedy  situations  and  several  exciting  shooting  frays. 
It  has  also  some  very  dull  spots: — 

Beery,  a  bunco  artist  on  San  Francisco's  Barbary  Coast, 
is  compelled  to  leave  town  when  he  shoots  John  Carradine,  a 
crooked  gambler,  in  a  shooting  quarrel.  Binnie  Barnes, 
Beery's  girl-friend  and  owner  of  a  gambling  palace,  takes 
him  to  the  railroad  station.  On  the  train,  Beery  boldly  forces 
his  way  into  the  private  car  of  Donald  Meek,  president  of 
the  railroad.  At  Gold  Town,  Nevada,  Meek  allows  Beery 
to  substitute  for  him  in  making  a  speech  to  the  towns- 
people. They' believe  him  to  be  Meek's  close  associate,  and 
invite  him  to  spend  a  few  days  in  town.  Representing  him- 
self as  a  financier,  Beery  attempts  to  sell  worthless  stocks, 
but  Mcck's  grandson  (Bruce  Kellogg),  a  local  newspaper- 
man, stops  him  under  threat  of  exposure.  Beery,  as  a  dis- 
tinguished visitor,  lays  the  corner  stone  for  the  town's  new 
jail  and  discovers  that  the  stone  was  gold  ore.  He  locates  the 
source  of  the  stone,  stakes  out  a  claim  and,  with  Kellogg's 
aid,  sells  stock  to  the  townsmen  in  a  legitimate  venture  to 
develop  the  mine.  Meanwhile  Carradine  arrives  in  town. 
He  finds  Beery  unarmed,  and  steals  the  investors'  money. 
Instead  of  leaving  town,  Beery  robs  stage  coaches  to  finance 
the  development  of  the  mine.  He  manages  to  escape  detec- 
tion, and  even  joins  the  townsmen  in  their  search  for  the 
"mysterious"  bandit.  Suspicion  is  turned  on  Beery  when  a 
handkerchief  he  had  dropped  during  one  of  the  holdups  is 
identified  as  his.  But  before  he  can  be  arrested,  Beery  gets 
into  a  shooting  fray  with  Carradine,  who  had  returned  to 
blackmail  him.  Carradine  is  killed  and  Beery  wounded.  The 
true  story  of  the  robberies  come  to  light,  and  when  Beery 
recovers,  he  is  escorted  to  the  jail  by  a  brass  band.  Binnie, 
who  had  come  to  his  aid,  promises  to  wait  for  him. 

William  R.  Lipman,  Grant  Garrett,  and  Harry  Ruskin 
wrote  the  screen  play,  O.  O.  Dull  produced  it,  and  Roy  Del 
Ruth  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Frances  Rafferty,  Chill 
Wills,  Noah  Beery,  Sr.,  Henry  O'Neill,  Ray  Collins,  Louise 
Beavers  and  others. 

"Heavenly  Days"  with  Fibber  McGee 
and  Molly 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  72  min.) 

Good  program  entertainment;  it  should  please,  not  only 
the  Fibber  McGee  and  Molly  fans,  but  also  other  members 
of  the  family,  for  the  picture  has  a  wholesome  quality.  The 
story,  which  is  a  lightweight  affair  but  quite  adequate  for 
this  radio  team's  brand  of  humor,  concerns  their  misadven- 
tures when  Fibber  decides  to  go  to  Washington  to  help 
Molly's  cousin  with  a  post  war  government  project.  Without 
lessening  the  story's  humor,  the  picture  has  a  message  in  that 
it  points  out  the  failure  of  the  "average  man"  to  exercise  his 
duties  as  a  citizen  and  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  issues 
facing  his  government.  One  is  kept  chuckling  throughout 
by  the  gags  and  by  the  predicaments  Fibber  gets  himself 
into,  particularly  the  sequence  in  which  he  violates  the  rules 
for  visitors  and  attempts  to  address  the  Senate.  Raymond 
Walburn,  as  a  local  politician,  and  Eugene  Pallette,  as  a 
bombastic  U.  S.  Senator,  add  much' to  the  fun: — 

Fibber  McGee  (Jim  Jordan)  accepts  an  invitation  from 
Charles  Trowbridge,  his  wife's  wealthy  cousin,  to  come  to 
Washington  to  assist  him  on  a  post  war  plan.  En  route, 
Fibber  and  Molly  (Marian  Jordan)  meet  Dr.  Gallup  (Don 


Douglas)  and  sell  him  the  idea  of  conducting  a  national  poll 
to  find  America's  "average  man."  Arriving  in  Washington, 
the  couple  find  a  note  from  Trowbridge  asking  them  to  make 
themselves  comfortable  in  his  home  until  he  returns  from  out 
of  town.  They  meet  Senator  Eugene  Pallette,  Trowbridge's 
close  friend,  and  manage  to  get  a  pass  from  him  to  visit  the 
Senate.  Believing  that  he  had  the  right  as  an  American 
citizen  to  voice  his  views,  Fibber  interrupts  a  debate  and 
attempts  to  address  the  Senators.  He  is  led  from  the  gallery, 
causing  no  end  of  embarrassment  to  Pallette,  who  reports 
the  incident  to  Trowbridge  upon  his  return  to  Washington. 
The  newspapers  publicize  the  incident,  gaining  national 
fame  for  Fibber.  But  Trowbridge,  peeved  because  Pallette 
had  been  embarrassed,  asks  Fibber  and  Moll y  to  return  home. 
Arriving  in  Wistful  Vista,  Fibber  is  met  by  a  huge  delegation 
headed  by  Dr.  Gallup,  who  presents  him  with  a  loving  cup 
in  honor  of  his  having  been  selected  as  America's  "average 
man."  Fibber,  believing  himself  to  be  better  than  average, 
discards  the  cup.  Learning  that  it  was  election  day,  Fibber 
hurries  to  cast  his  vote,  but  the  right  to  vote  is  denied  to  him 
because  of  his  failure  to  register.  Realizing  that  his  neglect 
was  typical  of  the  "average  man,"  Fibber  retrieves  the  loving 
cup. 

Howard  Estabrook  and  Don  Quinn  wrote  the  screen  play, 
and  Robert  Fellows  produced  it.  Mr.  Estabrook  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Gordon  Oliver,  Barbara  Hale,  Frieda  Ines- 
cort  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Sweet  and  Low-down"  with  Benny 
Goodman,  Jack  Oakie,  Linda  Darnell 
and  Lynn  Bari 

(20th  Century-Fox,  September,  time,  75  min.) 
Fair  program  entertainment,  with  better  than  average 
box-office  possibilities  because  of  the  popularity  of  Benny 
Goodman  and  his  orchestra.  Its  chief  appeal,  however,  will 
be  to  the  younger  set  and  others  who  find  "jive"  music 
pleasurable.  There  is  not  much  freshness  in  the  story,  which 
is  somewhat  biographical  of  Goodman,  and  concerns  his 
giving  a  "break"  to  a  talented  young  trombonist,  who  allows 
success  to  go  to  his  head;  but  since  it  has  comedy,  romance, 
and  plentiful  musical  numbers,  the  picture  keeps  one 
entertained : — 

After  finishing  his  annual  free  concert  at  Chicago's  Dear- 
born Settlement  House,  Benny  Goodman  is  accosted  by 
Buddy  Swan,  a  young  boy,  who  tricks  him  into  following 
him  home  to  hear  his  brother  (James  Cardwell)  play  the 
trombone.  Goodman,  impressed  by  Cardwell's  playing,  offers 
him  a  job.  The  young  man  grasps  the  opportunity  to  better 
the  lot  of  his  widowed  mother.  Under  Goodman's  tutelage, 
Cardwell  becomes  a  noted  trombonist.  Lynn  Bari,  singer  with 
the  band,  finds  herself  attracted  to  Cardwell,  but  the  young 
man  meets  and  falls  in  love  with  Linda  Darnell,  a  charming 
socialite.  Meanwhile  Allyn  Joslyn,  Lynn's  agent,  becomes 
peeved  at  Goodman,  because  of  his  refusal  to  raise  Lynn's 
salary.  To  retaliate,  Joslyn  tries  to  induce  Cardwell  to  form 
his  own  band,  with  Lynn  as  vocalist.  A  misunderstanding 
with  Goodman,  and  a  quarrel  with  Linda,  cause  Cardwell  to 
accept  Joslyn's  offer.  Against  the  advice  of  Jack  Oakie,  his 
roommate,  Cardwell  persuades  the  other  members  of  the 
band  to  leave  Goodman  and  form  a  cooperative  band  of  their 
own.  The  venture  proves  unsuccessful,  and  the  band  mem- 
bers, realizing  that  they  lacked  proper  leadership,  return  to 
Goodman.  Cardwell,  broken,  returns  to  his  old  job  in  a 
Chicago  factory.  Months  later,  when  Goodman's  orchestra 
arrives  in  Chicago  for  its  annual  concert  at  the  Settlement 
House,  Oakie  forcibly  brings  Cardwell  to  the  concert,  where 
he  effects  a  reconciliation  with  both  Goodman  and  Linda, 
and  resumes  his  position  with  the  band. 

Richard  English  wrote  the  screen  play,  William  LeBaron 
produced  it,  and  Archie  Mayo  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Dickie  Moore,  Dorothy  Vaughan  and  others. 
Suitable  for  all. 


August  5,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


127 


"Casanova  Brown"  with  Gary  Cooper 
and  Teresa  Wright 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  91  min.) 

First  of  International's  pictures  to  be  released  through 
RKO,  this  is  a  thoroughly  entertaining  romantic  comedy- 
farce,  the  sort  that  should  appeal  to  every  type  of  audience. 
Based  on  "Little  Accident,"  the  Broadway  stage  play  by 
Floyd  Dell  and  Thomas  Mitchell,  the  story  revolves  around 
a  shy,  small'town  young  man,  who,  on  the  eve  of  his  wedding, 
learns  that  his  former  wife — a  marriage  his  future  bride  had 
no  knowledge  of — had  given  birth  to  a  baby.  Gary  Cooper, 
as  the  confused  bridegroom  and  inexperienced  father,  is 
exceptionally  good.  His  kidnapping  of  the  baby  girl  lest  it 
be  offered  for  adoption,  and  his  struggle  to  give  her  proper 
care  in  a  hotel  room,  result  in  situations  that  are  hilariously 
funny.  Additional  laughter  is  provoked  by  the  antics  of 
Frank  Morgan,  as  the  irascible  father  of  Cooper's  prospec- 
tive bride.  Despite  the  story's  farcical  nature  and,  at  times, 
far-fetched  situations,  it  has  many  heart-warming  moments 
and  a  tender  romance.  Nunnally  Johnson,  who  wrote  the 
amusing  screen  play  and  produced  it,  and  Sam  Wood,  who 
directed  it,  have  handled  the  production  with  skill  and 
intelligence: — 

On  the  eve  of  his  marriage  to  Anita  Louise,  Gary  Cooper 
receives  a  letter  from  a  Chicago  maternity  hospital,  request- 
ing that  he  come  there  on  a  matter  of  importance.  Discon- 
certed, Cooper  confides  in  Frank  Morgan,  Anita's  father, 
and  informs  him  that,  months  previously,  he  had  met  Teresa 
Wright  in  New  York  and  had  married  her  after  a  whirlwind 
courtship.  But  her  wealthy  parents  had  disapproved  of  the 
marriage,  and  he  had  agreed  to  an  annulment  after  three 
days  of  wedded  bliss.  Cooper  rushes  to  Chicago,  where  he 
learns  that  Teresa  had  given  birth  to  a  baby  girl.  Teresa,  as 
a  means  of  effecting  a  reconciliation  with  Cooper,  tells  him 
that  she  intends  to  offer  the  baby  for  adoption.  Lest  she 
carry  out  her  plan,  Cooper  disguises  himself  as  a  physician, 
kidnaps  the  baby,  and  takes  it  to  an  obscure  Chicago  hotel 
room,  which  he  sets  up  as  a  combination  nursery  and  labo- 
ratory. Mary  Treen,  a  chambermaid,  and  Emory  Parnell,  a 
bellhop,  help  him  care  for  the  child.  Sent  to  the  hospital  to 
obtain  a  correct  feeding  formula,  the  dim-witted  bellhop 
reveals  Cooper's  hiding  place.  Realizing  that  he  would  soon 
be  apprehended,  Cooper  decides  that  the  child  could  not  be 
taken  from  him  if  it  had  a  mother.  He  proposes  marriage  to 
the  chambermaid,  who  accepts  him.  Both  rush  to  the  mar- 
riage bureau.  Returning  to  the  hotel,  Cooper  finds  Anita 
and  Teresa  waiting  for  him.  He  tries  to  elude  them,  but 
Teresa  finds  him  when  she  hears  the  baby  cry.  Teresa's 
happiness  is  complete  when  Cooper  informs  her  that  he  is 
free  to  remarry  her;  he  did  not  wed  the  chambermaid,  be- 
cause a  Chicago  marriage  law  required  a  three-days  waiting 
period. 

The  cast  includes  Patricia  Collinge,  Jill  Esmond,  Isobel 
Elsom  and  others. 

The  story  was  produced  originally  in  1930  by  Universal, 
under  the  title,  "Little  Accident."  Considerable  story 
changes  have  been  made  for  this  version,  which  is  by  far 
superior. 

"Atlantic  City"  with  Constance  Moore, 
Brad  Taylor  and  Charles  Grapewin 

(Republic,  no  release  date;  time,  86  min.) 
A  good  musical  entertainment,  produced  on  a  fairly  lavish 
scale.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  backstage  story  and  its 
treatment  follow  a  time-worn  pattern,  the  picture  holds  one's 
interest  all  the  way  through  because  of  its  colorful  depiction 
of  Atlantic  City's  development  as  the  "playground  of 
America"  during  the  period  between  1915  and  1922.  Music- 
ally, the  picture  is  highly  satisfactory,  for  it  brings  back  a 
number  of  old,  favorite  melodies,  many  of  which  will  delight 
the  older  folks.  Woven  into  the  story  are  specialty  numbers 
by  such  well-known  vaudevillians  as  Belle  Baker;  Joe  Frisco; 
Al  Shean,  who  does  his  old  "Gallagher  and  Shean"  routine; 


Gun  Van,  of  the  famous  "Van  and  Schenck"  team;  and 
Buck  and  Bubbles.  Appearing  briefly  in  a  few  lavish  pro- 
duction numbers  are  the  orchestras  of  Paul  Whiteman  and 
Louis  Armstrong,  whose  popularity  should  register  at  the 
box-office.  Constance  Moore's  singing,  and  Jerry  Colonna's 
comedy  antics,  add  much  to  the  picture's  entertainment 
values: — 

Brad  Taylor,  an  ambitious  young  promoter,  envisions 
Atlantic  City  as  the  play-ground  of  America  and  sets  about 
to  make  it  so.  He  acquires  control  of  the  Garden  Pier  Theatre 
and  stages  a  lavish  musical  revue  starring  Constance  Moore, 
his  girl-friend.  The  show  is  a  smash  hit,  and  Constance  and 
Brad  marry.  Brad's  aggressiveness  makes  him  a  highly  suc- 
cessful promoter,  but  his  ruthless  methods  cause  him  and 
Constance  to  become  socially  ostracized.  Moreover,  his 
neglect  of  Constance  made  her  unhappy.  His  father,  Charles 
Grapewin,  an  old  vaudevillian,  warns  Brad  that  love  and 
friends  are  more  important  than  success.  Eventually,  Con- 
stance leaves  him  and  accepts  a  starring  role  in  a  Broadway 
show.  World  War  I  temporarily  halts  Brad's  career.  Upon 
his  return,  he  decides  to  crown  his  achievements  by  the  erec- 
tion of  a  huge  amusement  pier.  Brad  goes  broke  when  the 
pier  is  destroyed  by  fire,  without  insurance  coverage,  and  the 
banks  refuse  to  extend  him  credit.  But  Constance  and  his 
father  come  to  his  aid  by  rallying  their  Broadway  friends  and 
staging  a  spectacular  musical  revue.  His  fortune  recouped, 
Brad  institutes  the  Atlantic  City  Bathing  Beauty  Pageant 
and  settles  down  to  a  happy  life  with  Constance. 

Doris  Gilbert,  Frank  Gill,  Jr.,  and  George  Carleton 
Brown  wrote  the  screen  play,  Albert  J.  Cohen  produced  it, 
and  Ray  McCarey  directed  it. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Shadows  in  the  Night"  with 
Warner  Baxter,  Nina  Foch 
and  George  Zucco 

(Columbia,  July  27;  time,  67  min.) 

This  latest  of  the  "Crime  Doctor"  series  of  program  mys- 
tery melodramas  is  handicapped  by  a  weak  script,  but  it  has 
enough  mysterious  happenings  and  eerie  doings  to  satisfy 
the  ardent  followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment.  The 
treatment  follows  the  well-worn  formula  of  casting  suspicion 
on  several  persons,  with  the  murderer's  identity  held  in 
abeyance  until  the  final  reel.  Warner  Baxter  enacts  again 
the  role  of  "Dr.  Ordway,"  the  criminologist  who  solves 
crimes  through  psychology,  giving  his  usual  good  perform- 
ance. In  its  favor  is  the  fact  that  the  story  is  based  on  the 
popular  "Crime  Doctor"  radio  program: — 

Baxter  is  visited  by  Nina  Foch,  who  informs  him  that  she 
had  been  having  a  series  of  nightmares  in  which  she  had 
seen  a  ghostly  figure  that  tried  to  persuade  her  to  jump  into 
the  ocean  fronting  her  home.  Baxter  agrees  to  investigate. 
At  Nina's  home,  he  meets  Jeanne  Bates  and  Lester  Mat- 
thews, Nina's  sister  and  brother-in-law;  Edward  Norris, 
junior  partner  of  a  textile  firm  for  which  Nina  was  a 
designer;  and  George  Zucco,  Nina's  eccentric  uncle,  who 
was  secretly  experimenting  with  chemicals  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  a  new  textile.  Baxter  takes  Nina's  place  in  her  bed- 
room. Soon  after  midnight,  Baxter  is  dazed  by  the  appear- 
ance of  a  ghost  and  follows  it  to  the  water's  edge,  but  a  fall 
to  the  rocks  brings  him  to.  He  realizes  that  the  ghost  was  a 
living  person,  who  had  used  a  gas  to  hypnotize  him.  Return- 
ing to  the  house,  he  finds  a  dead  body,  but  before  he  can 
have  it  identified  the  body  disappears.  He  finds  the  body  the 
next  morning  in  a  cave  and  learns  that  it  was  Nina's  em- 
ployer. A  quick  succession  of  clues  helps  Baxter  to  trap 
Matthews  as  the  murderer.  Baxter  proves  that  he  had  been 
posing  as  a  ghost  to  drive  Nina  mad  so  that  she  could  not 
testify  against  him  at  a  coming  law  suit.  Matthews  attempts 
to  flee,  but  he  is  shot  and  captured  by  the  police. 

Eric  Taylor  wrote  the  screen  play,  Rudolph  C.  Flothow 
produced  it,  and  Eugene  J.  Fordc  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


128 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  5,  1944 


realize  that  advanced  admission  treatments  must  be  reserved 
for  the  truly  great  pictures — those  that  come  along  at  rare 
intervals.  "Since  You  Went  Away"  certainly  does  not  fit 
this  category. 

*        *  ♦ 

In  addition  to  demanding  a  50%  increase  in  admission 
prices  for  the  exhibition  of  "Since  You  Went  Away," 
United  Artists  has  stipulated  that  the  picture  must  be  played 
single  feature  in  all  situations.  While  these  terms  are  still 
ringing  in  the  ears  of  the  exhibitors,  and  burning  the  ears 
of  those  with  subsequent  run  houses,  the  picture  is  playing 
at  the  Capitol  Theatre  in  New  York,  where  it  is  in  its  third 
week  of  an  intended  twelve  weeks'  run.  The  picture,  aug- 
mented by  a  stage  attraction  featuring  Gene  Krupa  and  his 
Orchestra,  is  playing  at  regular  admission  prices. 

A  vigorous  campaign  against  this  deviation  from  an  an- 
nounced policy  has  been  carried  on  by  Pete  Wood,  dynamic 
secretary  of  the  ITO  of  Ohio,  who,  after  taking  Mr.  Selz- 
nick  to  task,  draws  a  comparison  between  his  policy  and 
the  policy  that  has  been  followed  by  MGM  in  regards  to 
furnishing  high-grade  motion  picture  entertainment  at  regu- 
lar admission  prices.  Says  Pete: 

"Fortunately  for  the  industry,  this  company  [MGM]  does 
try  to  inject  decency  and  ethics  into  the  business  with  respect 
to  the  theatre-going  public.  And  while  they  drive  hard 
bargains  with  their  theatre  customers,  they  do  not  force  the 
latter  into  untenable  situations  insofar  as  admission  prices 
are  concerned.  Certainly  Loew's,  had  it  been  considering 
only  the  dollar-and-cents  angle,  could  have  demanded  that 
the  exhibitors  increase  their  admission  scale  when  they 
showed  'Mrs.  Miniver,'  'Random  Harvest,'  and  'White  Cliffs 
of  Dover.'  And  while  we  have  no  positive  assurance  of  the 
fact,  we  understand  that  'Dragon  Seed'  and  'An  American 
Romance'  .  .  .  will  also  be  released  without  asking  the 
theatre-going  public,  who  support  this  industry,  to  pay  a 
premium."  (Ed.  Note  :  "Dragon  Seed"  is  now  playing  at  the 
Radio  City  Music  Hall,  in  New  York,  at  regular  admission 
prices.) 

According  to  a  report  in  Film  Ddilv,  Harry  Gold,  United 
Artists  Eastern  division  manager,  has  replied  to  Wood's 
protests  by  stating  that  the  Capitol  Theatre  has  not  raised  its 
admission  prices  for  "Since  You  Went  Away,"  because  the 
theatre's  established  prices  represent  the  top  scale,  while 
established  prices  in  the  field  are  not  commensurate  with 
the  box-office  value  of  the  picture. 

The  admission  prices  at  the  Capitol  are  as  follows: 

From  opening  to  12  noon,  60c;  from  12  noon  to  5>  p.m., 
80c;  from  5  p.m.  to  closing,  $1.10. 

Consider  then  the  case  of  the  subsequent-run  exhibitor  in 
New  York  City  who  charges,  let  us  say,  a  regular  admission 
price  of  60c  in  the  evening.  Under  the  terms  stipulated  by 
United  Artists,  he  will  have  to  raise  his  admission  price  to 
90c,  a  mere  20c  cheaper  than  the  price  charged  by  the 
Capitol,  and  he  offers  less  entertainment  in  proportion  to 
the  price  than  does  the  Capitol,  for  the  Capitol  features  also 
a  stage  show,  while  he  is  forbidden  to  show  a  second  feature. 
Moreover,  he  cannot  exhibit  the  picture  until  many  months 
after  it  has  played  the  Capitol  and  other  prior  runs,  with  the 
result  that,  before  the  picture  becomes  available  to  him,  the 
prior  runs  will  have  "milked"  a  considerable  part  of  his 
potential  gross. 

This  condition  holds  true,  not  only  for  the  New  York 
City  area,  but  also  for  every  key  center  in  the  country. 

If  United  Artists  has  willingly  deviated  from  an  an- 
nounced sales  policy  in  the  case  of  the  Capitol  Theatre,  what 
guarantee  does  the  exhibitor  have  that  it  will  not  do  the  same 
in  another  highly  competitive  area? 

No  faith  can  be  placed  in  a  policy  that  lends  itself  to 
"juggling." 

If  Selznick  and  United  Artists  honestly  believe  in  the 
greatness  of  "Since  You  Went  Away,"  and  if  they  honestly 
want  the  picture  seen  by  the  "greatest  number  of  people  in 
the  shortest  possible  time,"  then  this  paper  suggests  to  them 
that  they  stop  "juggling"  and  stop  trying  to  establish  prece- 
dents. All  they  need  to  do  is  to  release  the  picture  in  its 
normal  course,  at  regular  admission  prices  and  at  fair  rental 
terms,  and  the  public  will  do  the  rest. 


"Wilson"  with  Alexander  Knox, 
Charles  Coburn  and  Geraldine  Fitzgerald 

(20th  Century-Fox,  no  release  date  set;  time,  155  min.) 

A  magnificent  production.  Under  the  very  capable  han- 
dling of  Darryl  F.  Zanuck,  the  producer,  and  Henry  King, 
the  director,  "Wilson"  emerges  as  a  truly  distinguished 
historical  document,  one  that  should  be  seen  by  every  Amer- 
ican, for  it  depicts  with  honesty  and  dignity  the  highlights 
in  the  political  and  personal  life  of  one  of  our  greatest 
Presidents,  Woodrow  Wilson,  who  literally  gave  his  life  to 
the  cause  of  world  peace. 

So  many  multi-million  dollar  pictures  have  failed  to  live 
up  to  the  claims  made  for  them  that  it  is  gratifying  to  find 
one  that  possesses  all  that  has  been  said  for  it.  The  superb 
production  values,  enhanced  by  excellent  Technicolor 
photography,  is  in  itself  worth  the  price  of  admission.  Some 
of  the  scenes  are  breath-taking.  But  what  is  even  more  im- 
portant is  the  fact  that,  unlike  most  biographical  dramas, 
this  one  is  consistently  entertaining  throughout;  one  does 
not  mind  in  the  least  its  running  time  of  more  than  two  and 
one-half  hours. 

The  political  era  depicted  begins  in  1909,  when  Wilson, 
then  President  of  Princeton  University,  agreed  to  run  on  the 
Democratic  ticket  for  the  Governorship  of  New  Jersey,  and 
ends  in  1920,  when  he  left  the  White  House,  ill  in  health, 
his  plan  for  world  peace  through  a  League  of  Nations  de- 
feated by  a  hostile  Senate  and  by  the  popular  vote  of  the 
American  people,  who  elected  Harding  to  the  Presidency 
on  a  platform  that  opposed  Wilson's  ideals.  A  factual  pres- 
entation of  Wilson's  valiant  but  unsuccessful  efforts  to  put 
over  the  League  presented  a  problem  for  the  producer  in  that 
the  subject  is  filled  with  controversial  political  matter,  but 
it  must  be  said  to  the  credit  of  Mr.  Zanuck  that  he  pains- 
takingly and  judiciously  presented  the  arguments  of  both 
sides,  without  favoring  either,  in  an  honest  attempt  to  keep 
the  picture  free  from  charges  of  propaganda.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  there  is  nothing  about  the  picture  that  can  be  con- 
sidered controversial. 

The  story  is  interesting,  not  only  because  of  its  historical 
value,  but  also  because  of  its  deep  human  interest  and  rich 
humor.  The  highlights  in  the  kaleidoscope  of  events  are 
many.  Some  of  the  outstanding  scenes  include  Wilson's 
repudiation  of  machine  politics  during  his  campaign  for  the 
Governorship;  the  tumultuous  Democratic  National  Con- 
ventions of  1912  and  1916  in  which  Wilson  was  twice  nomi- 
nated for  the  Presidency;  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  whose 
judgment  and  moral  support  he  was  dependent  on;  his  sub- 
sequent marriage  to  Edith  Boling  Gait,  the  second  Mrs. 
Wilson;  his  acceptance  of  much  political  abuse  in  an  effort 
to  keep  his  country  out  of  war;  his  war  message  to  Con- 
gress after  his  patience  became  exhausted  with  Germany's 
unrelenting  submarine  warfare,  which  threatened  the  se- 
curity of  the  nation;  Germany's  acceptance  of  his  peace  plan 
and  the  subsequent  conference  at  Versailles,  where  his  stormy 
encounters  with  Clemenceau  took  place;  his  political  fight 
with  Senator  Lodge,  who  led  a  Senate  bloc  in  opposition  to 
the  League — all  these  and  many  other  important  events  are 
impressively  depicted. 

The  performances  of  the  cast  are  uniformly  excellent. 
Alexander  Knox,  as  Wilson,  gives  a  skillful  and  distin- 
guished performance,  portraying  the  President  as  a  stubborn 
idealist,  but  one  whose  strength  of  character  and  love  of 
mankind  won  him  the  admiration  of  friend  and  foe.  His 
love  for  his  family,  and  his  gentle  feelings  for  the  two 
women  he  married,  give  the  story  some  very  tender  moments. 
Charles  Coburn,  as  Professor  Henry  Holmes,  Wilson's 
trusted  friend;  Geraldine  Fitzgerald,  as  the  second  Mrs. 
Wilson;  Thomas  Mitchell,  as  Joseph  Tumulty,  Wilson's 
secretary;  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke,  as  Senator  Henry  Cabot 
Lodge;  Vincent  Price,  as  William  G.  McAdoo;  Ruth  Nel- 
son, as  the  first  Mrs.  Wilson;  and  many  others  in  the  large 
cast,  which  includes  thousands  of  extras,  do  exceptionally 
well  in  supporting  roles. 

The  screen  play,  written  by  Lamarr  Trotti,  is  superior. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  AUGUST  12,  1944 


No.  33 


ACTION  AT  LAST 


After  dragging  out  negotiations  for  more  than  a 
year,  the  Department  of  Justice,  as  most  of  you  no 
doubt  know  by  this  time,  has  rejected  the  latest  pro' 
posals  of  the  consenting  distributors,  and  has  filed  a 
petition  with  the  U.  S.  District  Court  in  New  York 
for  a  modification  of  the  Consent  Decree,  which  ex' 
pired  on  November  20,  1943. 

An  indication  of  the  Government's  attitude  is  con' 
tained  in  the  following  statement  issued  by  Attorney 
General  Francis  Biddle  in  connection  with  the  filing 
of  the  petition : 

"The  Department  believes  that  in  order  to  bring 
the  operations  of  the  defendants  into  conformity  with 
the  requirements  of  the  Sherman  law,  a  complete  sep- 
aration of  their  theatre  operating  business  from  their 
producing  and  distributing  activities,  and  the  divesti- 
ture of  a  substantial  number  of  theatres  from  the  the- 
atre operating  companies  owned  by  them,  is  essential. 

"In  view  of  the  practical  difficulties  involved  in 
bringing  about  such  a  drastic  change  in  the  structure 
of  the  industry  by  judicial  means,  the  Department,  in 
1940,  was  willing  to  postpone  its  efforts  to  secure  such 
relief  for  a  three-year  period  while  the  consent  decree 
was  given  a  trial  and  other  motion  picture  cases  were 
litigated.  The  results  today  of  that  litigation  and  the 
decisions  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  other  Sherman  law 
cases  since  1940  have  reinforced  the  Department's 
original  conclusion,  first  expressed  in  its  complaint 
filed  in  1938,  that  conformity  with  the  law  requires 
such  a  modification  in  the  industry's  structure." 

A  summary  of  the  important  modifications  sought 
by  the  Government  are,  briefly,  as  follows : 

(1)  The  tradeshowing  section,  which  expired  on 
September  1,  1942,  should  again  be  made  effective. 

(2)  The  licensing  of  one  feature  or  group  of  fea- 
tures shall  not  be  conditioned  upon  the  licensing  of 
another  feature  or  group  of  features. 

(3)  An  exhibitor  shall  not  be  required  to  license 
short  subjects,  newsreels,  trailers,  serials,  westerns, 
foreigns,  or  reissues,  as  a  condition  of  licensing  fea- 
tures. 

(4)  The  licensing  of  pictures  in  one  theatre  or 
group  of  theatres  shall  not  be  conditioned  upon  the 
licensing  of  features  in  another  theatre  or  group  of 
theatres. 

(5)  Clearance,  even  though  reasonable  as  to  time 
and  area,  shall  no  longer  be  considered  as  essential  in 
the  distribution  and  exhibition  of  motion  pictures. 
Moreover,  clearance  shall  be  deemed  to  be  unreason- 


able whenever  its  effect  is  to  restrain  competition  be- 
tween two  or  more  theatres  unreasonably.  An  arbi- 
trator would  be  empowered  to  eliminate  unreasonable 
clearances  even  where  the  theatres  involved  are  highly 
competitive.  Unreasonable  clearances  enjoyed  by  af- 
filiated theatres  on  the  product  of  the  company  with 
which  it  is  affiliated  will  be  subject  to  arbitration. 

(6)  The  elimination  of  the  maze  of  restrictions  on 
the  right  to  arbitrate  specific  runs,  and  the  extension 
of  power  to  the  arbitrator  to  grant  money  damages 
to  the  complainant  for  any  discrimination  that  is  in 
violation  of  the  Sherman  Act. 

(7)  Prohibit  the  acquisition  of  theatres. 

(8)  The  complete  separation  of  exhibition  from 
production-distribution  within  a  three-year  period. 

(9)  The  voiding  of  theatre  pooling  agreements  and 
of  existing  franchises,  and  the  prohibition  against 
similar  agreements  in  the  future. 

(10)  The  prohibition  against  licensing  of  pictures 
to  an  affiliated  theatre  upon  terms  that  unreasonably 
restrain  the  ability  of  an  unaffiliated  theatre  to  com- 
pete with  it. 

Though  all  the  aforementioned  modifications  are 
vastly  important  to  the  well  being  of  the  independent 
exhibitor,  those  calling  for  the  divorcement  of  the- 
atres from  production-distribution,  the  elimination  of 
unreasonable  clearances,  and  the  selling  of  pictures 
singly,  are  the  ones  that  are  the  primary  correctives 
for  the  evils  that  beset  the  industry.  They  are  cor- 
rectives that  Harrison's  Reports  has  advocated  for 
years  as  the  only  means  by  which  the  independent 
exhibitor  can  hope  to  free  himself  from  under  the 
monopolistic  heel  of  the  producer-distributor. 

Many  exhibitors  blame  the  small-block  selling  sys- 
tem for  the  enormous  increase  in  film  rentals,  and  they 
have  expressed  a  preference  to  buy  pictures  in  larger 
blocks,  anywhere  from  25%  to  50%  of  the  distribu- 
tor's full  season's  product,  with,  of  course,  a  20% 
cancellation  privilege. 

The  Department  of  Justice,  however,  is  apparently 
set  against  block  booking,  either  in  small  blocks  or 
large  blocks,  for  the  system  conditions  the  licensing 
of  one  feature  upon  the  licensing  of  other  pictures  in 
the  block.  In  the  opinion  of  the  Department,  recent 
Supreme  Court  decisions  have  made  it  clear  that  the 
tying  of  one  copyright  to  another  is  unlawful. 

Harrison's  Reports  feels  that  the  selling  of  fea- 
tures singly,  after  trade-showing,  would  cause  no 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


130 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  12,  1944 


"Greenwich  Village"  with  Carmen  Miranda, 
Don  Ameche  and  William  Bendix 

(20th  Century-Fox.  September;  time,  83  min.) 

Lavishly  produced,  photographed  in  Technicolor,  and 
combining  comedy,  romance  and  music,  this  is  a  fairly  good 
mass  entertainment,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  story  is  of 
the  familiar  backstage  variety  and  somewhat  trite.  The  pop- 
ularity of  the  leading  players  should,  of  course,  mean  much 
at  the  box-office.  The  most  pleasing  part  of  the  picture  is 
the  tuneful  music,  most  of  which  is  comprised  of  songs 
that  were  popular  during  the  prohibition  era,  the  period  in 
which  the  story  is  set.  A  number  of  these  songs  are  still 
popular  today.  Of  the  production  numbers,  one  in  par- 
ticular, a  Bohemian  costume  ball,  is  outstanding;  it  is  a 
scene  of  beauty,  gayety,  and  laughter.  Carmen  Miranda  is 
as  amusing  as  ever  with  her  fiery  brand  of  Latin  humor, 
and  her  inimitable  style  of  singing  is  one  of  the  picture's 
highlights.  Don  Ameche,  as  a  naive,  small-town  music  com- 
poser, and  William  Bendix,  as  a  tough  but  kindly  night- 
club owner,  turn  in  capable  performances.  Vivian  Blaine,  a 
newcomer,  makes  a  favorable  impression,  but  her  acting 
is  in  need  of  improvement: — 

Ameche  comes  to  New  York  from  Kansas,  hoping  to  gain 
recognition  as  a  serious  composer.  He  visits  Bendix's  "speak- 
easy" in  Greenwich  Village,  where  he  meets  Carmen  Mir- 
anda, a  fortune  teller,  and  Vivian  Blaine,  a  singer,  to  whom 
he  becomes  attracted.  Bendix,  whose  secret  ambition  was  to 
produce  a  musical  show,  offers  to  use  Ameche's  music. 
Ameche,  piqued  because  of  his  inability  to  obtain  an  inter- 
view with  Emil  Rameau,  a  noted  conductor,  gives  Bendix 
permission  to  use  portions  of  his  concerto.  Meanwhile  Felix 
Brcssart,  a  penniless  concert  violinist,  recognizes  the  value 
of  Ameche's  concerto  and  manages  to  induce  Rameau  to 
listen  to  it.  After  the  audition,  Bressart  falsely  informs 
Ameche  that  Rameau  planned  to  conduct  the  concerto  at 
Carnegie  Hall.  He  induces  Ameche  to  give  him  $3500  as 
a  payment  bond  for  the  musicians.  Ameche  goes  to  Carnegie 
Hall  to  listen  to  the  first  rehearsal,  and  is  appalled  to  learn 
that  he  had  been  hoaxed.  Vivian,  learning  of  the  swindle, 
appeals  to  Bendix  to  help  her  find  Bressart.  The  circum- 
stances under  which  Bendix  and  Vivian  recover  the  money 
lead  Ameche  to  believe  that  they  were  part  of  the  conspiracy 
to  bilk  him.  Disheartened,  he  prepares  to  leave  New  York. 
But  Carmen,  understanding  the  situation,  tricks  him  into 
rushing  to  the  premiere  of  Bendix's  show  to  stop  the  use 
of  his  music.  Ameche  arrives  in  time  to  hear  and  see  Rameau 
conduct  the  playing  of  his  concerto.  Realizing  that  he  had 
misjudged  his  friends,  Ameche  begs  their  forgiveness. 

Earl  Baldwin  and  Walter  Bullock  wrote  the  screen  play, 
William  LeBaron  produced  it,  and  Walter  Lang  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Tony  and  Sally  DeMarco,  B.  S.  Pully, 
the  Four  Step  Brothers,  Tom  Dugan  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Gypsy  Wildcat"  with  Maria  Montez 
and  Jon  Hall 

(Universal,  September  I;  time,  75  min.) 

If  the  previous  pictures  in  Universal's  series  of  Techni- 
color adventure  melodramas  have  proved  acceptable  to 
your  patrons,  there  is  no  reason  why  this  one  should  not  be 
accorded  a  similar  reception.  It  is  the  sort  of  picture  that 
harks  back  to  the  old-fashioned  type  of  melodrama,  and, 
as  such,  should  appeal  mostly  to  the  rabid  action  fans  who 
are  not  too  exacting  in  their  demands.  Others,  however,  may 
find  the  proceedings  boresome,  for  the  story  lacks  dramatic 
depth.  Set  against  a  medieval  background,  the  action  in- 
cludes such  melodramatic  incidents  as  the  abduction  of  the 
heroine  by  a  villainous  nobleman;  her  rescue  by  a  gallant 
young  soldier  of  fortune;  armored  knights  in  battle;  and 
numerous  hair-raising  escapes.  Jon  Hall  is  properly  dashing 
as  the  hero,  while  Maria  Montez  is  her  usual  seductive  self 
as  the  heroine.  Nigel  Bruce  and  Leo  Carrillo  lend  able  sup- 
port. As  in  the  other  pictures,  the  production,  enhanced  by 
Technicolor,  is  lavish: — 


A  hand  of  gypsies,  including  Maria  Montez,  a  dancer, 
and  Leo  Carrillo,  their  chieftain,  are  imprisoned  by  Baron 
Douglas  Dumbrille,  charged  with  the  murder  of  a  Count, 
whose  heart  had  been  pierced  with  an  arrow.  Jon  Hall,  a 
soldier  of  fortune,  was  aware  of  the  gypsies'  innocence,  for 
he  had  removed  the  arrow,  marked  with  the  Baron's  coat 
of  arms,  from  the  Count's  body.  Noticing  that  a  pendant 
worn  by  Maria  was  inscribed  with  crest  of  the  dead  Count's 
family,  Dumbrille  realizes  that  she  was  the  Count's  long 
lost  daughter  and,  by  virtue  thereof,  heiress  to  his  lands  and 
fortune.  Hall  steals  into  the  castle  and  accuses  the  Baron  of 
the  murder.  The  Baron's  soldiers  capture  and  imprison 
him  in  the  dungeon  with  the  gypsies.  Hall  valiantly  over- 
powers his  guards  and  helps  the  gypsies  to  escape.  Mean- 
while Maria  had  consented  to  marry  the  Baron  on  his  prom- 
ise to  free  her  people.  Warned  that  the  gypsies  had  escaped 
from  the  dungeon,  the  Baron  abducts  Maria  and  flees  with 
her  in  a  carriage.  Hall  and  the  gypsies  pursue  him,  and  in 
turn  are  pursued  by  the  Baron's  soldiers,  who  overtake  them 
just  as  they  halt  the  carriage.  A  battle  ensues  in  which  the 
soldiers  are  routed  and  the  Baron  killed  by  one  of  his  own 
arrows.  Maria  learns  of  her  noble  status,  but  does  not  let 
it  interfere  with  her  love  for  Hall. 

James  Hogan,  Gene  Lewis,  and  James  M.  Cain  wrote 
the  screen  play,  George  Waggner  produced  it,  and  Roy 
William  Neill  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Peter  Coe,  Gale 
Sondergaard,  Curt  Bois,  Harry  Cording  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"In  Society"  with  Abbott  and  Costello 

(Universal.  August  18;  time,  73  min.) 

An  hilarious  slapstick  comedy,  if  one  is  to  judge  the  pic- 
ture by  the  audience  reaction  it  received  at  a  New  York 
sneak  preview.  It  is  the  first  of  the  Abbott  and  Costello  pic- 
tures to  be  made  in  more  than  a  year,  owing  to  the  illness  of 
Lou  Costello.  This  time  the  boys,  as  plumbers,  get  themselves 
into  numerous  mixups  when  the  butler  of  a  wealthy  society 
matron  mistakes  them  for  guests  at  a  charity  affair.  As  in  the 
preceeding  pictures  made  by  this  comedy  pair,  the  story  is 
featherweight,  serving  merely  as  a  framework  for  their  fa- 
miliar slapstick  routines,  made  up  of  both  old  and  new  gags, 
most  of  which  provoke  hearty  laughter  despite  their  utter 
ridiculousness.  A  few  pleasing  musical  interludes  are  worked 
into  the  story,  with  Will  Osborne's  orchestra  furnishing  the 
music,  and  Marion  Hutton  the  singing.  Miss  Hutton  and 
Kirby  Grant  provide  some  romantic  interest.  Arthur  Treacher 
helps  considerably  with  his  brand  of  English  humor: — 

Abbott  and  Costello,  partners  in  a  plumbing  business,  go 
to  the  home  of  wealthy  Thurston  Hall  to  repair  a  leaky  bath- 
room. Their  inefficient  work  results  in  a  flood  that  almost 
ruins  the  house.  Thurston  writes  an  indignant  letter  to  the 
boys,  threatening  to  sue  them,  but  by  mistake  sends  them  an 
invitation  to  spend  a  week-end  at  the  swank  estate  of  Mar- 
garet Irving,  a  wealthy  society  matron.  Thomas  Gomez,  who 
had  loaned  the  boys  money  to  start  their  business,  threatens 
to  close  their  shop  unless  they  help  him  to  steal  a  priceless 
painting  from  Miss  Irving's  home.  The  boys  refuse.  At  the 
estate,  the  boys  make  themselves  conspicuous  by  their  igno- 
rance of  formal  etiquette.  Costello  is  almost  killed  when  he 
rides  a  nasty-tempered  horse  during  a  fox  hunt.  Meanwhile 
Gomez  arrives  at  the  estate  and  manages  to  steal  the  paint- 
ing. Anne  Gillis,  Miss  Irving's  daughter,  jealous  because 
Kirby  Grant,  her  boy-friend,  was  being  attentive  to  Marion 
Hutton,  a  friend  of  the  boys,  accuses  all  three  of  stealing  the 
painting.  To  vindicate  themselves,  the  boys  commandeer  a 
fire  truck  and  pursue  Gomez.  After  a  hectic  chase  full  of 
hair-raising  events  ,the  boys  capture  Gomez  and  recover  the 
painting. 

John  Grant,  Edmund  L.  Hartmann,  and  Hal  Fimberg 
wrote  the  screen  play.  Mr.  Hartmann  produced  it,  and  Jean 
Yarbrough  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Steve  Geray,  George 
Dolenz,  the  Three  Sisters  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


August  12,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


131 


"Sing  Neighbor  Sing"  with 
Brad  Taylor  and  Ruth  Terry 

(Republic,  August  2;  time,  70  min.) 
This  is  another  one  of  Republic's  diverting  program 
comedies,  featuring  popular  radio  entertainers  who  specialize 
in  music  of  the  hillbilly  variety.  The  story,  which  is  based  on 
the  deception  theme,  is  nothing  to  cheer  about,  but  it  is 
not  objectionable,  for  the  actions  of  the  characters  are  treated 
in  a  comedy  vein.  It  should  go  over  fairly  well  with  undis- 
criminating  audiences,  for  the  music  is  plentiful  and  pleas- 
ant, and  the  story  has  a  good  number  of  amusing  incidents. 
The  spirited  performances  help  the  proceedings  immeas' 
urably : — 

Brad  Taylor,  who  impersonated  a  bearded  psychologist 
on  a  radio  program,  and  Roy  Acuff  and  his  Smoky  Moun- 
tain  Boys,  who  furnished  the  music,  lose  their  jobs.  They 
head  for  California  in  a  broken-down  limousine,  hoping  to 
find  work  there.  En  route,  they  stop  at  a  small  college,  where 
Taylor  dons  his  professorial  disguise  to  promote  a  meal  for 
himself  and  his  pals.  He  is  mistaken  for  a  distinguished 
psychology  professor,  and  Harry  "Pappy"  Cheshire,  the 
Dean,  offers  him  $100  to  give  a  lecture.  Virginia  Brissac, 
the  school's  irascible  founder,  rejects  payment  of  a  fee,  but 
Taylor,  attracted  to  Ruth  Terry,  her  niece,  agrees  to  lec- 
ture without  payment.  Taylor's  lectures  and  Acuff's  music 
win  over  the  students,  who  plead  with  them  to  stay  on  in- 
definitely. At  one  of  the  lectures,  Taylor  hypnotizes  Miss 
Brissac  and  reveals  that  her  mean  disposition  was  caused  by 
her  frustrated  love  for  the  Dean.  At  every  opportunity, 
Taylor  doffs  his  disguise  to  romance  with  Ruth,  eventually 
winning  her  love.  Meanwhile  the  real  professor,  learning 
that  Taylor  was  impersonating  him,  travels  to  the  school 
and  arrives  in  the  midst  of  a  party  tendered  to  Taylor  by 
the  students  in  appreciation  of  his  good  work.  Exposed, 
Taylor  confesses  the  ruse.  His  explanation  is  accepted,  and 
it  all  ends  happily  with  Miss  Brissac  and  the  Dean  resum- 
ing their  romance;  Taylor  resuming  his  normal  self  and 
turning  his  full  attentions  to  Ruth;  and  the  real  professor 
agreeing  to  take  over  the  lecture  series,  so  as  to  continue 
Taylor's  good  work. 

Dorrell  and  Stuart  McGowan  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Donald  H.  Brown  produced  it,  and  Frank  McDonald  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Lulubelle  and  Scotty,  the  Milo 
Twins,  Carolina  Cotton,  Beverly  Loyd,  Olin  Howlin  and 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Seven  Doors  to  Death"  with 
Chick  Chandler  and  June  Clyde 

(PRC,  July  25;  time,  61  min.) 

In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  story  is  illogical  and  muddled, 
this  murder-mystery  melodrama  should  get  by  as  a  second 
feature  in  theatres  that  cater  to  undiscriminating  audiences. 
The  over-abundance  of  dialogue  tends  to  slow  up  the  action, 
but  this  is  offset  by  some  comedy  and  a  fair  share  of  sus- 
pense. Most  all  the  action  takes  place  in  a  community  shop- 
ping center,  made  up  of  seven  shops,  with  each  of  the 
proprietors  suspected  of  the  crime.  The  fact  that  the  mur- 
derer's identity  is  not  revealed  until  the  finish  helps  to 
maintain  one's  interest.  Though  there  are  a  minimum  of 
sets,  the  production  values  are  good : — 

Surprised  when  June  Clyde  rushes  out  of  a  shopping 
center,  jumps  on  the  running  board  of  his  car,  and  orders 
him  to  speed  away,  Chick  Chandler,  a  young  architect, 
crashes  the  car  into  a  dead-end  wall.  June  disappears,  and 
Chandler  returns  to  the  shopping  center  in  search  of  her. 
There  he  finds  a  murdered  man.  He  hastens  to  the  police 
station,  where  he  is  detained  all  night.  In  the  morning,  the 
police  inform  Chandler  that  a  dead  man  had  been  found, 
but  not  the  one  described  by  him.  The  police  find  June  and 
learn  from  her  that  she  was  the  niece  and  logical  heir  of 
the  shopping  center's  owner,  her  aunt.  June  admits  that 


she  had  quarreled  often  with  the  dead  man,  her  aunt's 
attorney.  Learning  that  June  was  suspected  of  the  murder, 
and  curious  to  find  out  what  happened  to  the  body  of  the 
dead  man  he  had  discovered,  Chandler  questions  June  and 
learns  that  she  had  gone  to  her  aunt's  home  in  the  shop- 
ping center  to  leave  some  valuable  jewels  in  the  safe.  As  she 
closed  the  safe  door,  she  heard  some  shots  and  had  fled 
from  the  house.  Chandler  deduces  that  one  of  the  owners  of 
the  seven  shops  in  the  center  was  responsible  for  the  crimes. 
Aided  by  June,  he  carries  on  an  investigation  of  his  own  and 
finds  the  missing  body  in  the  basement  of  one  of  the  shops. 
The  police  identify  the  body  as  that  of  a  master  thief,  whose 
fingerprints  had  been  found  on  the  safe.  Additional  clues 
and  a  series  of  events  lead  Chandler  to  George  Meeker,  one 
of  the  shop  owners,  whom  he  unmasks  as  the  killer.  Meeker, 
a  taxidermist,  had  stolen  the  jewels,  killing  both  the  attorney 
and  the  master  thief,  who,  too,  were  after  the  gems.  He  had 
grafted  the  skin  from  the  master  thief's  fingers  and  had  made 
molds,  enabling  him  to  leave  false  fingerprints  on  the  safe. 

Elmer  Clifton  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Alfred  Stern 
produced  it.  Mr.  Clifton  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Michael  Raffeto,  Rebel  Randall  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Maisie  Goes  to  Reno"  with 
Ann  Sothern  and  John  Hodiak 

(MGM,  September;  time,  90  min.) 

Followers  of  the  "Maisie"  pictures  should  find  this  newest 
of  the  series  to  their  liking,  for  it  is  quite  amusing.  This 
time  "Maisie'  becomes  entangled  in  the  marital  affairs  of  a 
young  soldier  and  his  wealthy  bride,  putting  a  stop  to  their 
pending  divorce,  which  had  been  engineered  by  the  bride's 
attorney  and  her  secretary-companion.  The  story  itself  is 
far-fetched  and  even  slightly  silly  in  spots,  but  the  pace  is 
fast,  it  has  some  excitement,  and  the  comedy  situations  are 
plentiful.  As  "Maisie,"  the  likeable  working  girl  with  a 
heart  of  gold,  Ann  Sothern  gives  her  usual  good  perform- 
ance. Her  actions  are  the  cause  for  considerable  laughter, 
because  of  the  aggressive  way  in  which  she  goes  about  try- 
ing to  expose  the  plot  against  the  young  couple: — 

Victim  of  a  nervous  disorder  that  caused  her  to  wink, 
Ann  Sothern,  welder  in  an  aircraft  plant,  is  given  a  two 
weeks  vacation.  Chick  Chandler,  band  leader  and  her  former 
employer,  persuades  Ann  to  come  to  Reno  and  work  for  him 
during  her  vacation.  At  the  bus  station,  Ann  meets  Tom 
Drake,  a  young  soldier,  who  tells  her  of  his  marriage  to 
Ava  Gardner,  a  wealthy  girl.  Ava,  for  reasons  unknown  to 
Drake,  had  gone  to  Reno  for  a  divorce.  Drake,  desperately 
seeking  to  halt  the  divorce,  begs  Ann  to  deliver  a  letter  to 
his  wife.  Arriving  in  Reno,  Ann  goes  to  the  ranch  where 
Ava  was  staying.  There  she  meets  Marta  Linden,  Ava's 
secretary-companion,  whom  Paul  Cavanagh,  Ava's  attorney, 
introduces  to  her  as  Drake's  wife.  Ann  gives  her  the  letter. 
Later,  Ann  discovers  the  real  Ava  when  she  attempts  to 
return  a  match  box  she  had  unwittingly  taken  from  the 
ranch.  Realizing  that  Marta  and  Cavanagh  were  practicing 
a  fraud  on  Ava,  Ann  determines  to  get  to  the  bottom  of 
the  plot.  She  learns  that  the  pair  were  in  league  with  Bernard 
Nedell,  a  forger,  who  was  signing  Drake's  name  to  letters 
demanding  money  from  Ava.  The  trio,  by  persuading  Ava 
to  secure  a  divorce,  hoped  to  be  rid  of  Drake  so  that  they 
could  mulct  her  of  her  fortune.  On  the  day  of  the  divorce 
hearing,  Ann,  aided  by  Roland  Dupree,  a  bellhop,  and  by 
John  Hodiak,  a  blackjack  dealer,  with  whom  she  had  fallen 
in  love,  attempts  to  kidnap  Ava  only  to  discover  that  she 
had  kidnapped  the  disguised  Marta.  This  leads  to  a  series 
of  complications  that  end  with  Ann  convincing  Ava  of  the 
plot  against  her;  the  arrest  of  the  crooked  trio;  and  a  re- 
union between  Ava  and  Drake. 

Mary  C.  McCall,  Jr.  wrote  the  screen  play,  George 
Haight  produced  it,  and  Harry  Beaumont  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Bunny  Waters,  Donald  Meek,  Byron  Foulgcr 
and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


132 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  12,  1944 


hardship  to  the  exhibitors.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  such 
a  system  is  sound,  for  it  requires  that  pictures  be  sold 
on  merit,  allowing  the  exhibitor  to  pay  the  distributor 
a  film  rental  commensurate  with  the  pictures'  box- 
office  value;  it  does  away  with  the  wrangling  over  can- 
cellation privileges;  and  it  permits  the  buying  of  as 
many  pictures  as  the  exhibitor  desires  from  one  dis- 
tributor, all  of  which  could  be  bought  under  one  con- 
tract without  compelling  him  to  accept  an  undesirable 
picture  as  a  condition  of  obtaining  the  pictures  he 
wants. 

There  is  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  this  writer  that  the 
recommendations  of  the  National  Council  of  Unaf- 
filiated Exhibitors  were,  in  a  large  measure,  instru- 
mental in  influencing  the  Department  of  Justice  to 
reject  the  distributors'  unsatisfactory  proposals,  and 
to  seek  relief  through  the  courts.  This  Council,  as  most 
of  you  probably  remember,  was  composed  of  author- 
ized representatives  of  22  national  and  regional  inde- 
pendent exhibitor  organizations,  which,  under  the 
auspices  of  National  Allied,  met  in  Chicago  on  Jan- 
uary 31  and  February  1  of  this  year  for  the  specific 
purpose  of  analyzing  the  distributors'  proposals  for 
changes  in  the  Decree,  and  of  submitting  to  the  De- 
partment a  comprehensive  report  of  their  findings, 
outlining  their  objections,  counter-proposals,  and  rec- 
ommendations. A  complete  review  of  this  report  was 
printed  in  this  paper's  issues  of  February  19  and  26. 

According  to  the  trade  papers,  the  suddeness  of  the 
Government's  move  caught  the  consenting  companies 
by  surprise.  It  is  to  be  expected,  however,  that  they 
will  vehemently  oppose  the  petition.  The  defendants 
have  fifteen  days  in  which  to  file  their  objections  with 
the  Court,  but  there  is  a  possibility  that  extensions 
will  be  granted  to  them. 

Meanwhile  the  Government's  decision  to  proceed 
through  the  Courts  clears  the  atmosphere  and  re- 
moves the  uncertainty  that  has  prevailed  during  the 
long  drawn-out  negotiations.  The  distributors  were 
given  an  opportunity  to  curb  their  predatory  prac- 
tices, but  they  failed  utterly  to  do  so.  Now  the  Gov- 
ernment is  determined  to  accomplish  the  primary  ob- 
jective of  its  original  proceeding — the  restoration  of 
free  enterprise  and  open  competition  amongst  all 
branches  of  the  motion  picture  industry. 


"Oh,  What  a  Night!"  with  Edmund  Lowe, 
Jean  Parker  and  Marjorie  Rambeau 

(Monogram,  Sept.  2;  time,  71  min.) 
A  fairly  entertaining  melodrama,  with  comedy, 
centering  around  jewel  thieves.  Although  the  story 
is  familiar  in  theme  and  in  treatment,  it  should  fit 
nicely  on  the  lower  half  of  a  double  bill,  for  the  com- 
edy situations  are  amusing.  And,  since  the  action  is 
kept  moving  at  a  pretty  fast  pace,  one's  interest  does 
not  lag.  As  in  most  comedy-melodramas  of  this  type, 
the  story  hasn't  much  human  appeal;  nor  are  the  ac- 
tions of  the  characters  such  as  to  awaken  the  specta- 
tor's sympathy.  The  performances  are,  however,  en- 
gaging:— 

Edmund  Lowe,  Pierre  Watkin,  Ivan  Lebedeff,  and 
George  Lewis,  all  international  jewel  thieves,  work- 
ing independently  of  each  other,  arrive  at  a  fashion- 
able California  resort  to  await  the  arrival  of  Marjorie 
Rambeau,  ex-burlesque  queen  and  owner  of  a  fabulous 
diamond.  Jean  Parker,  Watkin's  niece,  was  unaware 


of  her  uncle's  "business"  affairs.  She  assumed  that  he 
and  Lowe,  whom  she  had  met  earlier  in  the  day,  were 
vacationing.  Unknown  to  the  other  thieves,  Lowe, 
because  of  a  past  favor,  had  promised  Detective  Alan 
Dinehart  that  he  would  not  only  refrain  from  steal- 
ing the  diamond  himself,  but  would  also  see  to  it  that 
the  jewel  remained  in  Marjorie's  possession.  Lowe 
counters  the  efforts  of  the  other  crooks  to  steal  the 
gem,  but,  at  a  dinner  party,  Watkin  steals  it  while 
dancing  with  Marjorie.  Lowe,  by  this  time  very  fond 
of  Jean,  determines  to  retrieve  the  jewel  without  let- 
ting her  know  that  her  uncle  was  a  thief.  He  surprises 
Watkin  in  the  act  of  packing  for  his  getaway  and,  at 
gun  point,  compels  him  to  hand  over  the  diamond,  but 
he  does  it  in  a  way  that  leads  Jean  to  believe  that 
he  (Lowe)  is  the  thief.  Returning  the  diamond  to 
Dinehart,  Lowe  leaves  the  country,  convinced  that, 
because  of  his  questionable  character,  he  had  done  the 
noble  thing  in  shunning  Jean's  love. 

Paul  Gerard  Smith  and  Ben  Cohen  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Scott  R.  Dunlap  produced  it,  and  William  Beau- 
dine  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Olaf  Hytten,  Kann 
Lang,  Claire  DuBrey  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Dangerous  Journey" 

(20th  Century-Fox,  September;  time,  73  min.) 

An  interesting  and,  at  times,  highly  informative 
travelogue.  Photographed  by  the  Armand  Denis- Leila 
Roosevelt  Expedition,  the  picture  is  a  colorful  record- 
ing of  the  expedition's  travels  through  Africa,  India, 
Ceylon,  and  Burma. 

Although  much  of  the  footage  is  given  over  to 
jungle  scenes  that  are  only  mildly  interesting  because 
they  present  nothing  novel  to  picture-goers,  there  are 
a  number  of  outstanding  sequences  showing  tribal 
customs  and  ceremonies  that  hold  one  fascinated.  For 
instance,  one  sees  how  certain  savage  African  tribes 
permanently  mutilate  their  bodies  and  facial  features 
in  the  belief  that  it  enhances  their  beauty.  The  remark- 
able thing  about  it  is  that  those  undergoing  the  tortur- 
ous mutilation  go  through  it  without  whimpering  or 
complaining. 

The  most  exciting  scenes  are  those  that  show  the 
methods  used  to  capture  and  train  a  wild  elephant; 
one  is  astounded  by  the  fearlessness  of  the  natives  as 
they  methodically  subdue  the  enraged  elephant  with- 
out harming  it. 

Other  unusual  scenes,  some  of  which  will  sicken 
sensitive  people,  show  religious  fanatics  in  India  going 
through  all  sorts  of  torture  to  "cleanse"  themselves  of 
sin.  They  put  spikes  through  their  tongues,  nails  into 
their  bodies,  and  hooks  through  their  flesh,  permitting 
people  to  pull  on  them.  Shown  also  is  the  custom  of 
burning  dead  bodies,  after  which  the  ashes  are  swept 
into  the  River  Ganges.  The  religious  fanatics  are 
shown  bathing  in  the  so-called  sacred  waters  of  the 
Ganges,  and  then  drinking  the  same  dirty  water. 

A  most  gripping  sequence  is  the  one  that  shows  a 
Burma  Priestess  going  through  a  snake  ritual  in  which 
she  wards  off  the  thrusts  of  a  deadly  Cobra,  kissing  it 
on  the  head  three  times. 

It  is  not  a  pleasant  picture.  The  scenes  of  torture 
may  sicken  children  and  many  adolescents. 

There  is  a  running  commentary  contributed  by 
Conrad  Nagel. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  Room  1  ftl  9  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  ixoom  ioi<;  Publisher 

Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Mexico,  Cuba,  Spain          16.50  A  Motion  picture  Reviewing  Service   

oreat  «rita'"  •  ;■• A0''°  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 
Australia,  New  Zealand,     

India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      Ug  Editorial  policy.  No  Problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

35c  a  Copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

VoTTXXVI  SATURDAY,  AUGUST  19,  1944  No.  34 


A  COMMENDABLE  REVERSAL 
OF  POLICY 

According  to  a  joint  statement  issued  this  week  by  Neil 
F.  Agnew,  vice-president  of  Vanguard  Films,  and  Carl  Les- 
serman,  General  Sales  Manager  of  United  Artists,  David  O. 
Selznick's  "Since  You  Went  Away"  will  be  released  at 
regular  admission  prices. 

In  deciding  upon  this  new  policy,  Mr.  Selznick  does  away 
with  his  original  plan  to  release  the  picture  under  terms 
that  required  the  exhibitor  to  increase  his  existing  admission 
prices  by  50% — a  policy  that  was  opposed  bitterly  by  many 
exhibitors,  for  it  would  have  placed  them  in  an  untenable 
position  with  their  patrons,  whose  indignation  is  mounting 
steadily  because  of  the  practice  that  requires  them  to  pay  a 
premium  every  time  a  better-than-average  picture  comes  along. 

The  pitfalls  of  Mr.  Selznick's  original  policy  were  discussed 
editorially  in  the  August  5  issue  of  this  paper. 

Mr.  Selznick  is  to  be  congratulated  for  having  had  the 
courage  and  good  sense  to  reverse  himself  on  an  important 
issue  of  sales  policy.  Harrison's  Reports  feels  confident 
that  his  decision  to  release  "Since  You  Went  Away"  at  regu- 
lar  admission  prices  will  result  in  more  people  seeing  the 
picture  than  would  have  seen  it  at  advanced  prices.  Conse- 
quently, his  action  should  assure  him  a  very  fair  return  on 
his  investment,  and  at  the  same  time  should  serve  to  prevent 
the  widening  of  a  breach  between  the  exhibitors  and  their 
patrons 

For  his  recognition  of  an  objectionable  practice — advanced 
admissions — and  for  his  willingness  to  do  something  about 
it,  Mr.  Selznick  is  entitled  to  the  full  cooperation  of  every 
exhibitor. 


HERBERT  J.  YATES'  VIEWS 
ON  TELEVISION 

Complying  with  my  request  for  a  statement  from  him  in 
regard  to  Television,  Herbert  J.  Yates,  Sr.,  of  Consolidated 
Film  Industries,  owners  of  Republic  Pictures  Corporation, 
has  sent  me  the  following  letter: 

"Television,  in  my  opinion,  is  perhaps  the  most  potential 
major  competitor  that  the  motion  picture  has  had  to  en- 
counter. In  its  present  stage  of  development,  I  do  not  think 
it  offers  any  immediate  threat  to  theatre  attendance.  How- 
ever, in  this  age  of  scientific  miracles,  who  is  to  say  that  in 
the  not  too  distant  future,  the  majority  of  all  technical  details 
of  television  transmission  will  not  be  solved?  If  and  when 
this  happens,  the  televised  program  of  entertainment  will 
most  certainly  vie  with  the  motion  picture  for  audience  and 
public  appeal. 

"There  is  a  possibility  that  television  can  be  adapted  by  the 
theatre  to  augment  motion  picture  entertainment,  such  as 
the  presentation  of  current  events,  and,  in  production,  it  can 
be  helpful  in  the  discovery  of  new  talent.  However,  every 
help  that  it  can  render  the  industry  as  a  whole  is  offset  by 
the  possibilities  of  having  the  living  room  of  every  home 
become  competition  to  the  established  theatre. 


Every  showman  should  study  this  situation  diligently  and 
I  figure  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  television  and  televised  pro- 
grams will  go  all  out  to  win  the  favor  of  the  theatre-going 
public. 

"Television  has  demonstrated  that  it  can  use  sight,  sound, 
color  and  flesh,  as  well  as  the  motion  picture.  While  it  is  not 
as  refined  as  yet,  there  is  no  reason  to  say  that  it  will  not  be 
brought  up  to  perfection. 

"I  think  we  of  the  motion  picture  industry  should  organ- 
ize and  perfect  plans  to  meet  this  new  competition.  Unques- 
tionably we  can  hold  our  own  against  television  or  any  other 
competition  to  our  audiences,  provided  we  get  together  on 
a  platform  which  will  promote  unity,  perpetuate  showman- 
ship, and  inspire  new  ideas  and  quality  of  production.  We 
certainly  have  the  intelligence  and  brains  in  the  motion 
picture  industry,  if  we  organize  and  properly  direct  them  in 
the  channels  that  will  meet  any  challenge  that  television  will 
have  to  offer.  If  we  will  do  this,  we  can  still  be  the  public's 
Number  One  choice  of  entertainment. 

"However,  we  must  remind  ourselves  at  all  times  to  be  on 
the  alert  and  keep  up  with  all  new  developments  of  tele- 
vision, and  never  forget  what  happened  to  the  great  vaudeville 
world,  when  it  ignored  the  motion  picture  as  a  competitor, 
and  ridiculed  it  as  a  passing  fancy  with  the  public.  For  this 
lack  of  foresight,  vaudeville  as  a  national  institution  went  out 
of  business.  I  am  confident  that  we,  forewarned,  will  not  make 
this  mistake." 


BOX-OFFICE  PERFORMANCES 

(The  previous  box-office  performances  were  printed  in  the 
February  5,  1944  issue: 

Columbia 

"The  Racket  Man":  Poor 

"Swing  Out  the  Blues":  Fair-Poor 

"Beautiful  But  Broke":  Fair-Poor 

"None  Shall  Escape":  Fair 

"The  Ghost  That  Walks  Alone":  Poor 

"Nine  Girls" :  Fair 

"Sailor's  Holiday":  Poor 

"Hey,  Rookie" :  Fair 

"Two  Man  Submarine":  Fair-Poor 

"The  Whistler":  Fair 

"Cover  Girl":  Excellent-Very  Good 

"Jam  Session" :  Fair 

"Girl  in  the  Case":  Fair 

"The  Black  Parachute":  Fair-Poor 

"Once  Upon  a  Time":  Good-Fair 

"Underground  Guerillas":  Poor 

"Stars  on  Parade":  Fair-Poor 

"Address  Unknown":  Fair 

Eighteen  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results  : 

Excellent- Very  Good,  1;  Good-Fair,  Ij  Fair,  7;  Fair-Poor 
5;  Poor,  4. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


134 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  19,  1944 


"The  Merry  Monahans" 
with  Donald  O'Connor,  Peggy  Ryan 
and  Jack  Oakie 

(Universal,  Sept.  15;  time,  91  mm.) 

Good  mass  entertainment.  Although  not  a  big  pic- 
ture, it  has  been  given  a  pretty  lavish  production,  and 
it  offers  comedy,  music,  romance,  and  dancing  of  the 
type  to  appeal  to  most  picture-goers.  The  story  is  fa- 
miliar; one  overlooks  this,  however,  for  it  has  con- 
siderable human  interest,  the  plot  developments  are 
amusing,  and  the  performances  are  engaging.  The  ac- 
tion takes  place  during  the  period  from  1900  to  1918, 
and  it  revolves  around  the  ups-and-downs  of  a  family 
vaudeville  troupe — father,  daughter,  and  son.  Donald 
O'Connor  and  Peggy  Ryan  arc  their  usual  cxhuberant 
selves,  thoroughly  entertaining  one  with  their  comedy 
antics,  singing,  and  dancing.  Jack  Oakie,  as  their 
father,  brightens  things  up  considerably.  The  music  is 
very  pleasant,  especially  when  sung  by  Ann  Blyth. 
The  tunes  include  favorite  songs  of  the  era  depicted, 
and  a  few  new  songs,  one  of  which,  "Lovely,"  is 
destined  to  become  a  popular  hit : — 

At  the  turn  of  the  century,  Oakie,  a  comedian,  pro- 
poses to  Rosemary  De  Camp,  his  vaudeville  partner. 
Rosemary  accepts  Oakie,  but  Isabel  Jewell,  an  un- 
scrupulous chorus  girl,  tricks  him  into  marrying  her. 
A  number  of  years  later,  Isabel  deserts  Oakie,  leaving 
him  with  their  two  small  children  (Donald  O'Connor 
and  Peggy  Ryan).  The  youngsters  join  Oakie's  act 
and,  by  1917,  becomes  headliners  on  the  Keith  Cir- 
cuit. During  one  of  their  tours,  they  meet  Rosemary, 
now  a  widow,  and  Ann  Blyth,  her  daughter,  with 
whom  Donald  falls  in  love.  Ann  sang  in  an  act,  teamed 
with  John  Miljan,  a  former  matinee  idol,  whom  she 
disliked.  Miljan  made  it  appear  as  if  he  were  doing 
Rosemary  a  favor  to  keep  Ann  in  the  act;  actually, 
she  was  the  mainstay  of  his  routine,  a  fact  he  fully 
realized.  Oakie  begins  to  court  Rosemary  again,  but 
she  turns  him  down  in  favor  of  Miljan.  Heartbroken, 
Oakie  takes  to  drink  and  is  given  a  thirty-days  jail 
sentence  for  disturbing  the  peace.  Donald  and  Peggy 
continue  with  the  act  and  become  overnight  sensa- 
tions in  a  Broadway  show.  Meanwhile  Ann  had  been 
instrumental  in  breaking  up  the  pending  marriage  of 
Miljan  and  her  mother.  Released  from  jail,  Oakie  de- 
termines to  become  a  teetotaler,  and  decides  not  to 
impede  his  children's  progress.  He  disappears.  Peggy 
and  Donald  trace  him  to  New  York.  There,  together 
with  Rosemary  and  Ann,  the  youngsters  and  Oakie 
participate  in  a  Liberty  Loan  rally.  A  Broadway  pro- 
ducer catches  their  performance  and  offers  them  a 
contract. 

Michael  Fessier  and  Ernest  Pagano  wrote  the  screen 
play  and  produced  it.  Charles  Lamont  directed  it. 

"Marriage  Is  a  Private  Affair" 
with  Lana  Turner,  John  Hodiak 
and  James  Craig 

(MGM,  October;  time,  116  min.) 
A  tedious,  over  long  martial  drama;  its  fate  at  the 
box-office  will  depend  largely  on  the  strength  of  Lana 
Turner's  popularity.  The  story  is  a  weak  affair  that 
"wanders  all  over  the  lot,"  gets  no  place  in  particu- 
lar, and  lacks  dramatic  power.  For  example,  Miss 
Turner  is  shown  as  a  selfish  young  wife,  who  finds 
herself  in  a  constant  state  of  confusion  while  endeav- 
oring to  make  a  go  of  her  marriage.  Yet  there  is  no 
apparent  reason  for  her  being  confused,  for  John 


Hodiak,  her  husband,  a  sincere,  kindly  fellow,  had 
done  nothing  to  cause  her  to  worry.  One  feels  no 
sympathy  for  Miss  Turner,  for  the  character  she  por- 
trays is  shallow  and  unbelievable.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
most  of  the  main  characters  behave  in  an  unbelievable 
manner.  In  addition  to  the  main  plot,  there  are  several 
by-plots,  equally  as  weak,  which  serve  only  to  add  to 
the  tediousness.  As  it  stands,  the  picture's  appeal  will 
be  directed  mainly  to  women,  for  there  are  shown  dis- 
plays of  beautiful  clothes,  worn  by  Miss  Turner: — 

Lana  Turner,  gay,  irresponsible  daughter  of  a  three- 
times  married  woman  (Natalie  Schafer)  weds  Lieu- 
tenant John  Hodiak  after  a  whirlwind  courtship.  They 
settle  down  in  Boston,  where  Hodiak,  against  his  will, 
is  relieved  of  active  duty  so  that  he  could  supervise 
vital  war  work  at  his  factory.  Within  a  year,  Lana 
has  a  baby.  Determined  not  to  follow  in  the  footsteps 
of  her  mother,  Lana  tries  to  be  a  model  wife,  pattern- 
ing her  married  life  after  that  of  Hodiak's  closest 
friends,  Frances  Gifford  and  Herbert  Rudley.  Mean- 
while Hodiak  seeks  to  rehabilitate  Hugh  Marlowe, 
another  close  friend,  who  had  taken  to  drink,  so  that 
he  could  take  over  management  of  the  factory,  thus 
freeing  him  for  active  duty.  Lana  finds  her  faith  in 
marriage  crumbling  when  she  inadvertently  learns 
that  Frances  and  Marlowe  were  carrying  on  a  clan- 
destine romance.  A  chance  meeting  with  Captain 
James  Craig,  one  of  her  old  suitors,  awakens  some- 
thing within  her,  and  she  begins  to  wonder  whether 
or  not  she  was  really  in  love  with  her  husband.  To 
make  certain,  she  secretly  visits  Craig's  apartment. 
Hodiak  learns  of  the  visit.  They  quarrel  and  separate. 
While  waiting  for  her  divorce,  Lana  meets  Craig 
once  again.  When  he  takes  her  into  his  arms,  she  sud- 
denly realizes  that  it  is  Hodiak  whom  she  loves.  Craig, 
understanding  her  feelings,  uses  his  influence  to  put 
through  a  long  distance  call  to  a  South  Pacific  base, 
where  Hodiak  had  returned  to  active  service.  Lana 
informs  her  husband  of  her  intention  to  wait  for  him. 

David  Hertz  and  Lenore  Coffee  wrote  the  screen 
play  based  on  the  novel  by  Judith  Kelly.  Pandro  S. 
Berman  produced  it,  and  Robert  Z.  Leonard  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Keenan  Wynn,  Paul  Cavanagh, 
Morris  Ankrum  and  others. 

There  are  no  objectionable  situations. 

"Strangers  in  the  Night" 
with  William  Terry,  Virginia  Grey 
and  Helene  Thimig 

(Republic,  September  12;  time,  56  min.) 

A  slow-moving  but  extremely  suspenseful  program 
mystery  drama;  audiences  that  enjoy  this  type  of  en- 
tertainment should  find  it  to  their  liking.  The  story  is 
more  or  less  a  character  study  of  a  crippled,  demented 
woman,  whose  frustrated  desire  to  have  a  child  leads 
her  to  create  an  imaginary  daughter.  Because  of  the 
fact  that  it  is  not  revealed  until  the  closing  scenes  that 
the  daughter  was  a  figment  of  her  imagination,  one's 
interest  is  held  throughout  by  the  woman's  mysteri- 
ous movements  and  her  murderous  efforts  to  prevent 
others  from  learning  of  her  secret.  It  is  not  a  pleasant 
entertainment,  because  of  its  funereal  atmosphere,  and 
its  display  of  cruelty;  there  is  no  comedy  relief : — 

William  Terry,  a  Marine  in  the  South  Pacific,  cor- 
responds and  falls  in  love  with  "Rosemary  Blake," 
whose  name  and  address  he  had  found  on  the  fly  leaf 
of  a  book.  Wounded  in  action,  Terry  returns  to  the 


August  19,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


135 


United  States  and  heads  for  "Rosemary's"  home  town. 
He  strikes  up  an  acquaintance  on  the  train  with  Vir' 
ginia  Grey,  a  woman  doctor,  who  had  her  office  in 
the  same  town  for  which  he  was  heading.  Arriving  at 
his  destination,  Terry  goes  to  "Rosemary's"  home, 
where  he  is  greeted  warmly  by  Helene  Thimig,  her 
mother.  She  invites  him  to  stay  for  a  few  days  until 
"Rosemary"  returns  from  a  short  trip,  and  she  shows 
him  a  huge  portrait  of  her  daughter.  Terry  is  struck 
with  the  girl's  beauty.  When  Terry's  old  wounds  sud- 
denly require  attention,  Miss  Thimig  sends  for  Vir- 
ginia.  The  old  woman  shows  obvious  displeasure  upon 
learning  that  the  two  had  met  previously.  After  a  few 
days,  Terry  begins  to  feel  uneasy  in  the  house,  and 
suspects  something  to  be  wrong  because  of  "Rose 
mary's"  failure  to  return.  He  recognizes  the  brush 
technique  of  "Rosemary's"  portrait  as  the  work  of 
an  old  college  friend,  and  leaves  for  San  Francisco  to 
visit  him.  During  his  absence,  Edith  Barrett,  Miss 
Thimig 's  timid  companion,  tries  to  send  a  letter  to 
Virginia.  Miss  Thimig  intercepts  the  letter  and  poi- 
sons her  companion.  The  following  day,  Terry  re- 
turns and,  in  the  presence  of  Virginia,  reveals  that 
"Rosemary"  was  a  figment  of  Miss  Thimig's  imagina- 
tion, and  that  she  herself  had  been  corresponding 
with  him.  To  prevent  the  young  couple  from  disclos- 
ing her  secret,  and  to  still  their  suspicions  about  Miss 
Barrett's  death,  Miss  Thimig  makes  an  unsuccessful 
attempt  on  their  lives.  Appealing  to  her  imaginary 
daughter  for  help,  the  huge  portrait  falls  from  the 
wall  and  crushes  the  demented  woman  to  death. 

Bryant  Ford  and  Paul  Gangelin  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Rudolph  E.  Abel  produced  it,  and  Anthony 
Mann  directed  it. 

"Kansas  City  Kitty"  with  Joan  Davis, 
Bob  Crosby  and  Jane  Frazee 

(Columbia,  August  24;  time,  72  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  program  comedy,  with 
some  music.  Some  of  the  situations  are  funny,  but  for 
the  greater  part  the  story  is  so  silly  and  the  comedy 
so  forced  that  it  becomes  tiresome.  Its  chief  asset  is 
Joan  Davis,  whose  familiar  comedy  antics  provoke 
considerable  laughter  in  spots,  but  even  her  efforts 
are  not  enough  to  overcome  the  mediocre  material. 
Not  even  in  the  musical  end  does  the  picture  present 
anything  unusual : — 

Robert  Emmett  Keane  and  Tim  Ryan,  owners  of  a 
nearly-bankrupt  music  publishing  house,  persuade 
Joan  Davis,  a  piano  teacher,  to  join  their  organization 
as  a  "song-plugger."  Unable  to  pay  her  a  salary,  they 
make  her  a  member  of  the  firm.  When  a  cowboy  visits 
the  office  and  seeks  to  have  his  song,  "Kansas  City 
Kitty,"  published,  Joan  purchases  it  for  a  small  sum. 
Jane  Frazee,  a  night-club  singer  and  Joan's  friend, 
sings  the  song,  and  it  becomes  an  immediate  hit. 
Meanwhile  Keane  and  Ryan  are  confronted  with  jail 
because  of  a  bad  check  they  had  issued  before  Joan 
joined  the  firm.  To  save  themselves,  they  offer  to  sell 
their  interest  in  the  firm.  Joan  raises  the  money 
through  Jane,  who  invests  the  savings  owned  jointly 
by  herself  and  Bob  Crosby,  her  fiance.  Just  as  busi- 
ness begins  to  improve,  the  girls  find  themselves 
charged  with  plagiarism  by  Matt  Willis,  who  claimed 
that  "Kansas  City  Kitty"  was  stolen  from  "Minne- 
sota Minnie,"  a  song  he  had  published  years  pre- 
viously. Joan  decides  to  use  her  feminine  charms  in  an 


effort  to  persuade  Willis  to  withdraw  the  suit.  She 
invites  him  up  to  her  apartment  for  dinner.  Her 
scheme  is  spoiled,  however,  when  Erik  Rolf,  her  regu- 
lar boy-friend,  pays  her  an  unexpected  visit.  Joan  is 
compelled  to  eat  dinner  with  both  men  in  separate 
rooms,  with  each  unaware  of  the  other's  presence. 
Eventually,  Willis  discovers  the  deception  and  stomps 
out  of  the  apartment.  He  hails  Joan  to  court.  There, 
he  proves  conclusively  that  "Kansas  City  Kitty"  was 
stolen  from  "Minnesota  Minnie."  Joan's  boy-friend 
saves  the  day  when  he  rushes  into  the  court  room  with 
proof  that  "Minnesota  Minnie"  was  stolen  from  a 
world-famous  rhapsody.  Joan  wins  the  suit. 

Manny  Seff  wrote  the  screen  play,  Ted  Richmond 
produced  it,  and  Del  Lord  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Charles  Williams,  Lee  Gotch,  the  Williams 
Brothers  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Cry  of  the  Werewolf" 
with  Nina  Foch  and  Stephen  Crane 

(Columbia,  August  17;  time,  64  min.) 

Just  a  routine  program  horror  melodrama,  contain- 
ing little  to  distinguish  it  from  countless  other  pic- 
tures of  its  type.  It  is  an  implausible  tale  about  su' 
pernatural  doings,  revolving  around  a  beautiful  gypsy 
princess,  who  turns  into  a  "werewolf"  at  will,  mang- 
ling and  murdering  several  persons  in  an  effort  to 
guard  the  secret  of  her  mother's  tomb.  The  usual 
eerie  effects  have  been  employed  to  create  a  tense  at- 
mosphere, but  the  general  effect  is  weak,  for  the  action 
lacks  excitement  and  there  is  little  suspense.  Another 
thing  against  it  is  the  fact  that  the  players  mean  noth- 
ing at  the  box-office.  Some  romantic  interest  has  been 
worked  into  the  plot,  but  it  is  incidental : — 

Nina  Foch,  princess  of  a  gypsy  tribe,  learns  from 
one  of  her  subjects  (Ivan  Triesault),  that  Fritz  Lei- 
ber,  head  of  a  New  Orleans  museum,  which  had  once 
been  her  mother's  home,  had  discovered  conclusive 
proof  that  her  mother  had  been  a  werewolf,  and  that 
he  intended  to  publish  a  book  on  the  subject.  Nina 
slips  into  the  museum  and  steps  quickly  through  a 
secret  panel  leading  to  her  mother's  old  room.  Later, 
Leiber  is  found  dead,  his  body  mangled.  Stephen 
Crane,  Leiber's  son,  and  Osa  Massen,  his  assistant, 
help  the  police  to  investigate  the  murder.  They  find 
a  clue  in  Leiber's  manuscript  indicating  that  a  were- 
wolf might  have  committed  the  crime.  The  police 
laugh  off  their  claim  of  a  supernatural  element  in  the 
murder.  Learning  that  Triesault,  who  was  employed 
at  the  museum,  was  suspected  by  the  police,  Nina  kills 
him  so  that  he  would  not  talk,  thus  implicating  her. 
Lest  Crane  and  Osa  find  conclusive  proof  in  the  manu- 
script that  would  lead  to  her  undoing,  Nine  makes 
several  unsuccessful  attempts  on  their  lives.  She  fi- 
nally traps  Osa  in  the  museum  and,  through  hypno- 
tism, attempts  to  make  her  one  of  the  werewolf  tribe. 
Crane  arrives  in  the  midst  of  the  ritual.  Angered, 
Nina  turns  into  a  wolf  and  attempts  to  destroy  both 
Crane  and  Osa.  The  police  arrive  during  the  desperate 
struggle  and  a  bullet  fells  the  animal.  As  it  dies,  it 
slowly  assumes  the  dead  form  of  Nina. 

Griffin  Jay  and  Charles  O'Neal  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Wallace  MacDonald  produced  it,  and  Henry 
Levine  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Barton  Mac- 
Lane,  Blanche  Yurka  and  others. 

Not  for  children. 


136 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  19,  1944 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 

"Lost  Angel":  Good-Fair 

"Cry  'Havoc  " :  Fair 

"Song  of  Russia":  Good-Fair 

"Madame  Curie":  Good 

"A  Guy  Named  Joe":  Very  Good-Good 

"Rationing":  Good 

"Broadway  Rhythm":  Good 

"See  Here,  Private  Hargrove" :  Very  Good 

"The  Heavenly  Body" :  Fair-Poor 

"Swing  Fever":  Poor 

"Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble":  Good 

"Gaslight":  Very  Good-Good 

"Meet  the  People":  Fair-Poor 

"Three  Men  in  White"  :  Fair 

"Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor":  Very  Good 

"Tunisian  Victory":  Poor 

Sixteen  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following  re 
suits : 

Very  Good,  2;  Very  Good-Good,  2;  Good,  4;  Good-Fair, 
2;  Fair,  2;  Fair-Poor,  2;  Poor,  2. 

Paramount 

"Henry  Aldrich,  Boy  Scout" :  Fair 

"Miracle  of  Morgan's  Creek":  Very  Good 

"Timber  Queen":  Fair-Poor 

"Standing  Room  Only":  Good 

"The  Uninvited":  Very  Good-Good 

"The  Navy  Way":  Fair 

"The  Hour  Before  the  Dawn":  Fair 

"You  Can't  Ration  Love" :  Fair 

"Going  My  Way":  Excellent 

"Lady  in  the  Dark"  Very  Good-Good 

"The  Story  of  Dr.  Wasscll":  Very  Good 

"For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls":  Very  Good 

"And  the  Angels  Sing":  Good 

"Henry  Aldrich  Plays  Cupid":  Fair 

"The  Hitler  Gang":  Fair-Poor 

"Gambler's  Choice" :  Fair 

"Double  Indemnity":  Very  Good-Good 

Seventeen  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results : 

Excellent,  1;  Very  Good,  3;  Very  Good-Good,  3;  Good, 
2;  Fair,  6;  Fair-Poor,  2. 

RKO 

"Around  the  World":  Fair 
"The  Ghost  Ship" :  Fair 
"Tarzan's  Desert  Mystery":  Fair 
"Rookies  in  Burma"  :  Fair-Poor 
"Higher  and  Higher" :  Good-Fair 
"Tender  Comrade":  Good 
"Passport  to  Destiny" :  Fair-Poor 
"Curse  of  the  Cat  People" :  Fair 
"Escape  to  Danger":  Poor 
"Action  in  Arabia" :  Fair 
"The  Falcon  Out  West" :  Fair 
"Days  of  Glory" :  Fair-Poor 
"Yellow  Canary" :  Fair-Poor 
"Seven  Days  Ashore" :  Fair 
"Show  Business":  Very  Good-Good 
"Up  in  Arms" :  Very  Good 

Sixteen  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results : 

Very  Good,  1;  Very  Good-Good,  1;  Good,  1;  Good-Fair, 
1;  Fair,  7;  Fair-Poor,  4;  Poor,  1. 

20th  Century-Fox 

"The  Lodger" :  Good 
"Uncensored" :  Poor 
"Lifeboat" :  Good-Fair 


"Jane  Eyre":  Very  Good-Good 

"The  Sullivans":  Good 

"The  Purple  Heart":  Good 

"Four  Jills  in  a  Jeep" :  Good-Fair 

"Buffalo  Bill":  Good 

"Tampico" :  Fair 

"Pin  Up  Girl":  Very  Good-Good 

"Bermuda  Mystery":  Fair 

"Eve  of  St.  Mark":  Good-Fair 

"Ladies  of  Washington":  Fair-Poor 

Thirten  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 

results: 

Very  Good-Good,  2;  Good,  4;  Good-Fair,  3;  Fair,  2; 
Fair-Poor,  1;  Poor,  1. 

United  Artists 

"Three  Russian  Girls":  Poor 
"Knickerbocker  Holiday":  Poor 
"Bridge  of  San  Luis  Rey":  Fair 
"It  Happened  Tomorrow":  Good-Fair 
"Voice  in  the  Wind":  Poor 
"Up  in  Mabel's  Room":  Good 
"Song  of  the  Open  Road":  Fair-Poor 
"The  Hairy  Ape":  Good-Fair 

Eight  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results: 

Good,  1;  Good-Fair,  2;  Fair,  1;  Fair-Poor,  1;  Poor,  3. 

Universal 

"Sing  a  Jingle":  Poor 

"Alt  Baba  and  the  Forty  Thieves":  Good 

"Spider  Woman":  Fair 

"Phantom  Lady":  Good-Fair 

"Swingtime  Johnny":  Fair-Poor 

"The  Impostor" :  Fair-Poor 

"Weekend  Pass"  Fair-Poor 

"Chip  Off  the  Old  Block":  Fair 

"Hat  Check  Honey":  Fair-Poor 

"Ladies  Courageous":  Fair-Poor 

"Hi"  Good  Lookin'  ":  Fair-Poor 

"Weird  Woman":  Fair-Poor 

"Her  Primitive  Man":  Fair-Poor 

"Moon  Over  Las  Vegas" :  Fair-Poor 

"Slightly  Terrific":  Fair-Poor 

"Cobra  Woman":  Fair 

"Pardon  My  Rhythm":  Fair-Poor 

"The  Scarlet  Claw":  Fair 

"This  Is  the  life":  Good 

"The  Invisible  Man's  Revenge":  Fair 

"Ghost  Catchers":  Fair-Poor 

Twenty-one  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results : 

Good,  2;  Good-Fair,  1;  Fair,  5;  Fair-Poor,  12;  Poor,  1. 

Warner  Brothers 

"Crime  School"  (reissue):  Good-Fair 

"Girls  on  Probation"  (reissue) :  Fair 

"Destination  Tokyo":  Very  Good 

"The  Desert  Song":  Good 

"This  Is  the  Army" :  Excellent- Very  Good 

"In  Our  Time" :  Good-Fair 

"Frisco  Kid"  (reissue) :  Good-Fair 

"Passage  to  Marseilles":  Good 

"Shine  on  Harvest  Moon":  Very  Good-Good 

"Uncertain  Glory":  Good-Fair 

"Between  Two  Worlds"  :  Fair 

"Make  Your  Own  Bed":  Fair 

Twelve  pictures  have  been  checked  with  the  following 
results: 

Excellent- VeryGood,  1;  Very  Good,  1;  Very  Good-Good, 
1;  Good,  2;  Good-Fair,  4;  Fair,  3. 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  TWO 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  AUGUST  19,  1944  No.  34 

(Partial  Index  No.  4 — Pages  106  to  132  Incl.) 


Titles  of  Pictures  Reviewed  on  Page 

Abroad  with  Two  Yanks — United  Artists  (79  min.)  .  .  123 

An  American  Romance — MGM  (151  min.)   106 

Atlantic  City — Republic  (86  min.)   127 

A  Wave,  A  Wac  6?  A  Marine — Monogram  (80  min.) .  11? 

Barbary  Coast  Gent — MGM  (87  min.)   126 

Black  Magic — Monogram  (6?  min.)   114 

Block  Busters — Monogram  (61  min.)   114 

Bordertown  Trail — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Brand  of  the  Devil — PRC  (61  min.)  not  reviewed 

Bride  By  Mistake— RKO  (81  min.)   122 

Casanova  Brown — RKO  (93  min.)   127 

Contender,  The— PRC  ( 66  min. )   118 

Crime  By  Night — Warner  Bros.  (73  min.)   123 

Dangerous  Journey — 20th  Century-Fox  (73  min.).  .  .  132 

Delinquent  Daughters — PRC  (72  min.)    118 

Dixie  Jamboree— PRC  (71  min.)   110 

Dragon  Seed— MGM  (145  min.)   119 

Falcon  in  Mexico,  The — RKO  (70  min.)   124 

Fuzzy  Settles  Down — PRC  (60  min.)  not  reviewed 

Girl  Who  Dared,  The— Republic  (56  min.)   107 

Greenwich  Village — 20th  Century-Fox  (83  min.)   130 

Gypsy  Wildcat — Universal  (75  min.)   130 

Heavenly  Days— RKO  (72  min.)   126 

In  Rosie's  Room — Republic  (see  "Rosie,  the  Riveter")  51 

In  Society — Universal  (73  min.)   130 

Janie — Warner  Bros.  (101  min.)   124 

Jungle  Woman — Universal  (60  min.)   107 

Last  Horseman,  The — Columbia  (54  min.)  .  .  .not  reviewed 

Leave  It  To  the  Irish — Monogram  (61  min.)   114 

Machine  Gun  Mama— PRC  (62  min.)   Ill 

Mile.  Fifi— RKO  (69  min.)  ,   122 

Maisie  Goes  to  Reno — MGM  (90  min.)   131 

Marked  Trails — Monogram  (59  min.)  not  reviewed 

Men  of  the  Sea— PRC  (49  min.)   120 

Minstrel  Man— PRC  (68  min.)   106 

Mr.  Winkle  Goes  to  War — Columbia  (77  min.)   118 

Mummy's  Ghost,  The — Universal  (60  min.)   Ill 

Music  in  Manhattan — RKO  (81  min.)   123 

Oh,  What  a  Night! — Monog  ram  (71  min.)   132 

Once  Upon  a  Time — Columbia  (89  min.)   110 

Shadows  in  the  Night — Columbia  (67  min.)   127 

Seven  Doors  to  Death — PRC  (61  min.)  .   131 

Seventh  Cross,  The— MGM  (111  min.)   119 

Since  You  Went  Away — United  Artists  (171  min.) .  .  119 

Sing,  Neighbor,  Sing — Republic  (70  min.)   131 

Sonora  Stage  Coach — Monogram  (59  min.).  .not  reviewed 

Sweet  and  Low-down — 20th  Century-Fox  (75  min.)  .  .  126 
Sweethearts  on  Parade — Monogram  (See 

"Sweethearts  of  the  U.S.A.")   14 

Take  It  or  Leave  It — 20th  Century-Fox  (71  min.)   115 

Three  Little  Sisters — Republic  (68  min.)   122 

Three  of  a  Kind — Monogram  (67  min.)   106 

Tropicana — Columbia  (see  "The  Heat's  On")  1943,..  194 

U-Boat  Prisoner — Columbia  (67  min.)   110 

West  of  the  Rio  Grande — Monogram 

(59  min.)   not  reviewed 

Wilson — 20th  Century-Fox  (155  min.)   128 

Wing  and  a  Prayer — 20th  Century-Fox  (95  min.)   118 


RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 

Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  York  19,  H  Y.) 

1943-44 

5010  Address  Unknown — Paul  Lukas  June  1 

5043  They  Live  in  Fear — Severn-Parrish  June  15 

5208  The  Last  Horseman — Russell-Hayden 

(54  m.)  June  22 

5040  She's  a  Soldier  Too — Bondi-Barker  June  29 

5019  Louisiana  Hayride — Judy  Canova  July  13 

5008  Secret  Command — O'Brien-Landis  July  20 


5037  U-Boat  Prisoner — Bruce-Bennett  July  25 

5007  Mr.  Winkle  Goes  to  War — Robinson  Aug.  3 

5027  Cry  of  the  Werewolf — Massen-Crane  Aug.  17 

5026  Soul  of  a  Monster  (formerly  "Death  Walks 

Alone") — Hobart-Bates  Aug.  17 

5012  Kansas  City  Kitty — Davis-Crosby-Frazee.  . .  .Aug.  24 

Swing  in  the  Saddle — Musical  Western  Aug.  31 

5002  The  Impatient  Years — Arthur-Bowman  Sept.  7 

Ever  Since  Venus — Savage-Hunter  Sept.  14 

One  Mysterious  Night — Morris-Carter  Sept.  19 

Carolina  Blues — Kyser-Miller  Sept.  26 

The  Unwritten  Code — Savage-Neal  Sept.  28 

(More  to  come) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

Cowboy  from  Lonesome  River — Starrett. .  .  .Sept.  21 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Features 

(1540  Broadway,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H  T.) 

1943-44 

Block  7 

424  Andy  Hardy's  Blonde  Trouble — Rooney  May 

425  Gaslight — Boyer-Bergman-Cotten  May 

426  Meet  the  People — Ball-Powell  May 

427  Three  Men  in  White — Barrymore  June 

428  Two  Girls  and  a  Sailor — James-Durante  June 

Block  8 

429  Bathing  Beauty — Skelton- Williams  July 

430  The  Canterville  Ghost — O'Brien- Young  July 

Specials 

466  Tunisian  Victory — Documentary  April  28 

491  White  Cliffs  of  Dover — Marshal-Dunne  June 

<  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1 944-45  Season 

Block  9 

The  Seventh  Cross- — Tracy-Gurie  September 

Barbary  Coast  Gent— Wallace  Beery  September 

Maisie  Goes  to  Reno — Sothern-Hodiak.  .  .  .September 
Waterloo  Bridge — Taylor-Leigh  (reissue) ..  September 
Marriage  is  a  Private  Affair — Turner-Craig. .  .October 

Kismet — Colman-Dietrich   October 

Mrs.  Parkington — Garson-Pidgeon  November 

Naughty  Marietta — M'cD'nld-Eddy  (reissue)  .Novem. 

Lost  in  a  Harem — Abbott  ii  Costello  December 

Specials 

Dragon  Seed — Hepburn-Huston  August 

An  American  Romance — Donlevy  October 

Monogram  Features 

(630  Hinth  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 
1943-44 

312  Follow  the  Leader — East  Side  Kids  June  3 

365  Sonora  Stage  Coach — Trail  Blazers  (59  m.)  . .  .June  10 
319  Return  of  the  Ape  Man — Lugosi- 

Carradine  (re)   June  24 

355  Range  Law — J.  M.  Brown  (58  m.)  July  1 

304  Johnny  Doesn't  Live  Here  Anymore — 
Simon-Ellison-Terry    July  8 

305  Are  These  Our  Parents? — Neill-Vinson  July  8 

Trail  Blazers  (59  m.)  (re)  July  15 

323  Three  of  a  Kind — Gilbert-Howard  July  22 

3  56  West  of  the  Rio  Grande — J.  M.  Brown 

(59m.)  Aug.  5 

366  Marked  Trails  (formerly  "Trigger  Law") — 

Call  of  the  Jungle — Ann  Corio  (re)  Aug.  19 

325  Leave  It  to  the  Irish — Dunn-McKay  (re)  Aug.  26 

367  The  Utah  Kid— Trail  Blazers  Aug.  26 

306  Oh,  What  a  Night — Lowe-Parker  (re)  Sept.  2 

324  Black  Magic — Sidney  Toler  Sept.  9 

313  Block  Busters — East  Side  Kids  Sept.  16 

357  Land  of  the  Outlaws — J.  M.  Brown  Sept.  30 

t  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

Shadows  of  Suspicion — Weaver-Ryan  Sept.  23 

A  Wave,  A  Wac,  and  a  Marine — Youngman. Sept.  30 
When  Strangers  Marry — Jagger-Hamilton  ...Oct.  7 


August  19,  1944  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  HewYork  18,  NT) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  6 

4326  Hail  the  Conquering  Hero — Bracken-Raines  

4327  Take  it  Big— Haley-Hilliard  

4328  Henry  Aldrich's  Little  Secret — Lydon-Smith  

4329  I  Love  a  Soldier — Goddard-Tufts  

4330  The  Great  Moment — McCrea-Field  

Specials 

433?  Going  My  Way — Crosby-Fitzgerald  

4336  Lady  in  the  Dark — Rogers-Milland  

4337  The  Story  of  Dr  Wassell— Cooper-Day  

4338  For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls — Cooper'Bergman  

4332  Sign  of  the  Cross — Landi-March  (reissue)  

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

Block  1 

Rainbow  Island— Lamour-Bracken   

Till  We  Meet  Again — Milland-Britton  

National  Barn  Dance — Quigley-Heather  

Our  Hearts  Were  Young  and  Gay — Lynn-Russell. . . 
Dark  Mountain — Lowery-Drew  


PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave.,  Hew  Yor\  22,  H-  T.) 

1943-44 

457  Spook  Town — Texas  Rangers  No.  7  (59  m.)  .June  3 


415  Waterfront — Carradinc-Naish  June  10 

465  Fuzzy  Settles  Down — Buster  Crabbe 

No.  7  (60  m.)  July  25 

458  Brand  of  the  Devil — Texas  Rangers 

No.  8  (61  m.)  July  30 

404  Minstrel  Man — Fields-George  (reset)  Aug.  1 

417  Seven  Doors  to  Death — Chandler-Clyde  (re) .  Aug.  5 

416  Delinquent  Daughters — Carlson-D'Orsay 

(re)   Aug.  10 

421  Machine  Gun  Mam — Armida-El  Brcndel 

(re)   Aug.  18 

466  Rustler's  Hideout — Buster  Crabbe  No.  8.  .  .  .Sept.  2 
4 IPS  When  the  Lights  Go  On  Again— 

Lydon-Mitchcll   Sept.  15 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

505  Dixie  Jamboree — Langford-Kibce  Aug.  15 

513  Castle  of  Crimes — Kent-Churchill   Aug.  25 

509  Swing  Hostess — Tilton-Adrian  Sept.  8 

551  Gangsters  of  the  Frontier —  Texas  Rangers 

No.  1   Sept.  21 


Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway.  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 

1943-44 

342  Cowboy  and  the  Senorita — Roy  Rogers 

(78  m.)  May  12 

3304  Melody  Trail — Gene  Autry  (reissue)  June  1 

317  Silent  Partner — Henry- Withers  June  9 

320  Goodnight  Sweetheart — Livingston-Terry  .  .  .June  17 

343  Yellow  Rose  of  Texas — Roy  Rogers  (69  m.)  .June  24 

318  Man  From  Frisco — O'Shea-Shirley  July  1 

319  Call  of  the  South  Seas — Martin-Lane  July  7 

356  Call  of  the  Rockies — Burnette-Carson  (56  m.)  July  14 

3305  Comin'  Round  the  Mountain — Autry  (re) .  .  .July  15 

321  Secrets  of  Scotland  Yard — Barrier-Bachelor.  .July  26 

325  Three  Little  Sisters — Lee-Terry- Walker  July  31 

322  The  Girl  Who  Dared— Gray-Cookson  Aug.  5 

324  Port  of  40  Thieves — Bachelor-Powers  ....  Aug.  13 

344  Song  of  Nevada — Roy  Rogers  (74  m.)  Aug.  5 

326  Strangers  in  the  Night — Terry-Grey  Sept.  12 

(More  to  come) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

3311  Tucson  Raiders— Elliott-Hayes  (55  m.)  May  14 

3312  Marshal  of  Reno — Elliott-Blake  ( 56  m.)  July  2 

461  Silver  City  Kid — La-ie-Stewart  (55  m.)  July  20 

451  Bordertown  Trail — Burnette-Carson  (56  m.)  Aug.  11 

401  Sing,  Neighbor,  Sing — Taylor-Terry  Aug.  12 

3313  San  Antonio  Kid — Elliott-Stirling   Aug.  16 

462  Stagecoach  to  Monterey — Lane-Stewart  ...Sept.  15 


RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave..  Hew  York  20,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  6 

426  Gildersleeve's  Ghost — Harold  Peary  

427  Marine   Raiders — O'Brien-Ryan  

428  A  Night  of  Adventure — Tom  Conway  

429  Step  Lively — Sinatra-Murphy-DeHaven  .  .  . 

430  Youth  Runs  Wild— Smith-Granville  

Block  7 

431  Falcon  in  Mexico — Tom  Conway  

432  Music  in  Manhattan — Shirley-Day  

433  Mademoiselle  Fifi — Simon-Krueger   

434  Bride  by  Mistake — Day-Marshal  

435  Heavenly  Days — Fibber  and  Molly  

Specials 

451  The  North  Star — Baxter-Huston  

452  Up  in  Arms — Danny  Kaye  

492  Snow  White  and  the  Seven  Dwarfs  (reissue) 
461  Goyescas — Spanish  production  

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 

(444  W.  56th  St..  Hew  York  19,  H-  T.) 

1943-44 

Block  1 1 

429  Eve  of  St.  Mark— O'Shea-Baxtcr  June 

430  Ladies  of  Washington — Graham-Marshal  June 

431  Roger  Touhy,  Gangster — Foster-McLaglen  July 

432  Candlelight  in  Algeria — English  cast  July 

433  Home  in  Indiana — McCallister-Haver  July 

Special 

Song  of  Bernadette — Jennifer  lones  not  set 

_  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 
Block  1 

50 1  Take  It  or  Leave  It — Phil  Baker  August 

502  Wing  and  a  Prayer — Ameche-Andrews  August 

Block  2 

503  Sweet  and  Lowdown — Goodman-Bari  September 

504  Dangerous  Journey — Travelogue  September 

505  Greenwich  Village — Ameche-Bendix   September 

Special 

Wilson — Knox-Fitzgerald  Not  set 


United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  York  19,  H-  T.) 

Lumber  Jack — Hopalong  Cassidy  (64  m.)  Apr.  28 

Up  in  Mabel's  Room — O'Keefe-Reynolds  Apr.  28 

Mystery  Man — Hopalong  Cassidy  (58  m.)  May  31 

Song  of  the  Open  Road — Jane  Powell  June  2 

The  Hairy  Ape — Bendix-Hayward  June  16 

Forty  Thieves — Hopalong  Cassidy  (60  m.)  June  23 

Sensations  of  1945 — Powell-O'Keefe  June  30 

Summer  Storm — Darnell-Sanders  July  14 

Abroad  with  Two  Yanks — Bendix-O'Keefe  Aug.  4 

Since  You  Went  Away — All-star  cast  Not  set 


Universal  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave.,  Hew  York  20,  H-  T.) 

1943-44 

8012  This  is  the  Life — O'Connor-Foster  June  2 

8008  The  Invisible  Man's  Revenge — Hall-Ankers.  .June  9 

8015  Ghost  Catchers — Olsen  &  Johnson  June  16 

8043  South  of  Dixie — Gwynne-Bruce  June  23 

8002  Christmas  Holiday — Durbin-Kelly  June  30 

8018  Jungle  Woman — Acquanetta-Naish  July  7 

8086  Trigger  Trail — Rod  Cameron  July  7 

8039  The  Mummy's  Ghost — Chaney-Carradine  .  .  .July  7 
8045  Twilight  on  the  Prairie — Quillan-Errol  July  14 

8040  Allergic  to  Love — O'Driscoll-Bruce  July  21 

8087  Trail  to  Gunsight — Eddie  Dew  Aug.  18 

8001  In  Society — Abbott  &  Costello  Aug.  18 

t  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

Gypsy  Wildcat — Montez-Hall  Sept.  1 

Moonlight  H  Cactus — Andrews  Sisters  ....  Sept.  9 
The  Merry  Monahans — O'Connor-Ryan  ....  Sept.  1 5 

Pearl  of  Death — Rathbone-Bruce  Sept.  22 

San  Diego,  I  Love  You — Allbritton-Hall ....  Sept.  29 

The  Singing  Sheriff — Norris-McKenzie  Oct.  6 

See  My  Lawyer — Olsen  ii  Johnson  Oct.  13 

The  Climax— Foster-Karloff  Oct.  20 


Page  C 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index  August  19,  1944 


Warner  Brothers  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St.,  Hew  Tor\  18,  K  T.) 

1943-44 

317  Make  Your  Own  Bed — Carson- Wyman  June  10 

224  This  is  the  Army — Leslie-Murphy  (re-release)  .June  24 

318  The  Mask  of  Dimitrios — Greenstreet-Lorre.  .  .  .  July  1 

341  Manpower — Dietrich-Raft — (reissue)   July  15 

342  They  Made  Me  a  Criminal — Garfield-Sheridan 
(reissue)   July  15 

343  Brother  Rat — Lane-Morris  July  15 

344  The  Walking  Dead — Karloff-Cortez  (reissue)  .  .July  15 

345  Tiger  Shark — Robinson-Arlen  (reissue)   July  15 

346  Polo  Joe — Joe  E.  Brown  (reissue)  July  15 

315  The  Adventures  of  Mark  Twain — March  .  .  .  .July  22 

319  Mr.  Skeffington — Davis-Rains  Aug.  12 

t  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

401  Janie — Reynolds-Arnold-Harding  Sept.  2 

402  Crime  By  Night — Cowan-Wyman  Sept.  9 


SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 
Columbia — One  Reel 
1943-44 

5860  Screen  Snapshots  No.  10  (9l/2  m.)  June  2 

5708  Tangled  Travels — Phantasies  (7  m)  June  9 

5504  The  Disillusioned  Bluebird— Color  Rhap. 

(re)  (7  m.)  June  15 

5809  Mat  Maulers — Sports  (9  m.)  June  19 

5662  Community  Sings  No.  12  (10J/2  m.)   June  30 

5709  Mr.  Fore  by  Fore — Phantasies  (6l/2  m-)-  •  •  -  July  7 
5603  A  Peekoolyar  Sitcheeayshun — Li'l  Abner 

(7  m.)   July  28 

5810  G.I.  Sports— Sports  (10  m.)   July  28 

5710  Case  of  the  Screaming  Bishop — 

Phantasies  (7  m.)  Aug.  4 

5754  Mr.  Moocher— Fox  6?  Crow  (7J/2  m.)  Sept.  8 

^  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

6701  Mutton  Bones — Phantasy  Aug.  25 

6851  Screen  Snapshots  No.  1  (10  m.)  Aug.  25 

6651  Community  Sings  No.  1  (9J/2  m.)  Aug.  25 

6951  Kehoe's  Marimba  Band — Film-Vodvil 

(11  m.)   Sept.  1 

6801  K-9-Kadets—  Sports  (I0y2  m.)  Sept.  8 

6852  Screen  Snapshots  No.  2  Sept.  22 

6652  Community  Sings  No.  2  Sept.  29 

6601  Porkuliar  Piggy — Lfl  Abner  Oct.  6 

6802  Over  the  Jumps — Sports  .'  Oct.  13 

6952  The  Rootin'  Tootin'  Band— Film-Vodvil  Oct.  20 

6751  Be  Patient,  Patient — Fox  &  Crow  Oct.  27 

Columbia — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

5436  You  Were  Never  Uglier — Clyde  (18  m.)  June  2 

5423  Mopey  Dopey — Brendel  ( 16J/2  m.)  June  16 

5140  The  Twin  Brothers— Desert  Hawk  (18m.).  July  7 
5412  His  Hotel  Sweet— Herbert  (l7'/2  m.)  July  9 

5141  The  Evil  Eye— Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  July  14 

5408  Idle  Roomers — Stooges  (16^  m.)  July  16 

5142  Mark  of  the  Scimitar — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  July  21 

5424  Pick  a  Peck  of  Plumbers — Howard-Brendel 

(17  min.)   July  23 

5143  A  Caliph's  Treachery — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  July  28 

5144  Secret  of  the  Palace — Desert  Hawk  ( 18  m.)  .  Aug.  4 

5145  Feast  of  the  Beggars — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.).  Aug.  11 

5146  Double  of  Jeopardy — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  .Aug.  18 

5147  The  Slave  Traders— Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  .  .Aug.  25 

5148  The  Underground  River — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)   Sept.  1 

5149  The  Faithful  Wheel— Desert  Hawk  (18  m.).Sept.  8 

5150  Mystery  of  the  Mosque — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)   Sept.  15 

5151  Hand  of  Vengeance — Desert  Hawk  ( 18  m.) .  Sept.  22 

5152  Sword  of  Fate — Desert  Hawk  ( 18  m.)  Sept.  29 

5153  The  Wizard's  Story— Desert  Hawk  ( 1 8  m. ) .  .  Oct.  6 

5154  Triumph  of  Kasim — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)..Oct.  13 

>  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

6425  Wedded  Bliss— Billy  Gilbert  (17  m.)  Aug.  18 

6426  Gold  is  Where  You  Lose  it — Clyde 

(16l/2  m.)   Sept.  1 

6401  Gents  Without  Cents — Stooges  Sept.  22 

6421  Strife  of  the  Party — Vera  Vague  Oct.  6 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One  Reel 

T-519  Roaming  Through  Arizona — Travel  (10  m.)  June  3 

W-535  The  Tree  Surgeon — Cartoon  (8m.)  June  3 

M-588  Somewhere,  U.S.A. — Miniature  (10  m.)..June  3 
T-520  City  of  Brigham  Young— Travel.  (10  m.). June  17 

W-536  Happy-Go-Nutty — Cartoon  (7  m.)  June  24 

S-555  Movie  Pests— Pete  Smith  (10  m.)   July  8 

K-572  Grandpa  Called  it  Art — Pass.  Parade 

(10  m.)   July  15 

W-537  The  Bodyguard— Cartoon  (7  m.)  July  22 

T-521  Monumental  Utah— Traveltalk  (9  m.)  July  29 

S-556  Sports  Quiz — Pete  Smith  Sept.  2 

W-538  Bear  Raid  Warden — Cartoon  Sept.  9 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 

X-510  Danger  Area — Special  Release  (22  m.)  Jan.  1 

Paramount — One  Reel 

J3-5  Popular  Science  No.  5  (10  m.)  June  2 

R3-8  Speed  Couriers — Sportlight  (9  m.)  June  9 

L3-5  Unusual  Occupations  No.  5  (10  m.)  June  23 

D3-5  Lucky  Lulu — Little  Lulu  (9  m.)  June  30 

R3-9  Catch  'em  and  Eat  'em — Sportlight  (10  m.).July  7 
Y3-5  In  a  Harem — Speak,  of  Animals  (9  m.)  . . .  .July  14 

E3-5  Spinach  Packin'  Popeye  (7  m.)   July  21 

U3-6  Jasper  Goes  Hunting — Madcap  Models 

(7  m.)  July  28 

J3-6  Popular  Science  No.  6  (10  m.)   Aug.  4 

E3-6  Puppet  Love — Popeye  (7  m.)  Aug.  11 

D3-6  It's  Nifty  to  be  Thrifty — Little  Lulu  (8  m.)  Aug.  18 

R3-10  Furlough  Fishing — Sportlight  (9  m.)  Aug.  25 

E3-7  Pitching  Woo  at  the  Zoo — Popeye  Sept.  1 

L3-6  Unusual  Occupations  No.  6  Sept.  1 

D3-7  I'm  just  Curious — Little  Lulu  Sept.  8 

Y3-6  Monkey  Business — Speak,  of  Animals  Sept.  15 

E3-8  Moving  Aweigh — Popeye  Sept.  22 

D3-8  Indoor  Outing — Little  Lulu  Sept.  29 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Paramount — Two  Reels 
FF3-4  Showboat  Serenade — Musical  Parade  (20m)  .Apr.  14 

FF3-5  Fun  Time — Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  June  16 

FF3-6  Halfway  to  Heaven — Musical  Parade  (19m)  Aug.  25 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Republic — Two  Reels 

383  The  Tiger  Woman — Stirling-Lane 

(12  episodes)   May  27 

384  Haunted  Harbor— Kay  Aldrich 

(15  episodes)   June  30 

RKO — One  Reel 
1943-44 

44310  Boys  Camp — Sportscope  (8  m.)   May  19 

44311  Boot  and  Spur — Sportscope  (8m.)  June  16 

44312  Ski  Chase — Sportscope  (8m.)  July  14 

(More  to  come) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

54101  Springtime  for  Pluto — Disney  (7  m.)  June  23 

54102  The  Plastic  Inventor — Disney  (7  m.)  July  21 

RKO — Two  Reels 

43108  Hot  Money — This  is  America  (17  m.)  June  2 

43706  Girls,  Girls,  Girls— Leon  Errol  (17  m.)...June  9 
43406  The  Kitchen  Cynic — Edgar  Kennedy 

(18  m.)  June  23 

43109  They  Fight  Again — This  is  America 

(17  m.)  June  30 

43110  Rockefeller  Center — This  is  America 

(17  m.)   July  28 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 
1943-44 

4902  Coney  Island — Lew  Lehr  Makes  the  News 

(9  m.)  (re)  May  26 

4517  Wolf!  Wolf!— Terrytoon  (6  m.)  June  2 

4351  Nymphs  of  the  Lake — Sports  (9  m.)  (re) ...  .June  9 

4518  Eliza  on  the  Ice — Terrytoon  (6  m.)  June  16 

4304  Students  of  Form — Sports  (9  m.)  June  30 

4519  The  Green  Line — Terrytoon  (6  m.)  July  7 

4352  Ski  Slopes— Sports  (9  m.)   July  21 

4520  Carmen's  Veranda — Terrytoon  (7  m.)   July  28 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 


August  19,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  D 


Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel  (continued) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

5251  Mexican  Majesty — Adventure   Aug.  4 

5501  The  Cat  Came  Back— Terrytoon  Aug.  18 

5252  Jewels  of  Iran — Adventure  Aug.  25 

5502  The  Two  Barbers — Terrytoon  Sept.  1 

5551  Blue  Grass  Gentleman — Sports  Sept.  15 

5503  Ghost  Town — Terrytoon  Sept.  22 

5253  Mystic  India — Adventure  Sept.  29 

5504  Sultan's  Birthday— Terrytoon   Oct.  13 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 

Vol.  10  No.  11— Back  Door  to  Tokyo- 
March  of  Time  ( 19  m.)  (re.)  June  23 

Vol.  10  No.  12 — Americans  Oil — March  of  Time 

(17  m.)   July  14 

Vol.  10  No.  13 — British  Imperialism — 

March  of  Time  Aug.  11 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Universal — One  Reel 

8239  Fish  Fry— Cartune  (7  m.)  June  19 

8380  The  Honest  Forger — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  June  19 

8381  Spinning  a  Yarn— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Aug.  7 

8361  Bear  Mountain  Game — Var.  Views  (9  m.) 

(re)   Aug.  14 

8234  Abou  Ben  Boogie — Cartune  (7  m.)  (re).  .  .  .Sept.  18 

8382  Idol  of  the  Crowd— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  (re)  Sept.  18 

8362  From  Spruce  to  Bomber — Var.  Views  (9m.) 

(re)   ;  Sept.  25 

Universal — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

8887  Crashing  Timbers — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  7  (20  m.)  June  6 

8888  In  a  Flaming  Plane — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  8  (20  m.)  June  13 

8130  Pagliacci  Swings  it — Musical  (15  m.)  June  14 

8889  Hurtling  Through  Space.  .Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  9  (20  m.)  June  20 

8890  Tricked  by  a  Booby  Trap — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  10  (20  m.)  June  27 

8891  The  Tunnel  of  Terror — Great  Alaskan 

Mystery  No.  11  (20  m.)  July  4 

8892  Electrocuted — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  12  (20  min.)  July  11 

8893  The  Boomerang — Great  Alaskan  Mystery 

No.  13  (20  m.)  July  18 

8131  Midnight  Melodies — Musical  (15  m.)  July  19 

8132  Swingtime  Holiday — Musical  (15  min.)  ...Sept.  20 

(More  to  come) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 
9781  Raiders  of  Ghost  City— Serial  July  25 

Vitaphone — One  Reel 
1943-44 

9511  Colorado  Trout — Sports  (10  m.)   July  1 

9609  Junior  Dive  Bombers — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)..July  1 

9711  Brother  Rat— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  July  15 

9312  The  Cat  Came  Back— Mer.  Mel. (reissue)  (7m)July  15 
9406  Thowing  the  Bull — Varieties  (10  m.)  (re)..  July  22 

9724  Hare  Force — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  (re)  July  22 

9610  Listen  to  the  Bands — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  July  29 

9513  Bluenose  Schooner — Sports  (10  m.)  (re).. Aug.  5 

9714  From  Hand  to  Mouse — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  .  .Aug.  5 

9512  Champions  of  the  Future — Sports  (10  m.).Aug.  12 

9313  Isle  of  Pingo  Pongo — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)   Aug.  19 

9713  Birdy  and  the  Beast — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Aug.  19 

9725  Buckaroo  Bugs — Bugs  Bunny  (7m.)  Aug.  26 

9715  Goldilocks  Jivin"  Bears — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.).Sept.  2 

9712  Plane  Daffy— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Sept.  16 

9716  Lost  and  Foundling — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  ...Sept.  30 

(More  to  come) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

1401  Their  Dizzy  Day — Varieties  Sept.  2 

1601  Bob  Willis  &?  Texas  Playboys— Mel.  Mas.  .  .Sept.  2 

1301  Let  it  be  Me — Cartoon  Sept.  16 

1302  September  in  the  Rain- — Cartoon  Sept.  30 

Vitaphone — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

9106  Halls  of  Montezuma — Featurette  (20  m.)...July  8 

9004  Devil  Boats — Special  (20  m.)  (re)  Aug.  12 

9006  Musical  Movieland — Special  (20  m.)   Sept.  9 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 
1101  I  am  an  American — Featurette   Sept.  23 


NEWSWEEKLY 
NEW  YORK 
RELEASE  DATES 


Pathe  News 

451101  Sat.  (O).  .Aug.  12 
452102  Wed.  (E).Aug.  16 
451103  Sat.  (O).  .Aug.  19 
452104  Wed.  (E).Aug.  23 
(End  of 
1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of 
1 944-45  Season 

55101  Sat.  (O). .  .Aug.  26 
55202  Wed.  (E).  .Aug.  30 
55103  Sat.  (O).  .  .Sept.  2 
55204  Wed.  (E).  .Sept.  6 
55105  Sat.  (O). .  .Sept.  9 
55206  Wed.  (E).  .Sept.  13 
55107  Sat.  (O).  .  .Sept.  16 
55208  Wed.  (E).  .Sept.  20 
55109  Sat.  (O).  .  .Sept.  23 
55210  Wed.  (E).  .Sept.  27 
55111  Sat.  (O).  .  .Sept.  30 
55212  Wed.  (E)  .  .Oct.  4 


Paramount  News 

98  Thurs.  (E). .  .Aug.  10 

99  Sunday  (O) .  .Aug.  13 

100  Thurs.  (E)...Aug.  17 

101  Sunday  (O).  .Aug.  20 

102  Thurs.  (E).  .  .Aug.  24 

103  Sunday  (O) .  .Aug.  27 

104  Thurs.  (E). .  .Aug.  31 

(End  of 
1943-1944  Season) 

Beginning  of 
1944-45  Season 

1  Sunday  (0)...Sept.  3 

2  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  7 

3  Sunday  (O) . .  .  Sept.  10 

4  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  14 

5  Sunday  (0)...Sept.  17 

6  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  21 

7  Sunday  (O).-.Sept.  24 

8  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  28 

9  Sunday  (O)  .  .  .Oct.  1 
10  Thurs.  (E)  Oct.  5 


Metrotone  News 

297  Tues  (O)  Aug.  15 

298  Thurs.  (E).  .  .Aug.  17 

299  Tues.  (O)  .  .  .Aug.  22 

300  Thurs.  (E). .  .Aug.  24 

301  Tues.  (O)  .  .  .Aug.  29 

302  Thurs.  (E) . .  .Aug.  31 

303  Tues.  (O)  . .  .Sept.  5 

(End  of 
1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of 
1944-45  Season 

200  Thurs.  (E) .  .  .Sept.  7 

201  Tues.  (O)  . .  .Sept.  12 

202  Thurs.  (E).  .  .Sept.  14 

203  Tues.  (O)  . .  .Sept.  19 

204  Thurs.  (E).  .  .Sept.  21 

205  Tues.  (O)  .  .  .Sept.  26 

206  Thurs.  (E).  .  .Sept.  28 

207  Tues.  (O)  ...Oct.  3 


Fox  Movietone 

98  Thurs.  (E)...Aug.  10 

99  Tues.  (O)  ...Aug.  15 

100  Thurs.  (E)...Aug.  17 

101  Tues.  (O)  ...Aug.  22 

102  Thurs.  (E)... Aug.  24 

103  Tues.  (O)  ...Aug.  29 

104  Thurs.  (E)...Aug.  31 

(End  of 
1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of 
1944-45  Season 

1  Tues.  (O)  Sept.  5 

2  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  7 

3  Tues.  (O)  Sept.  12 

4  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  14 

5  Tues.  (O)  Sept.  19 

6  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  21 

7  Tues.  (O)  Sept.  26 

8  Thurs.  (E)  Sept.  28 

9  Tues.  (O)   Oct.  3 


Universal 

318  Fn.  (E)  Aug.  11 

319  Wed.  (O)  .  .  .Aug.  16 

320  Fn.  (E)  Aug.  18 

321  Wed.  (O)  ...Aug.  23 

322  Fri.  (E)  Aug.  25 

323  Wed.  (O)  .  .  .Aug.  30 

324  Fn.  (E)  Sept.  1 

325  Wed.  (O)  .  .  .Sept.  6 

326  Fn.  (E)  Sept.  8 

327  Wed.  (O)  ..  .Sept.  13 

328  Fri.  (E)  Sept.  15 

329  Wed.  (O)  .  .  .Sept.  20 

330  Fri.  (E)  Sept.  22 

331  Wed.  (O)  .  .  .Sept.  27 

332  Fri.  (E)  Sept.  29 

333  Wed.  (O)  .  .  .Oct.  4 


All  American  News 

94  Friday   Aug.  11 

95  Friday   Aug.  18 

96  Friday   Aug.  25 

97  Friday   Sept.  1 

98  Friday   Sept.  8 

99  Friday   Sept.  15 

100  Friday   Sept.  22 

101  Friday   Sept.  29 

102  Friday   Oct.  6 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  AUGUST  26,  1944 


No.  35 


The  "Marginal"  Exhibitor  Must  Be  Saved 


In  this  paper's  July  15  issue,  under  the  heading,  "Want  in 
the  Midst  of  Plenty,"  I  stated  that  the  New  Ritz  Theatre  in 
Philadelphia  was  compelled  to  shut  down  because  of  high 
film  rentals. 

Some  distributor  representatives  have  challenged  the  ac- 
curacy of  this  statement.  They  have  not  denied  that  the 
rentals  the  New  Ritz's  owner  had  to  pay  were  exorbitant; 
they  have  merely  objected  to  the  statement  that  he  was  com- 
pelled to  close  down  because  of  high  film  rentals.  They  con- 
tended that  he  had  closed  his  theatre  for  the  purpose  of 
remodelling. 

The  information  on  which  I  based  my  editorial  was  fur- 
nished to  me  by  a  trusted  Philadelphia  friend,  whose  re- 
ports to  me  in  the  past  had  always  proved  accurate. 

To  clear  the  atmosphere,  I  instituted  an  independent  in- 
vestigation, which  convinced  me  that  the  facts  and  circum- 
stances of  the  closing  of  the  New  Ritz  are  substantially  as 
set  forth  in  a  letter  sent  to  me  on  August  16  by  Mr.  Thomas 
Lazarick,  owner  of  the  theatre.  Mr.  Lazarick's  letter  reads 
in  part: 

"Dear  Mr.  Harrison: 

"Since  your  wonderful  article  'Want  in  the  Midst  of 
Plenty'  was  printed,  I  have  been  the  target  of  an  under- 
handed campaign.  I  thought  when  you  mentioned  my  theatre 
it  was  just  an  example  of  the  many  other  small  exhibitors 
like  me. 

"Let  me  tell  you  what  has  happened  to  me.  I  have  been 
an  independent  exhibitor  for  1?  years.  During  that  time  all 
the  members  in  my  family  have  worked  hard  with  me.  Now 
both  my  sons  are  in  the  army,  and  I  have  been  left  to  run 
the  theatre  with  the  help  of  some  of  my  daughters.  The 
doctor  told  me  that  I'm  a  sick  man  and  that  I  shouldn't 
work  too  hard,  but  now  I  have  to  do  all  the  managing  and 
also  work  in  the  operating  booth  many  times  a  week. 

"The  exchanges  talk  a  lot  about  helping  the  little  fellow, 
but  all  the  help  I  ever  got  was  higher  and  higher  film  prices. 
I  tried  to  get  adjustments  but  only  Metro  helped  me  before 
I  had  to  close  my  theatre. 

"The  theatre  closed  on  June  11  and  then  my  wife  started 
to  worry  very  much  about  what  was  going  to  happen  to  all 
of  us.  So  with  her  help  we  managed  to  borrow  $1,000  for 
fixing  and  to  have  some  money  to  open  up  again.  So  the 
last  week  in  June,  I,  and  some  school  boys,  and  my  manager, 
did  all  the  work  ourselves,  except  that  I  had  to  have  help 
on  graining  and  I  got  three  grainers  for  one  day.  Mr.  Harri- 
son, that  was  the  only  outside  help  we  had. 

"When  the  exchange  men  on  Vine  Street  read  your 
article  they  got  all  excited  and  they  started  to  attack  me. 
One  fellow  said  I  closed  to  repair.  Do  you  think  a  theatre 
can  be  repaired  for  $1,000?  Another  fellow  said  I  closed  to 
cut  down  my  losses  in  the  summer.  Do  you  think  that  I 
would  have  opened  up  again  on  July  23  in  the  hottest  sum- 
mer I  can  remember,  if  that  was  true?  The  fact  is  I  closed 
because  I  had  to,  and  opened  because  if  I  hadn't  I  and  my 
family  would  have  lost  everything  we  had  worked  for  all 
these  years. 

"I  want  to  tell  you  Mr.  Harrison  that  I  had  to  close  my 
theatre.  I  like  this  business  and  I  have  spent  a  lot  of  time 
in  it.  But  the  way  the  exchanges  are  squeezing  us  little  fel- 
lows it  won't  be  long  now,  unless  more  people  like  you 
help  us." 

In  connection  with  this  matter,  I  wish  to  reproduce  another 
letter.  It  is  from  Bill  Rodgers,  of  MGM,  dated  July  24: 
"My  dear  Pete: 

"The  writer  refers  to  your  July  1?  issue,  and  in  particular, 
the  article  'WANT  IN  THE  MIDST  OF  PLENTY.' 


"It  would  seem  to  me  that  before  you  would  condemn 
distributors  as  a  whole  you  would  want  to  investigate  the 
situation,  and  had  you  done  so  you  would  have  found  that 
so  far  as  our  company  is  concerned,  every  possible  coopera- 
tion was  extended  to  the  management  of  the  New  Ritz 
Theatre,  hence,  their  closing,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned, 
was  not  because  of  high  film  rentals. 

"With  kindest  regards." 

The  purpose  of  the  editorial  in  question  was  not  to  con- 
demn any  specific  distributor  for  causing  the  New  Ritz  to 
close;  its  primary  purpose  was  to  call  attention  to  the  plight 
of  the  thousands  of  "marginal"  exhibitors,  the  New  Ritz 
being  only  an  isolated  example.  Consequently,  I  made  no 
effort  to  determine  which  distributors  were  helping  the 
New  Ritz  and  which  distributors  were  oppressing  it.  Now 
that  an  issue  has  been  made  of  the  New  Ritz  specifically,  I 
am  happy  to  report  that,  as  indicated  in  Mr.  Lazarick's  letter, 
MGM  had  been  helpful  to  this  unfortunate  exhibitor,  and 
is  still  giving  him  its  full  cooperation.  Once  more  MGM  has 
illustrated  that  it  stands  behind  Bill  Rodgers'  promises  that 
his  company  would  do  everything  possible  to  keep  theatres 
open  when  business  is  poor. 

I  wish  to  make  it  clear  again  that  the  purpose  of  my  July 
1  5  editorial  was  not  to  take  up  the  cudgels  in  behalf  of  an 
individual  exhibitor,  but  to  point  out  a  general  condition 
that  exists  among  thousands  of  exhibitors  throughout  the 
country.  The  case  of  the  New  Ritz  served  merely  as  an 
illustration  of  what  thousands  of  "marginal"  exhibitors — 
theatre  owners,  who,  through  no  fault  of  their  own,  con- 
tinuously find  themselves  on  the  borderline  between  profit 
and  loss — have  to  contend  with  as  a  result  of  the  dis- 
tributors' relentless  demands  for  more  and  more  percentage 
deals  and  preferred  playing  time,  without  the  slightest  re- 
gard for  the  theatres'  inability  to  meet  these  demands. 

The  "marginal"  exhibitor  suffers  few  ills  that  could  not 
be  cured  by  film  rentals  that  are  commensurate  with  his 
intake,  yet  with  each  succeeding  season  he  finds  himself 
confronted  by  salesmen  who  seek  to  increase  the  severity  of 
their  terms  in  an  effort  to  surpass  their  previous  years'  sales 
records. 

Shifting  populations;  higher  overheads;  the  refusal  of 
patrons  to  pay  advanced  admission  prices;  the  inability  to 
maintain  quality  programs,  because  of  the  artificial  product 
shortage  caused  by  extended  runs  and  moveovers;  playing 
pictures  after  they  had  been  "milked"  dry;  and  the  loss  of 
patronage  from  regular  customers  who  can  now  afford  to 
attend  the  more  expensive  first  runs,  are  but  a  few  of  the 
adverse  conditions  under  which  the  "marginal"  exhibitor  is 
compelled  to  operate.  But  the  salesmen  and  branch  man- 
agers, in  their  mad  scramble  to  appease  the  home  office  ex- 
ecutives, refuse  to  recognize  the  existence  of  these  conditions. 

Periodically,  usually  at  convention  time,  the  sales  execu- 
tives of  the  different  distributing  companies  come  out  with 
glowing  statements  of  their  willingness  to  help  exhibitors 
in  distress.  Instead  of  merely  expressing  a  willingness  to  be 
"charitable"  to  exhibitors  in  distress,  these  executives  should 
make  an  honest  effort  to  correct  the  burdensome  conditions 
that  prevent  the  "marginal"  exhibitors  from  operating  at 
a  profit.  If  they  should  do  this,  the  "marginal"  exhibitor  will 
cease  being  an  object  of  charity. 

The  New  Ritz  Theatre  has  become  the  symbol  of  the 
thousands  of  "marginal"  exhibitors  in  this  country.  What 
happens  to  the  New  Ritz  will  be  indicative  of  what  will 
happen  to  the  others. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


138 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  26,  1944 


"Kismet"  with  Ronald  Colman, 
Marlene  Dietrich  and  Edward  Arnold 

(MGM,  October;  time,  100  mm.) 

This  Technicolor  re-make  of  "Kismet,"  which  was  first 
produced  by  Robertson-Cole  in  1920,  and  a  second  time 
by  First  National  in  1930,  is  an  extremely  lavish  fantasy, 
breath-taking  in  its  dazzling  Oriental  splendor.  As  enter- 
tainment, however,  it  is  only  fair,  for  the  story  lacks  sub- 
stantial emotional  appeal,  and  the  action  is  somewhat  tedi- 
ous. If  you  have  seen  or  played  any  of  the  Technicolor 
phantasies  produced  recently  by  Universal  with  Maria 
Montez  and  Jon  Hall,  you  should  be  able  to  tell  how  well 
this  picture  will  go  over  in  your  house,  for  the  treatment  is 
similar,  although  on  a  more  lavish  scale.  The  story,  which 
takes  place  in  ancient  Bagdad,  is  pretty  much  the  same  as 
those  of  the  previous  versions,  with  the  action  revolving 
around  a  rascally  but  ingratiating  beggar,  whose  artful 
maneuvers  in  an  effort  to  marry  his  daughter  to  a  prince 
lead  him  into  a  scries  of  escapades  that  nearly  cost  him  his 
head.  Ronald  Colman,  as  the  beggar,  makes  a  charming 
rascal,  while  Marlene  Dietrich,  as  the  harem  Queen  he  woos, 
is  properly  exotic,  even  though  her  age  is  beginning  to 
show.  The  others  in  the  cast  perform  well: — 

Hafiz  (Ronald  Colman),  a  rascally  beggar  and  magician, 
aspires  to  make  his  lovely  daughter,  Marsinah  (Joy  Ann 
Page),  the  bride  of  a  "prince."  Unknown  to  Hafiz,  Marsinah 
had  been  romancing  with  a  gardener's  son  (James  Craig), 
who,  in  reality,  was  the  Caliph  of  Bagdad  in  disguise.  Hafiz, 
posing  as  the  "Prince  of  Hassir,"  ruler  of  a  fictitious  prov- 
ince, had  been  carrying  on  a  clandestine  romance  with 
Jamilla  (Marlene  Dietrich),  Queen  of  the  castle  of  the 
Grand  Vizier  (Edward  Arnold),  who  had  incurred  the 
Caliph's  wrath  because  of  his  excessive  taxation  of  the 
people.  To  have  Jamilla  to  himself,  and  at  the  same  time 
fulfill  his  boast  to  his  daughter,  Hafiz  steals  expensive 
garments  from  a  bazaar  and  visits  the  Vizier  as  the  "Prince 
of  Hassir."  He  persuades  him  to  consider  making  Marsinah 
his  new  Queen.  But  before  he  can  present  Marsinah,  Hafiz 
is  arrested  for  the  robbery  and  brought  before  the  Vizier. 
The  latter  decrees  that  his  hands  be  lopped  off.  Thinking 
quickly,  Hafiz  offers  to  kill  the  Caliph  if  the  Vizier  would 
set  him  free  and  marry  his  daughter.  The  Vizier  agrees. 
Performing  tricks  of  magic  before  the  Caliph,  Haifiz  fails 
in  an  attempt  to  stab  him.  He  eludes  the  guards  and,  to 
keep  Marsinah  from  being  involved  in  the  assassination  plot, 
rushes  to  the  Vizier's  castle  to  take  her  away.  There,  he 
murders  several  guards  and  kills  the  Vizier  himself  just  as 
the  Caliph's  soldiers  apprehend  him.  When  the  Caliph 
learns  that  Marsinah  was  Hafiz's  daughter,  he  pardons  the 
rascal  and  makes  him  a  real  prince,  with  the  understanding 
that  he  must  leave  Bagdad  forever.  Pleased  that  his  daughter 
would  marry  the  Caliph,  Hafiz,  accompanied  by  Marlene, 
leaves  Bagdad,  perfectly  reconciled  to  his  fate. 

John  Meehan  wrote  the  screen  play  based  upon  the  play 
by  Edward  Knoblock.  Everett  Riskin  produced  it,  and 
William  Dieterle  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Hugh  Her- 
bert, Harry  Davenport,  Hobart  Cavanaugh  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"One  Mysterious  Night" 
with  Chester  Morris 

(Columbia;  Sept.  19;  time,  63  min.) 

A  routine  program  crook  melodrama.  It  is  the  latest  in 
the  series  of  "Boston  Blackie"  stories,  with  the  same  players 
enacting  the  parts  they  did  in  the  previous  pictures.  In 
substance,  it  is  practically  identical  to  the  other  pictures, 
with  Chester  Morris,  as  the  reformed  criminal,  working 
on  the  side  of  law  and  order.  For  the  most  part,  the  story  is 
far-fetched.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  plot  developments  are 
so  illogical  that  some  of  the  situations  may  be  greeted  with 
derision  by  the  spectator.  For  comedy,  the  usual  situations 
involving  dumb  detectives  are  employed: — 

Stumped  by  the  robbery  of  a  famous  diamond  from  an 
exhibit,  Police  Inspector  Richard  Lane  calls  in  Chester 
Morris,  a  reformed  criminal,  to  help  him  solve  the  crime. 
Morris,  accompanied  by  George  Stone,  his  pal,  disguises 
himself  as  an  elderly  college  professor,  and  visits  the  exhibit. 
He  has  little  difficulty  ascertaining  that  Robert  Scott,  the 
exhibit's  manager,  was  the  thief.  Promising  him  leniency 
if  he  would  return  the  jewel,  Morris  arranges  to  meet  Scott 
on  a  street  corner.  Scott  arrives  at  the  appointed  time  only 
to  be  shot  down  by  Robert  Williams  and  William  Wright, 
two  crooks  with  whom  he  had  been  in  league.  The  crooks 
compel  Morris  and  Stone  to  accompany  them  to  their  hide- 
out. Morris'  disappearance  leads  the  police  to  believe  that 


he  had  murdered  Scott  and  had  absconded  with  the  jewel. 
Meanwhile  Morris,  tricks  the  crooks  into  believing  that  the 
gem  they  had  in  their  possession  was  paste,  and  that  the 
real  one  was  in  the  exhibit's  safe.  Perturbed,  the  crooks  tie 
up  Morris  and  Stone,  and  take  the  jewel  to  a  "fence"  for 
an  appraisal.  Morris  and  Stone  free  themselves  and  start 
out  in  pursuit.  They  call  the  police  and  urge  them  to  speed 
to  the  "fence's"  place.  As  the  police  arrive,  the  two  crooks 
kill  the  "fence"  and  escape.  Morris  and  Stone  find  them- 
selves taken  into  custody.  They  escape,  and  return  to  the 
hideout,  where  they  tie  themselves  up  before  the  crooks 
return.  Holding  Stone  as  hostage,  the  crooks  give  Morris 
the  diamond  and  demand  that  he  replace  it  with  the  real 
one  in  the  exhibit's  safe.  Morris  delivers  the  gem  to  the 
police,  who  return  with  him  to  the  hideout,  where  they 
capture  the  thieves  and  rescue  Stone. 

Paul  Yawitz  wrote  the  screen  play,  Ted  Richmond  pro- 
duced it,  and  Oscar  Boetticher,  Jr.,  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Janis  Carter,  Joseph  Crehan  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

CLEARING  THE  ATMOSPHERE  ON  THE 
GOVERNMENT'S  ACTION 

(Continued  from  back,  page) 

Under  the  title,  "Circuit  Deals,"  Mr.  Myers  points  out 
that  the  Department  adopted  the  Independent  Conference's 
recommendation  that  the  licensing  of  films  in  one  theatre 
or  group  of  theatres  shall  not  be  conditioned  upon  the 
licensing  of  films  in  another  theatre  or  group  of  theatres. 
He  adds  that  this  provision,  too,  will  be  enforceable  by 
contempt  proceedings  instead  of  by  arbitration. 

In  his  discussion  of  "Clearance,"  Mr.  Myers  has  this  to 
say: 

"The  proposed  changes  in  Sec.  VIII  are  even  more  drastic 
than  those  proposed  by  the  Independent  Conference,  but 
have  the  virtue  of  importing  into  the  proceedings  Sherman 
Law  tests  which  reinforce  their  validity. 

"In  accordance  with  the  Independents'  recommendation, 
the  paragraph  reciting,  'It  is  recognized  that  clearance  .  .  . 
is  essential,'  would  be  eliminated. 

"While  the  Department  did  not  adopt  the  formula  pro- 
posed by  the  Conference,  it  proposes  provisions  which  are 
equally  effective  except,  perhaps,  in  their  effect  on  move- 
overs.  In  lieu  of  the  language  eliminated,  as  aforesaid,  the 
Department  proposes  the  following: 

"  'Clearance  shall  be  deemed  to  be  unreasonable  when- 
ever its  effect  is  to  restrain  competition  between  two  or 
more  theatres  unreasonably.' 

"And  the  Department  would  put  at  rest  the  mooted 
question  question  whether  an  arbitrator  can  abolish  all 
clearance  between  the  contending  theatres  by  proposing  the 
following  clause: 

"  'An  award  providing  that  a  theatre  holding  clearance 
found  to  be  unreasonable  should  take  no  clearance  over  the 
complainant's  theatre  may  be  made  regardless  of  whether 
or  not  there  is  substantial  competition  between  said  theatres.' 

"So  that  there  may  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  power  of  an 
arbitrator  in  a  proper  case  to  eliminate  all  clearance,  the 
Government  further  proposes  the  elimination  of  the  provi- 
sion which  says  that  'no  award  .  .  .  shall  restrict  the  ex- 
hibitor's right  to  license  for  any  theatre  or  any  run  which 
he  is  able  to  negotiate  with  the  distributor,  nor  the  dis- 
tributor's right  to  license  for  any  theatre  any  run  that  it 
desires  to  grant.'  This  language  actually  conferred  no  rights 
on  either  party  but  it  did  serve  to  confuse  the  arbitrators 
and  to  influence  them  unduly  in  making  their  awards." 

Analyzing  the  anti-discrimination  provision,  Mr.  Myers 
has  this  to  say: 

"The  Government  proposes  that  the  unworkable  and  futile 
Sec.  IX  (arbitrary  withholding  of  prints)  and  the  equally 
unrealistic  and  ineffective  Sec.  X  (refusal  to  sell  on  desired 
run)  be  eliminated.  As  they  now  stand  both  are  utterly 
worthless  and  their  passing  will  cause  no  pain. 

"In  place  of  these  discredited  provisions  the  Department 
proposes  a  clearcut  requirement  that — 

"  'No  distributor  defendant  shall  license  or  make  avail- 
able for  exhibition  in  theatres  any  films  released  by  it  upon 
terms  which  have  the  effect  of  unreasonably  restraining 
competition  between  two  or  more  theatres  in  exhibiting 
said  films.' 

"This  is  all  embracing  and  if  given  full  effect  by  the 
arbitrators  would  reach  every  form  of  discrimination  prac- 
ticed in  favor  of  one  exhibitor  as  against  another  where  the 
effect  was  unreasonably  to  restrain  competition  between 
them.  For  example,  it  should  provide  a  remedy  for  arbi- 


August  26,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


139 


trary  discrimination  in  run,  in  allotting  prints,  in  terms, 
in  advertising  and  vaudeville  allowances  and  every  other 
form  af  arbitrary  discrimination  which  is  restrictive  of  fair 
and  open  competition. 

"When  we  come  to  the  proposed  remedy  we  find  a 
marked  departure  from  anything  heretofore  proposed.  The 
consent  decree  contemplates  awards  for  specific  relief  (the 
doing  or  ceasing  of  certain  acts  or  practices)  rather  than 
the  awarding  of  monetary  damages.  The  present  proposal 
of  the  Government  is: 

"  'If  the  arbitrator  finds  that  this  section  has  been  .  .  . 
violated,  he  shall  make  an  award  which  .  .  .  will  require 
the  payment  of  an  amount  by  such  defendant  .  .  .  which 
in  his  judgment  will  compensate  the  complainant  for  any 
pecuniary  loss  sustained  as  the  result  of  such  a  violation 
.  .  .  and  discourage  the  recurrence  of  such  violations.' 

"This  section  is  much  broader  in  its  scope  than  the  pro- 
posed substitute  for  Sec.  X  recommended  by  the  Inde- 
pendent  Conference.  The  independent  draft  was  more 
specific  in  its  relation  to  discrimination  in  run.  An  attempt 
was  made  by  the  Conference  to  bolster  the  provision  relat' 
ing  to  awards  but  it  was  recognized  that  any  provision  re- 
quiring specific  performances  was  subject  to  evasion.  There 
is  no  evading  the  payment  of  a  monetary  award. 

"What  the  Government's  proposal  would  really  ac- 
complish would  be  to  afford  a  complaining  exhibitor  sub- 
stantially the  same  right  of  action  that  he  now  enjoys  under 
the  anti-trust  acts,  but  without  the  burden  of  proving,  as  a 
condition  to  a  recovery,  that  the  defendant  distributors  are 
engaged  in  contracts,  combinations  or  conspiracies  in  restraint 
of  interstate  trade  and  commerce.  That  burden  is  almost 
unsupportable  in  most  cases,  since  the  exhibitors  cannot 
command  the  services  of  the  FBI  in  collecting  evidence.  All 
that  an  exhibitor  would  have  to  prove  under  the  proposal 
would  be  the  fact  of  the  discriminatory  practice  and  its 
effect  on  his  ability  to  compete  with  the  theatre  which  is 
the  beneficiary  of  the  practice. 

"Of  course,  in  an  action  under  the  anti-trust  laws  the 
judgment  is  for  three  times  the  damages  suffered  by  the 
complainant.  But  the  damages  now  proposed  are  not  merely 
compensatory,  but  punitive,  since  one  of  the  purposes  is  to 
'discourage  the  recurrence  of  such  violations'." 

Regarding  "Circuit  Expansion,"  Mr.  Myers  asserts  that 
Sec.  XI  was  the  most  outrageous  feature  of  the  consent 
decree,  for,  while  it  purported  to  curb  and  relieve  against 
monopoly,  it  actually  permitted  the  consenting  defendants 
to  expand  their  theatre  holdings.  He  points  out  that  the 
proposals  made  by  the  distributors  last  winter  regarding 
circuit  expansion  were  even  less  restrictive  than  Sec.  XI  and, 
if  accepted,  "undoubtedly  would  have  been  followed  by  an 
orgy  of  theatre  grabbing  which  would  have  been  reminiscent 
of  the  pre-depression  era."  The  Government's  proposal  that 
Sec.  XI  be  eliminated  in  its  entirety,  and  that  there  be 
substituted  in  its  place  an  iron-clad  prohibition  against  any 
further  acquisition  of  theatres  or  any  financial  interest  in 
them,  is,  according  to  Mr.  Myers,  consistent  with  the  views 
and  recommendations  of  the  Independent  Conference. 

Reminding  the  reader  that  the  declared  purpose  of  the 
Government's  suit  was  to  divorce  production  and  distribu- 
tion from  exhibition,  Mr.  Myers  states  that  "the  Govern- 
ment in  its  present  proposals  returns  to  first  principles  and 
proposes  to  dig  out  the  very  roots  of  the  monopoly.  It  pro- 
poses that  each  defendant  which  is  directly  or  indirectly  en- 
gaged in  the  production,  distribution  and  exhibition  of  films 
shall,  within  three  years,  'completely  divorce  its  exhibition 
business  from  its  production  and  distribution  business.  .  .  .' 
This  contemplates  complete  separation  of  production  and 
distribution,  on  the  one  hand,  and  exhibition  on  the  other, 
but  without  breaking  up  the  existing  affiliated  circuits. 

"To  relieve  conditions  in  the  areas  in  which  the  affiliated 
circuits  have  established  monopoly,  the  Government  further 
proposes  that  each  defendant  engaged  in  operating  theatres 
shall,  within  such  time  and  upon  such  terms  as  the  Court 
may  deem  reasonable,  divest  itself  of  such  theatre  interests 
as  the  Court  may  in  the  course  of  supplemental  proceedings 
'find  should  be  divested  in  order  to  insure  theatre  operating 
competition  in  the  communities  where  they  are  now  monopo- 
lizing theatre  operation.' 

"Pooling  arrangements  between  affiliated  theatres  are  to 
be  declared  void  and  such  pools  enjoined  in  the  future. 

"As  hereinbefore  indicated,  the  propaganda  machine  is 
busy  grinding  out  stories  to  the  effect  that  theatre  divorce- 
ment means  turning  over  the  affiliated  circuits  to  so-called 
'independent'  circuit  operators  whose  competition  has  not 
been  of  the  mildest  variety.  Those  thus  far  named  have 
troubles  of  their  own.  The  Government  won  its  suit  to 
break  up  the  Crescent  Circuit  and  the  case  is  pending  in 


the  Supreme  Court.  The  case  against  Schine  started  off 
auspiciously  and  will  be  resumed  after  the  summer  vacation. 
The  case  against  Griffith  will  be  the  next  to  be  tried.  Hence 
it  is  not  likely  that  the  Department  of  Justice  or  the  Court 
would  sanction  the  transfer  of  the  affiliated  circuits  to  those 
interests. 

"Opposed  to  the  arguments  offered  by  distributor  repre- 
sentatives and  tame  cat  exhibitors  against  theatre  divorce- 
ment are  the  conclusions  of  the  Department  of  Justice  as 
expressed  in  a  release  covering  the  filing  of  the  application. 
Speaking  of  the  arbitration  system  the  Department  stated 
that  it  has  reached  the  conclusion  'that  such  a  system  may 
not,  by  itself,  be  adequate  to  bring  the  operations  of  the 
defendants  into  conformity  with  the  requirements  of  the 
Sherman  Act.'  Also,  'it  believes  that  this  objective  may  only 
be  accomplished  by  a  complete  separation  of  their  theatre- 
operating  business  from  their  producing  and  distributing 
activities  and  by  the  divestiture  of  a  substantial  number  of 
theatres  from  the  theatre-operating  companies  respectively 
owned  by  them.'  This  is  not  mere  snap  judgment;  it  is 
based  on  'the  results  to  date  of  that  litigation  (i.e.  the  con- 
sent decree)  and  the  decisions  of  the  Supreme  Court  in 
other  Sherman  Act  cases  since  1940,'  all  of  which  'have 
reinforced  the  Department's  original  conclusion  first  ex- 
pressed in  its  complaint  filed  in  1938,  that  conformity  with 
the  law  requires  such  a  modification  of  the  industry's  eco- 
nomic structure'." 

Elsewhere  in  his  analysis  Mr.  Myers  asserts  that  the 
Government's  proposal  to  declare  illegal  and  void  existing 
franchises  and  to  enjoin  the  making  or  enforcing  of  similar 
agreements,  is  the  logical  outcome  of  the  decision  in  the 
Crescent  Case.  Regarding  the  prohibition  against  licensing 
films  to  an  affiliated  theatre  upon  terms  that  unreasonably 
restrain  an  unaffiliated  theatre  from  competing  with  that 
theatre,  Mr.  Myers  states  that  this  provision  "strikes  at  the 
very  heart  of  the  discrimination  practiced  by  the  distributors 
in  the  interest  of  their  own  theatres." 

In  concluding  his  analysis,  Mr.  Myers  calls  attention  to 
the  fact  that  the  Government  failed  to  adopt  the  Inde- 
pendent Conference's  recommendations  regarding  forced 
percentage  selling,  distributor  control  of  admission  prices, 
and  other  competitive  practices.  "It  is  difficult  to  see,"  states 
Mr.  Myers,  "what  will  be  accomplished  by  theatre  divorce- 
ment if  the  distributors  remain  free  to  force  themselves  into 
unwelcome  partnership  with  the  independent  exhibitors 
and  exercise  control  over  their  operating  policies  by  means 
of  percentage  contracts. 

"Forced  percentage  may  and  probably  should  be  the 
subject  of  a  separate  proceeding  against  the  distributors — 
not  merely  the  consenting  distributors  but  all  of  them.  The 
way  for  such  a  proceeding  has  been  blazed  by  the  decisions 
hereinbefore  cited.  The  independent  exhibitors  should  im- 
press upon  the  Attorney  General  the  need  of  an  attack  on 
forced  percentage  deals,  not  only  to  prevent  the  spread  of 
the  defendants'  monopoly,  but  also  to  protect  the  public 
from  gouging." 

Mr.  Myers'  studied  analysis  sets  forth  clearly  and  con- 
cisely the  motives  of  the  Government's  proposals  for  a  modi- 
fication of  the  decree.  There  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind 
of  any  one  connected  with  the  motion  picture  industry  that 
the  Government  has  tired  of  the  consenting  distributors' 
dilly-dallying,  and  that  it  is  determined,  not  only  to  compel 
them  to  discontinue  their  monopolistic  sales  practices,  but 
also  to  divest  themselves  of  their  theatres. 

The  Government's  unprecedented  action  set  the  distrib- 
utors back  on  their  heels,  but,  as  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Myers, 
they  regained  their  balance  and  quickly  set  into  motion  their 
propaganda  machine.  Daily,  the  trade  press  carries  state- 
ments from  unnamed  distributor  spokesmen  in  which  varied 
reasons  are  given  as  to  why  some  of  the  Government's  pro- 
posals would  be  ruinous  to  the  exhibitors  themselves.  Lack 
of  space  in  this  issue  prevents  a  discussion  of  the  distributors' 
misleading  claims,  but  suffice  it  to  say  that  they  have  but 
one  purpose — to  create  confusion  within  the  ranks  of  the 
exhibitors  as  to  whether  or  not  the  Government's  action 
will  prove  beneficial  to  them.  It  is  just  such  a  purpose  that 
Mr.  Myers'  analysis  seeks  to  counteract,  and,  for  that,  he 
is  entitled  to  the  thanks  of  every  independent  exhibitor. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  confident  of  the  Government's 
ability  to  break  the  producer-distributors'  hold  upon  picture 
selling  and  exhibition.  Pay  no  heed  to  the  propagandists 
who  would  tell  you  that  the  Government's  proposals  will 
work  to  the  detriment  of  the  independent  exhibitors.  Hav- 
ing power  and  fearing  to  relinquish  any  of  it,  the  producer- 
distributors  have  always  been  reluctant  to  institute  reforms. 
But  like  it  or  not,  it  seems  as  if  the  Department  of  Justice 
is  going  to  help  them  get  rid  ot  their  rcluctancy. 


140 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


August  26,  1944 


Thus  far,  MGM  is  the  only  distributor  that  has  rolled 
up  its  sleeves  in  a  sincere  effort  to  help.  To  this  company 
Harrison's  Reports  expresses  its  commendation. 

Some  of  the  other  distributors  have  promised  to  help, 
but  as  yet  have  done  nothing  about  it.  And  some  of  them 
seem  to  be  concerned  only  with  the  question  of  whether  or 
not  Mr.  Lazarick,  when  he  closed  his  theatre,  had  any  hope 
of  reopening  it;  they  ignore  completely  the  larger  and  more 
pressing  aspect  of  the  case,  namely,  the  relief  that  is  needed 
urgently  by  the  New  Ritz  and  by  the  thousands  of  theatres 
it  stands  for. 

Harrison's  Reports  calls  upon  these  distributors  to  pull 
their  heads  out  of  the  sands  and  to  recognize  the  situation 
for  what  it  is,  so  that,  with  the  exercise  of  some  good  faith 
and  reasonable  dealings,  the  "marginal"  exhibitor  may  be 
saved.  The  fight  for  his  continued  existence  has  just  begun. 
The  progress  of  this  fight,  as  reflected  by  the  actions  ofthe 
distributors  in  the  case  of  the  New  Ritz  Theatre,  will  be 
reported  in  these  columns  periodically. 


CLEARING  THE  ATMOSPHERE  ON  THE 
GOVERNMENT'S  ACTION 

Abram  F.  Myers,  General  Counsel  of  Allied  States  Asso- 
ciation  of  Motion  Picture  Exhibitors,  has  prepared  for  the 
information  of  the  members  of  that  organization  an  analysis 
of  the  Government's  application  for  a  modification  of  the 
Consent  Decree,  which  is  so  enlightening  that  Harrison's 
Reports  wishes  to  bring  it  to  the  attention  of  its  readers, 
for  it  believes,  as  does  Mr.  Myers,  that  it  should  be  studied 
carefully  by  all  independent  exhibitors  in  order  that  they 
may  form  opinions  based  on  the  merits  of  the  proposals 
and  not  on  false  and  misleading  statements  put  out  by  the 
producer  propagandists  concerning  them. 

Lack  of  space  necessitates  the  reproduction  of  only  the 
salient  parts  of  the  analysis,  which  has  been  printed  in  pam- 
phlet form  under  date  of  August  15. 

Mr.  Meyers  points  out  that  Assistant  Attorney  General 
Tom  Clark  had  "sought  with  the  utmost  patience  to  negoti- 
ate a  revised  decree  that  would  cure  the  defects  of  the 
original,"  but  that  he  had  been  "given  the  run-around  by 
the  distributors  as  only  they  can  do  it." 

"The  distributors,"  continues  Mr.  Myers,  "assigned 
second  string  men  to  the  task  who  had  no  power  to  bind 
their  principals.  They  refused  to  yield  any  part  of  their 
monopolistic  privileges.  They  submitted  written  proposals 
that  would  have  protected  their  monopoly  even  more  ef- 
fectively than  the  1940  decree.  They  framed  their  grudging 
proposals  in  language  which  could  only  be  interpreted  in  a 
manner  most  favorable  to  themselves. 

"By  their  shifty  tactics  the  distributors  successfully  staved 
off  a  show  down  for  more  than  eight  months.  But  for  some 
time  it  has  been  apparent  that  the  Department's  patience 
was  wearing  thin. 

"The  show  down  came  with  stunning  suddenness.  The 
Department,  on  August  7,  filed  an  application  for  a  modi- 
fied decree,  which  included  theatre  divorcement.  But  the 
distributors  quickly  rallied  and  put  their  propaganda  ma- 
chine into  operation.  Exhibitors  are  being  told  by  dis- 
tributor representatives  that  under  the  Government's  pro- 
posals they  will  have  to  buy  pictures  one  at  a  time.  And  they 
are  being  asked  whether  they  would  rather  have  the  affili- 
ated theatres  for  competitors  or  such  'independents'  as 
Schine,  Crescent  or  Griffith." 

Calling  the  Government's  action  "an  unusual  proceed- 
ing," Mr.  Myers  states  that  its  legal  effect  is  to  afford  the 
defendants  "the  option  of  litigating  the  provisions  of  the 
decree  without  a  trial  on  the  merits  which,  in  all  probability, 
would  result  in  a  finding  that  they  have  violated  the  law." 

"It  was  to  avoid  the  damaging  effects  of  such  a  finding," 
asserts  Mr.  Myers,  "that  the  defendants  were  so  anxious  to 
negotiate  a  decree  in  1940.  For  once  such  a  finding  is  made, 
it  can  be  used  against  the  defendants  in  private  suits  by  ex- 
hibitors under  the  anti-trust  laws. 

"If  the  consenting  defendants  accept  the  opportunity 
thus  given  them,  thereby  limiting  the  proceeding  to  the 
issue  of  relief,  the  hearing  can  be  streamlined  and  an  early 
determination  should  be  had.  ...  If  the  defendants  reject 
this  procedure,  as  they  have  the  right  to  do,  they  will  face 
a  trial  of  the  pending  case  on  the  merits  and  possibly  the 
filing  of  additional  cases,  thereby  risking  an  eventual  ajudi- 
cation  of  guilt  as  well  as  such  form  of  decree  as  the  Court 
may  see  fit  to  enter.  On  the  other  hand,  they  may  in  this 
way  postpone  the  day  of  reckoning  for  several  years." 


Citing  recent  decisions,  Mr.  Myers  asserts  that  the  "Su- 
preme Court  has  gradually  whittled  down  the  rights  of 
patent  and  copyright  owners,  and  many  of  the  privileges 
and  immunities  asserted  by  the  distributors  by  virtue  of 
their  copyrights  no  longer  exist.  ...  In  view  of  the  trend 
of  decision  it  sooner  or  later  will  be  incumbent  upon  the 
Government  to  challenge  forced  percentage  deals,  involving 
the  regulation  of  admissions,  as  price-fixing  combinations." 

Mr.  Myers  analysis  treats  the  Government's  proposals  in 
the  light  of  the  recommendations  of  the  Conference  of  In- 
dependent Exhibitors  held  in  Chicago  early  this  year. 

Under  the  heading,  "Block-Booking,"  Mr.  Myers  states: 
"The  application  does  not  suggest  the  reinstatement  of 
Section  IV  (a),  limiting  blocks  to  five  trade  shown  pictures, 
which  also  lapsed  in  1942.  Instead,  the  Government  pro- 
poses the  following: 

"  'No  distributor  defendant  shall  condition  the  licensing 
of  one  feature  or  group  of  features  upon  the  licensing  of 
another  feature  or  group  of  features." 

"This  very  language  was  proposed  by  the  Independent 
Conference,  not  as  a  sole  method  of  distribution,  but  as  a 
cure  for  the  forcing  of  features.  The  selling  method  pro- 
posed by  the  Independents  was  that  pictures  be  offered  in 
not  less  than  quarterly  groups. 

"But  since  the  Government  now  puts  it  forward  as  a 
solution  of  the  block-booking  problem,  it  should  be  care- 
fully considered  on  its  merits.  As  soon  as  the  distributors 
recovered  from  their  shock  they  put  their  propaganda  ma- 
chine into  operation.  Joseph  Hazen,  chief  negotiator  of  the 
defendants,  made  the  following  statement: 

"  'It  means  that  exhibitors  will  have  to  buy  pictures 
singly  if  the  modified  decree  should  become  effective.  (Film 
Daily,  Aug.  8.)' 

"Evidently  taking  their  cue  from  Mr.  Hazen,  branch 
managers  and  film  salesmen  are  trying  to  frighten  the  ex- 
hibitors into  opposing  the  proposal  by  the  old  one-at-a-time 
threat  which  was  badly  overworked  during  the  Neely  Bill 
campaigns.  There  is  nothing  whatever  in  the  language  pro- 
posed by  the  Government  that  would  require  the  dis- 
tributors to  sell  pictures  singly  and  the  Department  of 
Justice  will  hardly  appreciate  Mr.  Hazen's  efforts  to  distort 
its  meaning. 

"The  provision  places  no  limitation  on  the  number  of 
trade  shown  pictures  that  the  distributor  and  the  exhibitor 
may  agree  upon  as  part  of  a  single  deal.  It  merely  says  that 
if  an  exhibitor  wishes  to  license  a  particular  picture  or  group 
of  pictures,  the  distributor  cannot  force  him  to  take  another 
picture  or  group.  It  merely  eliminates  the  element  of  coercion 
in  selling  without  specifying  how  many  pictures  or  how 
few  can  be  sold  at  one  time. 

"Of  course,  if  Mr.  Hazen  and  the  Charlie  McCarthys  in 
the  field  mean  that  in  retaliation  for  having  to  sell  under 
such  an  open  system  they  will  willfully  adopt  a  policy  of 
selling  one  picture  at  a  time,  they  are  assuming  a  grave 
responsibility.  The  illegal  and  contemptuous  nature  of  such 
a  course  of  action  couid  not  be  ignored  by  the  Department 
of  Justice  or  by  the  Court." 

Under  the  heading,  "Forcing  Shorts,"  Mr.  Myers  points 
out  that  the  Government's  proposal  "not  only  would  pre- 
scribe a  selling  method  which  affords  a  free  right  of  selec- 
tion, but  it  also  would  cover  the  practice  of  forcing  fea- 
tures." 

"The  most  commendable  change  in  the  anti-forcing  pro- 
visions," continues  Mr.  Myers,  "is  that  under  the  Govern- 
ment's proposals  they  would  no  longer  be  enforceable  by 
the  exhibitors  through  arbitration.  The  Allied  questionnaires 
proved  conclusively  that  forcing  had  been  widely  practiced 
under  the  consent  decree.  But  the  burden  of  enforcement 
was  cast  upon  the  exhibitors  and  they  dared  not  risk  in- 
curring the  ill  will  of  the  distributors  by  filing  arbitration 
proceedings.  Moreover,  the  procedure  was  too  slow  and 
expensive  and  the  relief,  if  any,  came  too  late. 

"Under  the  Government's  proposal  forcing  will  constitute 
a  violation  of  the  decree;  the  perpetrators  will  be  in  con- 
tempt of  court  and  subject  to  punishment  for  their  acts. 
This  places  the  burden  of  enforcement  on  the  Department 
and  the  Court,  where  it  properly  belongs.  It  overcomes  the 
most  serious  criticism  of  the  decree  made  by  the  Temporary 
National  Economic  Committee. 

"The  Independent  Conference,  in  its  report  to  the  De- 
partment of  Justice,  said  that  'unless  these  offenses  are 
made  subject  to  injunctions  written  into  the  decree,  and  the 
Department  undertakes  to  police  and  enforce  the  decree, 
violation  and  evasion  will  surely  result'." 

(Continued  on  inside  page) 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  SEPTEMBER  2,  1944 


No.  36 


IT'S  GOLDWYN  AGAIN! 


Samuel  Goldwyn  is  battling  with  exhibitors  again! 

Unable  to  agree  with  the  exhibitors  of  Reno,  Nevada, 
upon  terms  for  the  licensing  of  his  production,  "Up  in 
Arms,"  he  converted  a  Reno  dance  hall  into  a  theatre,  and 
became  temporarily  an  exhibitor  for  the  showing  of  his  pic- 
ture. At  the  same  time  he  issued  a  statement  that  "Reno  is 
typical  of  the  squeeze  by  which  many  theatre  units,  large 
and  small,  deprive  independent  producers  of  their  rightful 
share  of  boxoffice  dollars,"  and  he  threatened  to  carry  his 
fight  against  what  he  terms  "monopolistic  practices  in  exhibi- 
tion" directly  to  the  public. 

According  to  Goldwyn,  he  was  compelled  to  take  this 
action  because  of  his  inability  to  arrange  an  equitable  deal 
with  the  T  6?  D  Jr.  Enterprises,  the  theatre  circuit  that  op- 
erates the  five  theatres  in  Reno.  Executives  of  this  circuit, 
replying  to  Goldwyn's  charges,  have  issued  statements  to  the 
effect  that  they  offered  to  exhibit  the  picture  on  a  "live-and- 
let-live"  basis,  but  Goldwyn's  excessive  percentage  demands, 
as  well  as  the  requirements  that  they  buy  the  picture  for  all 
their  theatres,  which  they  operate  in  scores  of  towns  and 
cities  in  Northern  California,  including  San  Francisco,  pro- 
hibited their  concluding  a  satisfactory  deal  with  him. 

The  controversy,  as  most  of  you  undoubtedly  know,  was 
given  wide  publicity  in  the  nation's  newspapers  through  the 
Associated  Press.  Moreover,  Goldwyn  enlisted  the  aid  of  the 
Society  of  Independent  Motion  Picture  Producers,  which, 
with  Mary  Pickford  as  spokesman,  during  a  broadcast  in 
connection  with  the  local  premiere  of  the  picture,  defended 
his  stand  against  what  they  termed  exhibition's  "monopo- 
listic practices." 

Harrison's  Reports  is  not  in  a  position  to  pass  judgment 
on  the  controversy  between  Goldwyn  and  the  T&D  Circuit 
insofar  as  it  relates  to  the  rental  terms  for  the  picture,  be- 
cause it  has  no  knowledge  of  what  the  different  proposals 
were.  It  is  cognizant  of  the  fact,  however,  that  Goldwyn,  in 
selling  his  pictures,  has  acquired  a  reputation  for  demanding 
excessive  rentals,  preferred  playing  time,  and  other  condi- 
tions equally  unfair.  And,  as  evidence  of  Goldwyn's  unrea- 
sonable demands,  we  need  go  no  further  than  his  own 
statement  to  the  Associated  Press  that  his  refusal  to  sell 
"Up  in  Arms"  except  on  his  own  terms  has  "kept  the  pic- 
ture out  of  4000  cities  which  otherwise  would  see  it."  This 
statement  is  commented  upon  in  a  recent  bulletin  issued  by 
Allied  States  Association,  which  stated:  "We  can  only 
remark  that,  with  the  current  film  shortage,  Sam's  terms  for 
'Up  in  Arms'  must  be  pretty  steep.  Four  thousand  theatres 
can't  be  wrong."  No,  nor  can  more  than  4000  theatres  be 
wrong;  4000  cities  represent,  in  all  probability,  a  much 
larger  number  than  4000  theatres. 

What  Harrison's  Re  ports  objects  to  is  Goldwyn's  at- 
tempt to  win  for  himself  an  unmerited  sympathy,  by  posing 
himself  as  an  "independent  producer"  who  is  being  deprived 
of  his  "rightful  share  of  box-office  dollars"  by  the  "monopo- 
listic practices  in  exhibition." 

Goldwyn's  status  in  this  industry  is  far  from  that  of  an 
"independent  producer"  in  the  accepted  meaning  of  that 
term.  It  would  be  more  accurate  to  describe  him  as  a  "super- 
major  producer,"  for  he  not  only  has  a  major  company  dis- 
tribute his  pictures,  at  an  astoundingly  low  cost  for  its 
services,  but  he  also  reserves  the  right  to  fix  the  terms  at 
which  his  pictures  shall  be  sold,  and  to  pass  upon  each  deal 
before  the  contract  becomes  binding.  Sitting  in  such  a  posi- 
tion, it  is  unbecoming  for  Goldwyn  to  whine  for  sympathy 
while  he  remains  mute  on  the  question  of  whether  or  not  he 
has  been  fair  and  reasonable  in  his  dealings  with  the  Reno 
exhibitors. 


But  Goldwyn  did  not  remain  mute  on  the  subject  of  ex- 
hibitors in  general.  In  a  statement  to  the  press  in  Reno,  he 
said : 

"Because  of  the  monopolies  existing  throughout  the  coun- 
try, the  boys,  when  they  return  from  the  war,  will  practically 
be  prohibited  from  entering  into  exhibition  of  motion  pic- 
tures. They  cannot  build  or  occupy  theatres  in  opposition  to 
circuits  or  pooled  situations  without  the  consent  of  existing 
owners  or  operators,  as  no  product  of  consequence  would  be 
available  to  them.  Tentatively,  Congress  passed  the  so- 
called  G.  I.  Bill  of  Rights,  but  no  mention  was  made  of  the 
right  to  a  free  and  open  market  to  them  for  the  exhibition 
of  motion  pictures." 

I  cannot  figure  out  just  why  the  problem  of  how  returning 
soldiers  will  get  into  exhibition  was  ever  brought  into  the 
issue,  unless,  of  course,  Sam  Goldwyn  is  trying  to  tell  us 
that  his  fight  against  "monopolistic  practices"  is  entirely 
patriotic,  and  not  for  his  own  selfish  interests.  That,  of 
course,  would  be  pure  bunk;  Goldwyn's  primary  interest  has 
been  and  always  will  be  Goldwyn,  and  his  attempt  to  prey 
on  the  public's  sympathy  by  a  display  of  frenzied,  though 
feigned,  patriotism  is  as  reprehensible  as  was  his  unpatriotic 
act  in  1942,  when  he  placed  his  own  selfish  interests  above 
the  interests  of  his  country  by  reissuing  "The  Real  Glory," 
which  depicts  the  Philippine  Moros,  our  allies,  in  the  worst 
possible  light.  The  reissuing  of  that  picture  was  an  obvious 
attempt  to  "cash  in"  on  the  patriotic  fervor  of  the  American 
people,  in  whose  minds  the  gallant  defense  of  the  Philippines 
was  then  still  vivid.  The  fact  that  the  story  slandered  a  brave 
ally  was  of  little  concern  to  Goldwyn.  It  was  only  after  the 
protestations  of  the  late  Manuel  Quezon,  President  of  the 
Philippines,  and  of  our  own  Government,  that  he  finally 
recalled  the  film.  Now,  however,  when  his  pocketbook  seems 
threatened,  Goldwyn  waves  the  American  Flag  and  sings 
about  the  G.  I.  Bill  of  Rights.  It  just  doesn't  make  sense. 

Any  intelligent  observer  realizes  that  Goldwyn's  Reno 
activities  have  a  two-fold  purpose — first,  to  gain  for  himself 
some  nationwide  publicity  at  a  relatively  low  cost,  and, 
secondly,  to  frighten  exhibitors  into  submitting  to  his  un- 
fair demands  lest  he  exhibit  his  pictures  in  their  localities 
as  he  is  doing  in  Reno. 

According  to  a  report  in  the  T^ew  Tor\  Times,  it  cost 
Goldwyn  about  $30,000  to  put  on  his  Reno  show,  most  of 
the  money  being  spent  to  alter  the  dance  hall  in  accordance 
with  safety  regulations.  The  cost,  therefore,  would  be  suffi- 
cient to  discourage  Goldwyn  should  he  decide  to  engage  in 
a  large  scale  fight  against  all  exhibitors  who  would  resist  his 
demands.  Consequently,  exhibition  has  little  to  fear  from 
Goldwyn  the  exhibitor. 

Moreover,  although  Goldwyn  seems  to  have  become 
alarmed  only  presently  about  the  lack  of  a  "free  and  open 
market  .  .  .  for  the  exhibition  of  motion  pictures,"  the 
independent  exhibitors  of  this  country  have  spent  many 
years  fighting  for  just  such  a  free  market — and  they  are  still 
fighting  for  it,  without  ever  having  received  either  a  mite  of 
help,  or  a  word  of  encouragement,  from  Sam  Goldwyn.  One 
of  the  things  they  fought  for  was  to  make  the  market  free 
from  tactics  such  as  Goldwyn  displayed  in  Reno.  When  a 
film  salesman  found  himself  unable  to  force  inequitable  terms 
upon  an  exhibitor,  he  frequently  threatened  to  build  a  new 
theatre  across  the  street.  The  tricks  and  ruses  used  by  sales- 
men in  connection  with  their  threats  to  build  opposition 
theatres,  sometimes  actually  building  them,  arc  too  numerous 
to  recount  here;  besides,  most  of  you  are  well  familiar  with 
them.  Their  purpose  was  to  whip  recalcitrant  exhibitors  into 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


142 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  2,  1944 


"Dark  Mountain"  with  Robert  Lowery, 
Ellen  Drew  and  Regis  Toomey 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  56  tn in.) 

Just  a  mild  program  melodrama,  which  doesn't  mean  much 
at  the  box-office,  but  serves  well  enough  for  the  lower-half 
of  a  mid-week  double-bill.  The  story  is  routine,  offering  few 
new  angles;  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  spectator  guesses  the 
manner  in  which  it  unfolds.  Undiscriminating  audiences, 
however,  should  find  it  suitable,  for  parts  of  it  are  fairly 
exciting,  particularly  the  closing  scenes,  where  the  ruthless 
husband  of  the  heroine  is  outwitted  by  the  hero  in  a  hair- 
raising  car  crash: — 

Elated  at  having  received  a  promotion,  Robert  Lowery,  a 
Forest  Ranger,  leaves  the  Dark  Mountain  region  for  a 
nearby  city  to  propose  to  Ellen  Drew,  with  whom  he  had 
been  in  love  for  years.  He  is  dismayed  to  learn  that  she  had 
married  Regis  Toomey,  a  prosperous  wholesale  merchant, 
whose  pleasant  personality  had  won  her.  One  evening,  Ellen 
discovers  that  Toomey  was  dealing  in  stolen  goods.  She 
decides  to  leave  him,  but,  before  she  can  carry  out  her  plan, 
she  unsuccessfully  tries  to  stop  Toomey  from  murdering  a 
detective.  Toomey  compels  her  to  flee  with  him,  then  tricks 
her  into  going  to  Lowery  for  aid.  Lowery,  hoping  to  clear 
her  name,  hides  her  in  a  mountain  cabin.  Toomey  follows  her 
there,  and  threatens  to  kill  Lowery  if  she  reveals  his 
(Toomey's)  presence.  During  his  daily  visits  to  Ellen, 
Lowery  notices  her  nervousness.  Bits  of  evidence  convince 
him  that  Toomey  was  hiding  in  the  cabin.  Through  a  clever 
ruse,  Lowery,  with  the  aid  of  Eddie  Quillan,  his  assistant, 
tricks  Toomey  into  revealing  himself.  Toomey  gains  the 
upper  hand  and  manages  to  escape  in  a  dynamite-filled  truck, 
with  Ellen  his  captive.  Lowery  and  Quillan  give  chase.  When 
Ellen  leaps  from  the  truck,  Lowery  shoots  one  of  the  tires. 
The  truck  careens  off  the  road,  and  the  dynamite  blows  it, 
and  Toomey,  to  bits. 

Maxwell  Shane  wrote  the  screen  play,  Pine  and  Thomas 
produced  it,  and  William  Berkc  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Elisha  Cook,  Jr.,  Byron  Foulgcr  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Storm  Over  Lisbon"  with 
Erich  Von  Stroheim,  Richard  Arlen 
and  Vera  Hruba  Ralston 

(Republic,  October  16;  time,  86  min.) 

Better  than  average  production  values  have  gone  into  the 
making  of  this  espionage  melodrama,  but  it  seems  a  pity  that 
so  much  care  was  given  to  everything  but  the  story,  which  is 
so  involved  and  confused  that  instead  of  intriguing  the 
spectator  it  tires  him  out.  Numerous  mysterious  happenings 
are  simply  left  unexplained.  Moreover,  it  moves  slowly  and 
lacks  suspense.  The  performances  are  only  passable,  but  the 
players  are  blameless  because  of  the  faulty  material.  At  best, 
it  should  get  by  as  a  supporting  feature: — 

Suspecting  Erich  Von  Stroheim,  owner  of  a  mysterious 
gambling  club,  of  collaborating  with  Axis  agents,  the  Lisbon 
secret  police  assign  Vera  Rhuba  Ralston,  an  international 
dancer,  to  follow  his  movements.  Vera,  posing  as  a  refugee, 
places  herself  under  Von  Stroheim's  protection,  and  learns 
that  he  had  been  asked  by  an  Axis  power  to  intercept 
Richard  Arlen,  a  U.  S.  correspondent,  who  was  hiding  out 
in  Lisbon  after  escaping  from  a  prison  camp  with  a  vital 
war  secret  on  film.  At  Von  Stroheim's  suggestion,  Vera, 
through  Robert  Livingston,  an  American  flyer  and  friend  of 
Aden's,  finds  Arlen  in  a  cellar  hideout.  Both  become  at' 
tracted  to  each  other.  Von  Stroheim  orders  her  to  drug 
Arlen  and  obtain  the  secret  film  from  him.  Vera  tries  to 
warn  Arlen,  but  Von  Stroheim's  henchmen  appear  on  the 
scene.  Both  are  imprisoned  in  the  gambling  club,  with  Arlen 
believing  Vera  to  be  one  of  Von  Stroheim's  aides.  Arlen 
eventually  becomes  convinced  of  Vera's  sincerity  and,  in  a 
sensational  break,  escapes  with  her  from  the  club.  They  go 
to  the  secret  cellar  to  obtain  the  film,  which  Arlen  had 
hidden  in  the  hollow  of  a  candle.  Arriving  there,  they 
find  Von  Stroheim  waiting  for  them.  Von  Stroheim  finds  the 
film,  but  before  he  can  destroy  it,  secret  police  rush  in  and 
seize  him.  Arlen  leave  for  America  with  the  film,  promising 
to  return  to  Vera. 

Doris  Gilbert  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  George  Sherman 
produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Otto  Kruger, 
Eduardo  Ciannelli,  Mona  Barrie  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"The  Doughgirls"  with  Ann  Sheridan, 
Jane  Wyman  and  Alexis  Smith 

(Warner  Bros.,  release  date  not  set;  time,  102  min.) 

Based  on  the  successful  Broadway  stage  play  of  the  same 
title,  this  is  a  racy  romantic  comedy-farce,  the  kind  that 
should  go  over  fairly  well  with  most  audiences,  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  the  comedy  is  often  forced.  The  story,  which  is  set 
against  a  war-time  Washington  background,  revolves  around 
three  young  ladies  who  get  themselves  into  all  sorts  of  com- 
plications when,  for  one  reason  or  another,  the  marital  status 
of  each  one  is  proved  illegal.  Its  romantic  mixups,  and  its  satir- 
ical treatment  of  Washington's  housing  shortage,  are  so  amus- 
ing that  one  is  kept  laughing  throughout,  without  stopping  to 
consider  whether  the  story  makes  sense  or  not.  A  most  amus- 
ing character  is  the  Russian  woman  guerilla  fighter  portrayed 
by  Eve  Arden;  her  performance  is  by  far  the  best  of  the  cast. 

The  story  unfolds  in  Washington,  where  Jane  Wyman, 
newly  married  to  Jack  Carson,  is  imposed  upon  by  Ann 
SI,  cridan  and  Alexis  Smith  to  share  her  honeymoon  suite 
with  them.  Ann  was  married  to  John  Ridgely,  and  Alexis 
was  waiting  to  marry  Lieut.  Craig  Stevens,  who  had  officially 
gone  on  record  as  being  married,  but  came  down  with  the 
measles  before  the  ceremony  could  be  performed.  Complica- 
tions arise  when  Jane  discovers  that  the  Justice  of  the  Peace 
who  performed  her  marriage  ceremony  was  an  imposter, 
and  Ann  learns  that  she  had  married  Ridgely  before  his 
divorce  from  Irene  Manning  became  final.  From  then  on 
maters  become  complicated:  Carson  refuses  to  legalize  his 
marriage  to  Jane  until  she  gets  rid  of  her  unwanted  tenants; 
Ridgely  brings  Eve  Arden,  a  Russian  guerilla  fighter  to 
the  apartment,  and  she  decides  to  live  there  instead  of  at 
the  Russian  Embassy;  Charles  Ruggles,  Carson's  elderly 
employer,  tries  to  win  Jane's  love;  a  government  official, 
whom  Ridgely  sought  to  interest  in  a  soy  bean  process,  falls 
in  love  with  Irene;  Jane  is  compelled  to  pawn  her  jewels 
in  order  to  pay  the  hotel  bill;  Alan  Mowbray,  a  radio  com- 
mentator, gains  possession  of  the  apartment,  but  permits  all 
to  remain;  and  Alexis,  set  to  marry  Stevens,  finds  that  she 
lost  the  license.  The  mad  whirl  of  events  is  finally  brought 
to  an  end  when  Eve  produces  a  Russian  priest  who  obligingly 
performs  a  mass  marriage  ceremony  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned. 

James  V.  Kern  and  Sam  Hellman  wrote  the  screen  play 
from  the  play  by  Joseph  A.  Fields.  Mark  Hellinger  produced 
it,  and  Mr.  Kern  directed  it. 

There  are  no  objectionable  situations. 


"National  Barn  Dance"  with 
Robert  Benchley,  Charles  Quigley 
and  Jean  Heather 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  76  min.) 

An  undistinguished  but  pleasant  comedy,  with  hillbilly 
music,  best  suited  for  theatres  where  this  type  of  entertain- 
ment is  enjoyed.  The  cast  includes  such  popular  radio  enter- 
tainers as  Lulu  Belle  and  Scotty,  Joe  Kelly,  the  Dinning 
Sisters,  the  Hoosier  Hot  Shots,  and  Arkie,  the  Arkansas 
Woodchopper,  who  all  appear  on  the  well  known  radio 
show  from  which  the  picture  takes  its  title;  their  popularity 
in  certain  sections  of  the  country  should  be  of  considerable 
help.  Not  much  can  be  said  for  the  story,  but  it  serves  its 
purpose  as  a  framework  for  the  players'  singing,  dancing, 
and  comedy  antics: — 

Learning  that  Robert  Benchley,  a  radio  advertising  execu- 
tive, was  intested  in  securing  rural  entertainers  for  a  lucra- 
tive canned  soup  account,  Charles  Quigley,  a  struggling 
young  promoter,  goes  to  Midvale,  where  a  weekly  barn 
dance  was  held  every  Saturday  night.  Representing  himself 
as  Benchley's  assistant,  Quigley  signs  the  entertainers  to  a 
contract  and  brings  them  to  Chicago.  He  finds  himself  in  a 
predicament  when  Benchley  declines  to  use  their  act;  Charles 
Dingle,  the  canned  soup  sponsor,  had  told  Benchley  that  a 
more  high-brow  type  of  entertainment  was  desired.  Learning 
that  Dingle  and  his  wife  (Mabel  Paige)  were  to  dine  at 
Benchley's  home  that  evening,  and  that  Benchley  was  short 
of  household  help,  Quigley  smuggles  the  rural  entertainers 
into  the  house  and  disguises  them  as  servants.  This  gives  the 
entertainers  an  opportunity  to  put  on  a  show,  which  strikes 
the  fancy  of  Dingle's  wife,  a  down-to-earth  type  of  person. 
She  induces  her  husband  to  sign  the  entertainers  to  a  con- 
tract, thus  establishing  the  National  Barn  Dance  radio  show. 

Lee  Loeb  and  Hal  Fimberg  wrote  the  screen  play,  and 
Huth  Bennett  directed  it, 


September  2,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


143 


"Reckless  Age"  with  Gloria  Jean 

(Universal,  November  17;  time,  63  min.) 

Despite  the  triteness  of  the  story,  this  is  a  mildly  pleasant 
program  picture,  with  enough  comedy  and  music  to  satisfy 
an  average  audience.  The  story  is  the  old  one  about  a  poor 
little  rich  girl  who  rebels  against  the  strict  life  imposed  upon 
her  by  her  wealthy  guardian,  leaving  home  to  make  her 
own  way  in  the  world.  A  few  of  the  situations  manage  to 
provoke  hearty  laughter,  but  for  the  most  part  the  comedy 
is  ineffective.  The  interjection  of  the  music  is  of  no  im' 
portance  to  the  story,  but  it  is  pleasant.  A  highlight  is  a  song 
and  dance  number  by  Harold  Nicholas,  a  South  American 
entertainer;  it  is  the  best  part  of  the  picture:- — 

Tired  of  being  pampered,  and  of  having  her  life  managed 
for  her,  Gloria  Jean,  granddaughter  of  Henry  Stephenson, 
wealthy  chain  store  owner,  runs  away  from  home  to  make 
her  own  way  in  the  world.  She  goes  to  a  small  New  England 
town,  where  she  assumes  a  fictitious  name  and  secures  em' 
ployment  as  a  salesgirl  in  one  of  her  grandfather's  stores. 
Her  fine  manners  lead  Chester  Clute,  the  store  manager,  and 
Franklin  Pangborn,  his  assistant,  to  suspect  her  of  being  a 
company  investigator,  and  they  quickly  accept  her  different 
suggestions  to  advance  the  store's  sales.  Jean  becomes 
friendly  with  Marshall  Thompson,  a  stock  clerk,  and  rents 
a  room  at  his  mother's  boarding  house.  To  help  a  soldier 
please  his  sweetheart,  Jean  sells  him  her  own  expensive 
bracelet  for  a  nominal  sum,  and  pockets  the  money.  Marshall, 
noticing  the  transaction,  believes  she  was  stealing.  He  be 
comes  suspicious  of  her  past,  which  she  continued  to  con- 
ceal.  One  of  Jean's  sales  stunts  causes  a  riot  in  the  store  and, 
as  a  result,  Stephenson  comes  to  the  store  to  investigate  the 
incident.  Jean  tries  to  avoid  him  by  having  herself  committed 
to  the  local  jail  for  stealing,  but  he  learns  of  her  presence  in 
town  and,  after  a  round  of  explanations,  peace  is  restored. 

Gertrude  Purcell  and  Henry  Blankfort  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  Felix  Feist  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  in' 
eludes  Andrew  Tombes,  Jane  Darwell,  Lloyd  Corrigan, 
Jack  Gilford,  Judy  Clark,  the  Delta  Rhythm  Boys  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Rainbow  Island"  with  Dorothy  Lamour 
and  Eddie  Bracken 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  97  min.) 

Dorothy  Lamour  in  a  sarong,  lavish  sets,  Technicolor 
photography,  a  few  production  numbers,  and  Eddie  Brack- 
en's clowning  are  what  "Rainbow  Island"  has  to  offer;  and 
if  that  is  enough  to  satisfy  audiences,  then  this' picture  should 
go  over.  But  these  things  are  tied  together  with  one  of  the 
silliest  stories  imaginable,  and  the  general  effect  is  boredom. 
Slapstick  is  frquently  resorted  to  for  laughs  and,  in  the 
closing  scenes,  everyone  goes  completely  haywire  in  an  at- 
tempt to  be  comical.  The  whole  thing  shapes  up  as  just 
another  excuse  for  Dorothy  Lamour  to  appear  in  a  sarong: — 

Eddie  Bracken,  Gil  Lamb,  and  Barry  Sullivan,  sailors 
marooned  on  a  South  Sea  island,  steal  a  Jap  plane  that  had 
landed  to  investigate,  and  head  for  American  waters.  Their 
plane  is  forced  down  on  an  uncharted  island,  where  they 
find  themselves  surrounded  by  a  bevy  of  sarong-clad  girls, 
among  whom  is  Dorothy  Lamour,  daughter  of  an  American 
doctor,  who  had  been  shipwrecked  on  the  island  years  pre- 
viously. The  island's  Queen  (Ann  Revere)  orders  the  three 
men  executed,  but  Dorothy,  noticing  a  marked  resemblance 
between  Bracken  and  the  island  god,  "Momo,"  convinces 
the  Queen  that  "Momo"  had  returned  to  earth.  Bracken  is 
dressed  in  royal  clothes  and  treated  reverently.  While  he 
carries  on  the  deception,  his  companions  proceed  to  repair 
the  plane.  Suspicious  of  Bracken,  two  of  the  Queen's  hench- 
men set  out  to  prove  that  he  is  mortal.  Bracken  barely 
escapes  detection,  but  matters  reach  an  impasse  when  the 
boys,  ready  to  fly  away,  learn  that  the  Queen  had  made  a 
necklace  out  of  the  plane's  spark  plugs.  Bracken  gives  the 
Queen  a  sleeping  powder  in  an  attempt  to  retrieve  the 
plugs.  He  is  caught  by  the  natives  who,  believing  the  Queen 
dead,  order  his  and  his  friends'  execution.  Dorothy,  how- 
ever, manages  to  set  them  free.  A  wild  chase  ensues,  but  the 
boys  manage  to  reach  the  plane  and  fly  off,  taking  Dorothy 
and  her  father  with  them. 

Walter  DeLeon  and  Arthur  Phillips  wrote  the  screen 
play,  E.  D.  Leshin  produced  it,  and  Ralph  Murphy  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Marc  Lawrence,  Reed  Hadley  and 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Our  Hearts  Were  Young  and  Gay"  with 
Gail  Russell  and  Diana  Lynn 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  81  min.) 

Mild  program  fare.  As  a  book,  "Our  Hearts  Were  Young 
and  Gay,"  which  is  a  real-life  account  of  the  comedy  adven- 
tures of  Cornelia  Otis  Skinner  and  Emily  Kimbrough,  when 
they  toured  Europe  in  1923  as  two  unchaperoned  adoles- 
cents, was  a  best  seller  and  made  amusing  reading,  but  as 
screen  material  it  misses  fire.  The  story  is  too  episodic  and 
slow-moving,  and  the  predicaments  the  girls  get  themselves 
into  when  they  try  to  be  "worldly"  are,  at  best,  only  mildly 
humorous.  Gail  Russell,  as  Miss  Skinner,  and  Diana  Lynn, 
as  Miss  Kimbrough,  are  charming,  but  at  this  stage  of  their 
screen  careers  they  mean  little  at  the  box-office: — 

En  route  to  Europe,  Cornelia  falls  in  love  with  Avery 
Moore  (James  Brown),  a  football  player,  while  Emily  is 
attracted  to  Tom  Newhall  (Bill  Edwards),  a  young  doctor. 
Cornelia  gets  the  measles  two  days  before  her  arrival,  but 
Tom  and  Emily  manage  to  slip  her  by  the  health  inspectors 
in  Plymouth.  The  girls'  tour  of  England  and  France  get  them 
into  endless  complications,  highlighted  by  their  being 
stranded  all  night  on  the  locked  tower  of  Notre  Dame 
Cathedral.  They  drop  their  clothing  to  attract  attention, 
but  to  no  avail.  The  following  morning  they  return  to  their 
hotel  clad  in  blankets,  accompanied  by  two  suave  French- 
men, friends  of  Cornelia's  father.  Avery  and  Tom,  who 
had  been  waiting  for  them  all  night,  misunderstand  the  situa- 
tion and  start  a  fight  with  the  Frenchmen.  Cornelia's  parents 
(Charles  Ruggles  and  Dorothy  Gish)  arrive  in  the  midst  of 
the  fracas.  They  decide  that  the  girls  have  had  enough 
"worldliness,"  and  arrange  for  their  passage  home. 

Sheridan  Gibney  wrote  the  screen  play  from  the  book  by 
Miss  Skinner  and  Miss  Kimbrough.  Mr.  Gibney  produced 
it,  and  Lewis  Allen  directed  it. 


"Arsenic  and  Old  Lace"  with  Cary  Grant, 
Raymond  Massey,  Peter  Lorre 
and  Priscilla  Lane 

(Warner  Bros.,  Sept.  23;  time,  118  min.) 

An  hilarious  entertainment;  it  should  turn  out  to  be  one 
of  the  year's  top  box-office  attractions.  In  its  transition  from 
stage  to  screen,  the  story,  under  the  capable  handling  of 
Frank  Capra,  has  lost  none  of  its  thrills  or  superior  farcical 
humor.  Some  of  the  situations  will  cause  audiences  to  roll 
with  laughter,  while  others  will  make  them  jump  with  fright. 
Murder  and  insanity  are  not,  as  a  rule,  pleasant  subjects, 
but  the  manner  in  which  they  have  been  treated  is  so  amus- 
ing that  one  cannot  help  being  highly  amused. 

The  story,  which  has  its  setting  in  an  old  Brooklyn  man- 
sion, revolves  around  two  lovable  old  maiden  ladies,  who 
poison  homeless  old  men  with  elderberry  wine  because  they 
could  not  bear  to  see  them  unhappy.  A  nephew,  a  drama 
critic,  visiting  them  on  his  wedding  day,  discovers  one  of 
the  victims  and  believes  that  the  murder  had  been  com- 
mitted by  a  second  nephew,  a  harmless  demented  fellow, 
who  lived  with  the  old  ladies  and  imagined  himself  to  be 
Theodore  Roosevelt.  When  the  aunts  coyly  admit  to  him 
that  they  had  murdered  twelve  men  and  had  buried  the 
bodies  in  the  cellar,  the  startled  nephew  decides  to  pin  the 
murders  on  "Teddy"  to  save  the  old  ladies.  While  he  rushes 
off  to  secure  a  committment  order,  a  third  nephew,  an  es- 
caped criminal  maniac,  arrives  at  the  house  with  his  partner 
in  crime,  an  unbalanced  plastic  surgeon,  bringing  with  them 
a  dead  body  of  their  own.  After  a  series  of  wild  events, 
in  which  the  maniacal  nephew  imposes  upon  the  hospitality 
of  his  aunts'  home,  and  almost  murders  the  critic's  wife  lest 
she  learn  too  much,  the  police  subdue  the  fanatical  house- 
hold, arrest  the  maniac,  and  escort  the  two  old  ladies  and 
"Teddy"  to  the  insane  asylum. 

Josephine  Hull  and  Jean  Adair  are  perfect  as  the  maiden 
aunts,  and  John  Alexander  is  equally  good  as  "Teddy  Roose- 
velt." All  three  enacted  their  respective  roles  in  the  original 
stage  play.  Cary  Grant,  as  the  drama  critic,  gives  his  role 
a  broad  but  effective  interpretation.  Priscilla  Lane,  as  the 
bride;  Raymond  Massey,  as  the  maniac;  Peter  Lorre,  as  the 
plastic  surgeon;  Jack  Carson,  as  the  policeman  on  the  beat; 
Edward  Everett  Horton,  as  the  asylum  superintendent;  and 
James  Gleason,  as  a  befuddled  police  inspector,  are  very 
effective. 

Julius  J.  and  Philip  G.  Epstein  wrote  the  screen  play  from 
the  play  by  Joseph  Kesselring.  Frank  Capra  produced  and 
directed  it. 


144 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  2,  1944 


line:  to  make  them  accede  to  any  terms  demanded.  Through- 
out the  years,  exhibitors  have  learned  to  steel  themselves 
against  these  tactics  and  to  have  no  more  fear  of  them.  And 
the  mere  iact  that  this  time  the  salesman  is  Sam  Coldwyn 
will  make  no  difference.  The  exhibitors  will  not  be  brow- 
beaten. 

Nevertheless,  since  Goldwyn  has  elected  to  publicize  his 
fight,  the  exhibitors,  through  their  local  newspapers,  should 
see  to  it  that  the  public  is  well  informed  of  their  side  of  the 
argument.  Tell  the  public  that  yours  is  but  one  of  thousands 
of  theatres  that  refuse  to  bow  to  his  unfair  demands,  and 
point  out  that  the  absence  of  his  pictures  from  so  many 
theatre  screens  is  in  itself  indicative  of  the  fact  that  his  sell- 
ing terms  arc  unreasonable. 

Despite  Goldwyn's  protestations,  the  present  controversy 
is  fundamentally  nothing  more  than  the  everyday  bargaining 
between  buyer  and  seller.  It  should  not  have  gone  to  the 
public,  either  through  the  press,  or  through  the  radio. 
Neither  should  Goldwyn  have  gone  into  the  dance  hall- 
theatre  business.  And  he  certainly  should  not  have  resorted 
to  waving  the  flag  and  appealing  for  sympathy.  The  entire 
matter  should  be  quieted  down  and  withdrawn  from  public 
attention.  But  if  Goldwyn  should  refuse  to  do  this,  then  the 
exhibitors  will  be  free  to  give  to  the  public,  through  their 
screens,  the  press  and  the  radio,  all  the  facts  concerning  his 
tactics.  It  will  ruin  his  role  of  public  benefactor. 


"Lost  in  a  Harem"  with  Abbott  and  Costello 

(MGM,  December;  time,  89  min.) 

As  compared  with  the  last  few  Abbott  and  Costello  slap- 
stick comedies,  "Lost  in  a  Harem"  is  a  good  deal  more  laugh- 
provoking;  it  should  easily  satisfy  their  followers,  while 
others  will  find  it  difficult  to  restrain  themselves  from  laugh- 
ing at  their  completely  nonsensical  antics,  which  revolve 
around  their  misadventures  in  a  Bagdad-like  palace,  under 
the  hypnotic  spell  of  a  tyrannical  ruler.  The  story,  of 
course,  is  meager,  but  it  serves  its  purpose  as  a  framework 
for  their  gags  and  comedy  routines.  The  funniest  parts  of  the 
picture  are  where  Murray  Leonard,  as  a  demented  derelict, 
gets  into  a  murderous  mood  each  time  he  finishes  telling  the 
story  of  how  he  had  murdered  a  man;  it  is  an  ancient  routine, 
but  very  effective.  A  few  production  numbers,  built  around 
Jimmy  Dorsey's  orchestra,  give  the  picture  some  tuneful 
musical  relief.  It  is  obvious  that  some  of  the  settings  were 
originally  used  in  "Kismet,"  but  this  adds  considerably  to 
the  fairly  good  production  values: — 

Bud  Abbott  and  Lou  Costello,  comedians  in  a  bankrupt 
musical  revue  touring  the  Orient,  and  Marilyn  Maxwell,  the 
show's  singer,  land  in  jail  when  they  start  a  riot  in  a  cafe. 
John  Conte,  a  desert  sheik,  smitten  with  Marilyn,  arranges 
an  escape  for  the  trio  when  they  agree  to  help  him  regain 
control  of  his  small  kingdom,  which  had  been  wrested  from 
him  by  his  evil  uncle  (Douglas  Dumbrille),  who  used  two 
mysterious  rings  to  hypnotize  those  who  opposed  him.  Ex- 
plaining that  his  uncle  was  susceptible  to  blondes,  Conte 
arranges  with  Marilyn  to  fascinate  Dumbrille  while  Abbott 
and  Costello  steal  his  rings.  The  trio  gain  entrance  to  the 
palace,  but  Dumbrille  hypnotizes  them  and  learns  of  his 
nephew's  plot.  He  jails  the  boys  and  plans  to  marry  Marilyn. 
Conte  manages  to  free  the  boys,  and  smuggles  them  into 
Dumbrille's  harem.  Posing  as  Hollywood  talent  scouts,  the 
boys  win  the  cooperation  of  Dumbrille's  chief  wife  and,  with 
her  aid,  steal  the  rings.  After  a  series  of  incidents,  in  which 
the  boys  and  Dumbrille  alternately  gain  the  upper  hand,  the 
kingdom  is  restored  to  Conte,  who  makes  Marilyn  his  Queen. 

Harry  Ruskin,  John  Grant,  and  Harry  Crane  wrote  the 
screen  play,  George  Haight  produced  it,  and  Charles  Reisner 
directed  it. 

Suitable  for  all. 

"Pearl  of  Death"  with  Basil  Rathbone 
and  Nigel  Bruce 

(Universal,  September  22;  time,  69  min.) 
A  fairly  good  murder  mystery  melodrama,  one  of  the  best 
in  the  "Sherlock  Holmes"  series.  This  time  "Holmes' " 
sleuthing  revolves  around  the  theft  of  a  priceless  pearl  by  a 
master  criminal,  and  around  the  subsequent  murders  that 
are  committed  by  the  criminal's  tool,  an  inhuman  monster,  in 
an  effort  to  outwit  the  detective  and  to  retain  possession  of 
the  gem.  There  is  no  mystery  as  to  the  identities  of  the 
criminals,  the  audience  having  been  made  aware  of  this  al- 
most from  the  beginning.  But  this  fact  does  not  detract  from 


the  interest,  since  one  does  not  know  how  "Holmes"  will 
solve  the  crimes.  Unlike  most  of  the  previous  pictures  in  the 
series,  the  plot  is  worked  out  in  a  logical  manner  and  is  cer- 
tain to  please  followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment: — 

Disguised  as  an  innocent  old  clergyman,  Basil  Rathbone 
foils  an  attempt  by  Evelyn  Ankers  and  Miles  Mander  to 
steal  a  valuable  pearl  that  was  being  delivered  to  a  British 
museum.  Rathbone  delivers  the  pearl  personally.  Protesting 
to  the  museum's  director  that  the  burglar  alarm  system  was 
inadequate,  Rathbone  disconnects  the  wires  to  prove  his 
point.  Mander,  posing  as  a  porter,  steals  the  pearl  during 
the  demonstration.  Though  ridiculed  by  the  press,  Rath- 
bone, aided  by  Nigel  Bruce,  his  close  friend,  continues  his 
search  for  the  pearl.  A  series  of  grisly  murders,  in  which  the 
victims'  backs  had  been  broken,  is  recognized  by  Rathbone 
as  the  work  of  Rondo  Hatton,  a  half-witted  giant,  with 
whom  Mander  had  been  associated  in  the  past.  Noticing  that 
the  body  of  each  victim  was  surrounded  by  broken  china, 
Rathbone  traces  this  clue  to  a  pottery  shop,  where  he  dis- 
covers Evelyn  working  as  a  salesgirl.  He  intercepts  her  tele- 
phone call  to  Mander  and  learns  that  the  pearl  had  been 
hidden  in  one  of  six  wet  plaster  busts  of  Napoleon.  Tracing 
the  buyers  of  the  busts,  Rathbone  learns  that  five  of  them 
were  the  murder  victims,  whom  Mander  and  the  giant  had 
killed  in  an  attempt  to  recover  the  gem.  Learning  the  iden- 
tity of  the  sixth  buyer,  Rathbone  hastens  to  his  home  in  time 
to  outwit  Mander  and  his  tool.  He  kills  them  both,  saving 
the  pearl  and  returning  it  to  the  museum. 

Bertram  Millhauser  wrote  the  screen  play,  based  on  Sir 
Arthur  Conan  Doyle's  "The  Six  Napoleons."  Roy  William 
Neill  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Dennis 
Hoey  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Till  We  Meet  Again"  with  Ray  Milland 
and  Barbara  Britton 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  88  min) 

A  slow-moving  anti-Nazi  melodrama.  No  one  can  deny 
that  the  picture  has  been  produced  with  care,  and  also  the 
fact  that  at  times  it  is  emotionally  stirring,  but  pictures  based 
on  the  underground  resistance  theme  have  been  done  so 
many  times  within  the  last  two  years  that  it  is  doubtful  if 
regular  picture-goers  will  be  able  to  work  up  more  than  a 
mild  interest  in  the  proceedings,  particularly  since  this  one 
differs  little  either  in  story  or  in  treatment.  Too  much  talk 
slows  down  the  action  considerably,  some  of  the  situations 
being  dragged  out  to  a  point  where  they  become  tiresome. 
There  is  much  human  interest  in  the  story,  and  the  restrained 
romance  between  Barbara  Britton,  as  the  novice  from  a  con- 
vent, and  Ray  Milland,  as  the  married  American  flyer,  whom 
she  helps  to  escape  from  France,  has  been  handled  with  good 
taste.  The  action  has  some  moments  of  suspense,  and  a  few 
highly  melodramatic  incidents,  but  on  the  whole  the  6tory 
lacks  conviction: — 

Shot  down  over  occupied  France,  Ray  Milland  is  given 
refuge  in  a  convent,  which  was  used  as  a  hiding  place  by  the 
Mother  Superior  (Lucille  Watson)  and  Vladimir  Sokoloff, 
the  gardener,  members  of  the  underground.  Milland's  pres- 
ence in  the  convent  is  unwittingly  betrayed  by  Barbara 
Britton,  a  novice,  when  Konstantin  Shayne,  Nazi  com- 
mandant of  the  village,  questions  her.  A  searching  party  is 
sent  to  the  convent,  and  an  over-zealous  Nazi  soldier,  when 
refused  admittance,  kills  the  Mother  Superior.  Blaming  her- 
self for  the  tragedy,  and  feeling  impelled  to  help  Milland 
escape,  Barbara  doffs  her  habit  and  offers  to  help  him.  Soko- 
loff arranges  for  Milland  to  travel  as  a  French  war  veteran, 
stricken  dumb,  and  for  Barbara  to  pose  as  his  wife.  Both  fall 
in  love  as  they  make  their  way  to  the  coast,  but  restrain  their 
feelings  because  Milland  is  married.  Meanwhile  the  Nazi 
commandant,  guessing  that  Barbara  was  helping  Milland, 
sends  Walter  Slezak,  the  town's  collaborationist  mayor,  in 
pursuit  of  them.  They  evade  Slezak  for  a  time,  but  he  and 
the  commandant  eventually  catch  up  with  them  in  a  seaport 
town.  Sacrificing  her  own  safety,  Barbara  tricks  the  com- 
mandant into  allowing  Milland  to  escape.  Furious,  the  com- 
mandant decides  to  send  her  to  the  brothels  of  Poland.  Sle- 
zak, aroused,  attempts  to  shoot  the  commandant,  but  the 
bullet  accidentally  kills  Barbara  instead. 

Lenore  Coffee  wrote  the  screen  play,  David  Lewis  pro- 
duced it,  and  Frank  Borzage  directed  it. 

Suitable  for  all. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  SEPTEMBER  9,  1944 


No.  37 


Wanton  Waste  in  Production 


"Of  the  approximately  three  hundred  million  dol- 
lars that  are  spent  in  production  yearly,"  the  head  of 
a  major  studio  told  me  recently  "not  more  than  two 
hundred  million  reach  the  screen.  The  remainder  is 
either  wasted  in  excessively  long  pictures,  or  thrown 
on  the  cutting  room  floor.  If  that  hundred  million 
dollars  were  put  into  the  pictures,  the  box-office  re- 
ceipts  would  increase  a  lot." 

I  have  been  familiar  with  the  arguments  against 
the  extra  long  pictures  and  will  discuss  them  in  this 
article,  but  I  was  more  interested  in  the,  what  this 
executive  called,  "wanton  waste"  in  the  production  of 
the  lesser  pictures,  and  asked  him  for  details.  And  this 
is  what  he  said : 

"Most  scripts  are  overwritten.  On  a  ninety-minute 
picture,  the  script  should  be  no  more  than  one  hundred 
and  thirty  pages  since  it  takes  anywhere  from  one- 
half  minute  to  three-quarters  of  a  minute  to  unfold  the 
action  of  a  single  page.  But  what  happens?  Invariably 
the  script  is  prepared  in  one  hundred  and  eighty  pages. 
The  entire  script  is  shot,  and  the  picture  is  brought  to 
the  required  length  in  the  cutting  room." 

"I  shall  not  discuss,"  he  said,  "the  disadvantages 
when  the  cutter  has  to  eliminate  almost  one-quarter 
of  the  running  time  in  order  to  bring  a  picture  down 
to  its  required  length;  just  now  I  shall  confine  myself 
to  the  waste  consequent  to  the  loose  preparation  of  the 
screen  play.  To  shoot  the  extra  scenes,  the  cost  is  pro- 
portionate. If,  for  instance,  a  producer  budgets  his 
picture  at,  say,  $800,000  in  the  case  of  a  ninety  minute 
picture,  the  extra  scenes  shot  will  cost  no  less  than 
one-quarter  of  the  budget  figure."  "In  other  words," 
he  said,  "two  hundred  thousand  dollars  are  thrown 
by  the  film  editor  on  the  cutting  room  floor  just  be- 
cause the  screen  play  was  not  prepared  with  patience 
and  judgment  so  as  to  eliminate  the  unnecessary 
shooting." 

"What  would  you  think,"  he  asked  me,  "if  an 
architect  should  hand  to  the  contractor  an  imperfect 
blue  print  of  a  building  and  asked  him  to  go  ahead 
with  construction,  promising  to  make  either  additions 
or  alterations  as  construction  proceeds?  It  is  no  dif- 
ferent in  the  case  of  motion  pictures." 

I  asked  him  why  the  extra  pages  should  cost  so 
much  money. 

"Leaving  aside,"  he  said,  "the  salaries  of  the  leading 
players  and  of  the  cast,  of  the  technical  crew,  and  of 
the  studio  rent  and  of  the  wear  and  tear  of  whatever 


mechanical  devices  are  used,  there  is  the  material  in- 
volved, including  raw  stock.  Every  'take'  that  is  shot 
means  that  much  more  negative  stock  used,  more  posi- 
tive stock  and  more  printing.  All  this  runs  up  to 
money. 

"But  this  is  not  all:  the  average  director  has  no 
conception  of  the  stock  he  wastes,  not  to  say  of  the 
costly  time  he  consumes.  As  a  result,  he  keeps  on 
shooting  'takes'  of  the  same  scenes  so  as  to  shoot  a 
perfect  scene.  I  have  seen  directors  shoot  as  many  as 
sixty  'takes'  of  the  same  scene — a  cruel  waste. 

"I  say  'cruel  waste1  advisedly  and  I  am  going  to 
prove  it  to  you :  In  one  of  our  pictures,  a  director  who 
has  a  great  reputation  shot  twenty-three  'takes'  of 
the  same  scene  and  ordered  that  a  positive  be  printed 
of  every  'take.'  Without  his  knowledge,  we  selected 
only  five  'takes'  and  out  of  these  we  had  printed 
twenty-three  positives.  The  director  ran  them  all  but 
he  did  not  know  the  difference;  he  thought  that  they 
were  prints  from  twenty-three  different  'takes.' 

"No  doubt,  other  studios  have  had  the  same  ex- 
perience. 

"Cutting  down  a  picture  to  ninety  minutes  when 
it  is  shot  in  one  hundred  and  twenty  is  not  an  easy 
matter;  the  cutters  must  work  anywhere  from  twice 
to  ten  times  as  long;  and  if  the  picture  is  scheduled  for 
an  early  release,  they  often  have  to  do  a  patched  up 
job.  If  the  same  thought  were  given  to  the  script 
before  shooting  is  begun  as  is  given  by  the  cutters  in 
bringing  the  picture  down  to  the  required  length,  not 
only  the  quality  would  be  better,  but  also  a  fortune 
could  be  saved." 

I  said  to  this  executive :  "For  years  I  have  held  the 
theory  that  the  picture  should  be  produced  in  the 
script,  and  that  the  shooting  should  be  merely  routine 
work,  for  after  all  the  director  is  merely  the  inter- 
preter of  the  action  that  is  in  the  script.  The  skill  of 
the  director  should  be  used  in  the  faithful  interpreta- 
tion of  the  scenes  in  the  script  by  getting  the  best  there 
is  in  the  actors  and  not  in  making  changes  on  the  set." 

"You  are  right,"  he  said  to  me.  "Allowance  of  any- 
where from  five  to  ten  percent  for  the  shooting  of 
extra  scenes  may  be  made  in  what  we  call  'protection 
shots,'  but  the  picture  should  be  finished  in  the  script, 
by  the  writer  in  collaboration  with  the  producer.  The 
trouble  is  that  the  producer  can  hardly  call  to  task  a 
director  who  has  reputation — he  is  afraid  lest  the 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


146 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  9,  1944 


"When  Strangers  Marry"  with 
Kim  Hunter,  Dean  Jagger 
and  Robert  Mitchum 

(Monogram,  Oct.  7;  time,  67  mm.) 

A  very  good  psychological  program  murder-mystery 
melodrama,  expertly  directed  and  well  performed  by 
a  capable  cast.  It  is  by  far  better  than  the  majority 
of  similar  type  melodramas  produced  by  the  larger 
companies.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  story  has  a 
number  of  implausible  coincidents,  it  is  tensely  excit- 
ing,  filled  with  intrigue  and  suspense,  and  grips  one's 
attention  from  the  very  beginning  right  to  the  end. 
The  fact  that  the  murderer's  identity  is  concealed 
until  the  finish  adds  to  the  intrigue.  Though  each  of 
the  players  perform  very  well,  Kim  Hunter,  as  the 
harassed  bride  of  an  innocent  murder  suspect,  is  out' 
standing;  she  has  an  appealing  personality,  and  wins 
the  spectator's  sympathy : — 

In  answer  to  a  telegram  sent  to  her  from  Philadel- 
phia by  Dean  Jagger,  her  husband  of  two  months, 
Kim  Hunter  travels  to  a  New  York  hotel  to  meet  him. 
There  she  finds  a  room  reserved  for  her,  but  Jagger 
fails  to  appear.  After  two  days,  Kim,  fraught  with 
worry,  appeals  to  Robert  Mitchum,  a  former  suitor 
living  at  the  hotel,  asking  him  to  help  her.  Mitchum 
takes  her  to  the  missing  persons  bureau  at  police  head- 
quarters, where  detective  Neil  Hamilton,  noting  that 
Jagger's  telegram  had  been  sent  from  Philadelphia, 
suspects  him  to  be  the  person  who,  two  days  pre- 
viously, strangled  a  man  with  a  silk  stocking  in  a 
Philadelphia  hotel,  stealing  $10,000  from  him.  Shortly 
thereafter,  Jagger  telephones  Kim  and  asks  her  to  meet 
him  at  a  cheap  rooming  house.  Kim  becomes  confused 
by  his  mysterious  movements  and  his  desire  to  remain 
secluded.  Through  Mitchum,  she  learns  that  he  was 
suspected  of  the  Philadelphia  crime.  Though  con- 
vinced of  his  guilt,  Kim  helps  Jagger  elude  the  police 
and  goes  into  hiding  with  him.  Before  the  police  find 
and  arrest  him,  Jagger  admits  to  Kim  that  he  had 
shared  a  room  with  the  murdered  man,  but  insists 
that  he  did  not  commit  the  crime;  circumstantial  evi- 
dence was  against  him,  and  for  that  reason  he  had 
gone  into  hiding.  Subsequent  events  lead  Kim  to  be- 
come suspicious  of  Mitchum  when  she  learns  that 
he  had  bought  her  a  gift — silk  stockings — but  did  not 
give  it  to  her  when  he  learned  that  she  had  married 
Jagger.  She  gives  this  information  to  Hamilton,  who 
questions  Mitchum  and  tricks  him  into  revealing  him- 
self as  the  muderer.  Her  faith  in  Jagger  justified,  Kim 
leaves  with  him  on  a  long-postponed  honeymoon. 

Philip  Yordan  and  Dennis  J.  Cooper  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Maurice  and  Franklin  King  produced  it, 
and  William  Castle  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Lou 
Lubin,  Dick  Elliot  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Enemy  of  Women"  with  Claudia  Drake, 
Paul  Andor  and  Donald  Woods 

(Monogram,  Oct.  21;  time,  87  min.) 
Biographical  of  the  career  of  Dr.  Paul  Joseph  Goeb- 
bels,  Hitler's  chief  propagandist,  this  anti-Nazi  drama 
is  only  mildly  interesting,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  has 
been  produced  on  an  expensive  scale.  The  chief  fault 
with  the  story  is  that  it  is  too  episodic,  with  too  much 
of  what  transpires  being  left  to  the  imagination  of  the 
spectator.  This  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the  poor  edit- 
ing in  cutting  the  picture's  original  running  time  of 


1  37  minutes  down  to  87  minutes.  The  story  traces 
Goebbels'  rise  to  power  and,  through  his  frustrated 
love  for  a  German  actress,  illustrates  his  viciousness 
and  his  ruthless  methods  in  dealing  with  those  who 
oppose  him.  There  is  nothing  unusual  about  the  story, 
since  much  of  what  is  shown  has  been  done  many 
times  in  countless  other  anti-Nazi  pictures.  It  may, 
however,  turn  out  to  be  a  fair  success,  because  its  sub- 
ject matter  lends  itself  to  exploitation.  The  perform- 
ances of  the  cast  are  fair,  but  none  of  the  players 
means  anything  at  the  box-office: — 

Goebbels  (Paul  Andor),  an  unsuccessful  play- 
wright, becomes  infatuated  with  a  young  actress, 
Maria  (Claudia  Drake),  daughter  of  Colonel  Brandt 
(H.  B.  Warner),  in  whose  home  he  had  lodgings. 
The  Colonel  drives  Goebbels  from  the  house  when 
he  attempts  to  make  love  to  Maria.  With  the  advent 
of  the  new  German  Socialist  Party,  Goebbels  becomes 
one  of  Hitler's  ardent  followers,  eventually  being 
appointed  propaganda  minister  when  the  Nazis  come 
into  power.  He  again  meets  Maria,  who  was  working 
as  a  bit  player  in  a  Hanover  theatre,  and  uses  his 
political  power  to  make  her  a  motion  picture  star. 
Maria,  however,  turns  aside  his  attentions  in  favor 
of  Dr.  Hans  Traeger  (Donald  Woods),  a  young 
physician.  Not  until  Goebbels,  who  had  long  remem- 
bered the  insult  he  had  suffered  at  her  father's  hands, 
has  the  Colonel  executed  during  a  Nazi  purge,  does 
Maria  realize  that  her  success  and  her  father's  death 
were  the  result  of  Goebbels'  machinations.  She  flees 
to  Austria,  where  she  marries  Dr.  Traeger.  Their  hap- 
piness is  complete  until  Maria,  in  an  effort  to  help  a 
friend  held  by  the  Gestapo,  returns  to  Germany; 
Goebbels  refuses  her  permission  to  return  to  Austria. 
Dr.  Traeger  follows  her,  only  to  be  arrested  by  Goeb- 
bels on  a  trumped  up  charge.  Goebbels  then  offers 
Maria  safe  passage  to  Switzerland  for  her  husband, 
provided  she  consents  to  become  his  mistress.  She 
accepts.  After  escorting  Traeger  to  the  border,  Maria 
escapes  from  her  bargain  when  she  meets  death  dur- 
ing an  Allied  air  raid  over  Berlin. 

Albert  Zeisler  and  Herbert  O.  Philips  wrote  the 
screen  play,  and  W.  R.  Frank  produced  it.  Mr.  Zeisler 
directed  it.  Other  cast  members  who  appear  briefly 
include  Sigrid  Gurie,  Ralph  Morgan,  Beryl  Wallace, 
Gloria  Stuart,  Byron  Foulger,  Robert  Barratt  and 
others. 

There  are  no  objectionable  situations. 

"Twilight  on  the  Prairie"  with 
Johnny  Downs,  Leon  Errol 
and  Vivian  Austin 

(Universal,  July  14;  time,  62  min.) 

This  program  musical,  with  a  western  locale,  is  no 
better  and  no  worse  than  the  majority  of  similar  low- 
budgeted  comedies  with  music  specialized  in  by  Uni- 
versal. The  story,  which  is  really  two-reeler  material 
stretched  to  feature  length,  is  feeble,  but  it  serves  to 
tie  in  the  numerous  musical  specialty  numbers,  most 
of  which  are  fairly  pleasant.  A  few  of  the  situations 
are  laugh-provoking,  but  for  the  most  part  the  comedy 
falls  flat,  despite  Leon  Errol's  earnest  efforts  to  be 
funny.  Connie  Haines,  popular  radio  songstress,  does 
most  of  the  singing,  and  Jack  Teagarden's  orchestra 
furnishes  the  music: — 

En  route  to  Hollywood  to  make  their  first  picture, 
Johnny  Downs  and  his  band  of  cowboy  musicians  find 


September  9,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


147 


themselves  in  a  booming  Texas  town  when  their  plane 
is  requisitioned  hy  the  army.  Their  search  for  rooms 
proves  futile.  Learning  that  Leon  Errol,  foreman  of 
the  Bar-B  ranch,  owned  hy  Vivian  Austin,  was  in 
need  of  cowhands,  the  band,  desperate  for  a  place  to 
sleep,  put  on  their  cowboy  regalia  and  sign  on  as 
ranch  hands,  intending  to  quit  on  the  following  morn- 
ing. Their  identity  becomes  known,  however,  and  the 
town's  telegrapher  announces  to  the  news  services 
that  the  band  was  doing  its  bit  for  the  war  effort  by 
helping  with  the  harvest.  Downs'  studio  orders  him 
to  stay  on  the  ranch  and  cash  in  on  the  publicity.  The 
band  pursues  its  duties  on  the  ranch,  causing  no  end 
of  grief  to  Errol  because  of  their  inexperience.  Mean- 
while a  romance  springs  up  between  Downs  and 
Vivian.  Ordered  to  report  to  the  studio,  Downs  and 
the  band  leave  for  Hollywood.  Vivian,  peeved,  accuses 
Downs  of  using  the  ranch  and  herself  for  publicity 
purposes.  In  Hollywood,  Downs,  over  the  protests  of 
the  director,  convinces  the  studio  head  that  the  pic- 
ture should  be  shot  at  tht  Bar-B  ranch.  All  return  to 
the  ranch,  where  they  complete  the  harvest  and  finish 
the  picture.  Vivian  changes  her  mind  about  Downs. 

Clyde  Bruckman  wrote  the  screen  play,  Warren 
Wilson  produced  it,  and  Jean  Yarbrough  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Eddie  Quillan,  Milburn  Stone,  and 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"San  Diego,  I  Love  You"  with 
Louise  Allbritton,  Jon  Hall 
and  Edward  Everett  Horton 

(Universal,  Sept.  29;  time,  83  min.) 

Very  good  program  entertainment,  the  sort  that 
should  please  all  types  of  audiences.  The  action  re- 
volves around  an  eccentric  family  composed  of  a 
widower,  his  four  young  sons,  and  a  mature  daughter, 
who  leave  their  small-town  home  and  go  to  war- 
crowded  San  Diego  to  promote  one  of  his  inventions. 
It  is  a  completely  nonsensical  farce,  but  it  is  fast- 
moving  and  comical,  has  gay  romantic  entanglements, 
and  the  situations  keep  the  spectator  amused  through- 
out. Though  farcical,  the  story  has  a  human  quality, 
and  despite  the  "whacky"  antics  of  the  characters,  one 
finds  them  likeable  and  sympathetic.  Every  one  in  the 
cast  is  very  good : — 

At  the  insistence  of  his  family,  Edward  Everett 
Horton,  a  small-town  school  teacher,  agrees  to  resign 
his  position  and  to  take  them  to  San  Diego,  where 
they  hoped  he  could  promote  his  invention,  a  collaps- 
ible life  raft.  Finding  no  seats  on  the  train,  Horton's 
daughter  (Louise  Allbritton)  discovers  an  empty  com- 
partment, belonging  to  Jon  Hall,  a  wealthy  young 
industrialist,  and  innocently  takes  possession  of  it. 
Later,  she  invites  Hall  to  share  it  with  the  family. 
Hall  accepts,  but  the  children  make  his  trip  miserable, 
causing  him  to  have  words  with  Louise.  In  San  Diego, 
the  family  finds  the  hotels  jammed,  with  no  rooms 
available.  Louise,  desperate,  uses  her  father's  life  sav- 
ings as  a  down  payment  on  an  old  mansion.  Mean- 
while Horton  learns  that  the  institute  that  had  pro- 
mised to  back  his  life  raft  had  stopped  investing  in 
inventions.  Louise,  determined  not  to  let  her  father 
be  turned  down,  goes  to  the  institute  and  forces  her 
way  into  the  president's  office,  only  to  discover  that 
he  is  Hall.  The  young  industrialist  attempts  to  elude 
her,  but  Louise  doggedly  pursues  him.  Reporters  mis- 


understand the  situation  and  publish  a  story  that  Hall 
was  having  a  romance  with  Louise.  This  infuriates 
Hall  and  leads  him  to  believe  that  Louise  was  after 
his  fortune.  He  eventually  sees  the  humorous  side  of 
the  situation  and  becomes  friendly  with  her.  They  fall 
in  love,  and  Hall  agrees  to  test  the  life  raft.  The  raft 
sinks  with  Hall  in  it,  and  the  newspapers  make  of  him 
a  laughing  stock.  But  it  matters  little,  for  an  explosive 
powder  invented  by  Horton  in  connection  with  the 
raft  proves  invaluable,  assuring  the  family  of  great 
wealth. 

Michael  Fessier  and  Ernest  Pagano  wrote  the  screen 
play  and  produced  it.  Reginald  Le  Borg  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Eric  Blore,  Buster  Keaton,  Irene 
Ryan,  Rudy  Wissler,  Gerald  Perreau,  Charles  Bates, 
Don  Davis  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"She's  a  Soldier,  Too"  with  Beulah  Bondi, 
Nina  Foch  and  Percy  Kilbride 

(Columbia,  June  29;  time,  67  mm.) 

Tiresome.  It  consists  of  sixty-seven  minutes  of  talk 
with  absolutely  no  action.  The  story,  which  deals  with 
the  humanizing  of  a  hard-bitten  spinster,  is  unbeliev- 
able and  over-sentimentalized,  and  one  loses  interest  in 
the  outcome,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  most  of  the  char- 
acters awaken  sympathy.  Its  chief  asset  is  the  per- 
formance of  Percy  Kilbride,  who  does  the  best  work  of 
the  cast,  but  even  his  efforts  are  not  enough  to  overcome 
the  weak  material.  There  is  no  reasonable  connection 
between  the  title  and  the  story.  Set  this  one  down  for 
the  lower-half  of  a  mid-week  double  bill : — 

Beulah  Bondi  and  Ida  Moore,  spinster  sisters,  and 
their  elderly  brother,  Percy  Kilbride,  live  in  seclu- 
sion in  an  old  Philadelphia  mansion.  Their  privacy 
is  broken  one  night  when  Nina  Foch,  a  woman  taxi 
driver,  rushes  a  young  girl  into  the  house  to  have  her 
baby  there  instead  of  in  her  taxicab.  Jess  Barker,  a 
doctor,  delivers  the  child,  but  the  young  mother  dies. 
The  spinsters  reluctantly  agree  to  care  for  the  baby, 
a  boy,  until  his  soldier-father  (Lloyd  Bridges)  comes 
to  claim  him.  Bridges,  however,  blames  the  child  for 
his  wife's  death,  and  refuses  to  accept  him.  Nina 
undertakes  to  change  his  mind.  Meanwhile  Nina 
learns  that  the  elderly  trio  were  faced  with  the  loss 
of  their  home  due  to  a  threatened  foreclosure  of  a 
bank  mortgage.  She  suggests  that  they  rent  rooms  to 
defense  workers  so  as  to  enable  them  to  meet  the 
mortgage  interest  and  at  the  same  time  help  relieve 
the  housing  shortage.  Miss  Bondi,  the  only  reluctant 
one  of  the  three,  finally  agrees  to  allow  "outsiders" 
into  the  mansion.  The  family  becomes  financially 
stable  when  Kilbride,  whose  hobby  was  inventions, 
perfects  a  gadget  for  bombing  planes  and  is  given 
a  $1 5,000  payment  against  royalties.  With  that  money, 
Miss  Bondi  pays  the  mortgage  and,  against  the  wishes 
of  her  brother  and  sister,  evicts  the  defense  workers 
from  the  mansion.  Kilbride  leaves  in  protest.  When 
Nina,  who  had  wed  Bridges,  comes  to  the  mansion 
to  claim  the  child,  Miss  Bondi  suddenly  feels  the  full 
impact  of  her  loneliness  and  selfishness.  She  begs 
Nina's  forgiveness  and  asks  her  to  stay  at  the  house 
with  Bridges  and  the  baby.  At  a  Christmas  party  given 
to  the  defense  workers  by  Miss  Bondi,  Kilbride  re- 
joins the  family. 

Melvin  Levy  wrote  the  screen  play  Wallace  Mac- 
Donald  produced  it,  and  William  Castle  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


148 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  9,  1944 


director  quit  his  job.  But,  so  far  as  my  own  company 
is  concerned,  we  are  determined  to  free  ourselves  of 
the  director  bondage.  Just  the  other  day  a  director  of 
ours  refused  to  cut  down  certain  scenes  in  the  script 
and  to  have  the  script  tightened  up.  I  kicked  him  out, 
even  though  he  has  considerable  reputation,  and  got 
another  director.  If  the  other  companies  would  do  the 
same  thing,  the  industry  could  save  millions  of  dollars 
a  year,  not  only  from  shooting  unnecessary  scenes, 
but  also  from  discontinuing  the  practice  of  shooting  a 
large  number  of  'takes'  when  they  are  not  needed. 

"After  the  war  is  over,  I  am  sure  that  the  director 
who  will  be  able  to  shoot  a  scene  with  no  more  than 
three  'takes'  will  be  in  great  demand;  the  others  will 
have  to  spend  their  own  money  to  produce  pictures 
if  they  should  insist  upon  their  present  wasteful 
tactics. 

"The  amount  of  money  spent  on  a  picture  is  no 
guarantee  that  the  picture  will  bring  the  money  at  the 
box-office.  It  is  intelligent  preparation  of  the  script  and 
proper  casting  that  really  counts. 

"If  the  money  that  is  dissipated  on  each  picture 
were  put  into  the  picture,  it  would  bring  in  far  greater 
profits  and  would  give  the  public  greater  satisfaction. 
And  this  goes  for  the  successful  pictures,  too.  Un- 
doubtedly, they  would  be  more  successful. 

"Intelligent  script  preparation  is  far  more  essential 
now  than  it  has  ever  been  by  reason  of  the  fact  that 
picture  costs  have  gone  high  and  are  going  still  higher. 
The  picture  that  you  have  just  finished  would  cost 
you  much  more  if  you  were  to  begin  producing  it  now. 

"Abnormal  grosses  make  it  possible  for  us  to  absorb 
the  waste,  but  the  lush  times  may  not  be  with  us  long, 
and  it  behooves  every  studio  to  begin  educating  its 
directors  and  others  responsible  for  the  waste  that, 
unless  we  eliminate  it,  the  industry  runs  the  danger 
of  cracking  under  the  load. 

"As  I  have  said,  a  reasonable  number  of  protection 
shots  are  necessary  to  provide  for  an  emergency,  but 
the  extra  shots  taken  today  are  far  beyond  the  bounds 
of  reason. 

"I  have  known  cases  where,  in  a  two-hour  picture, 
the  first  rough  assembly  was  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  feet  when  it  should  not  have  been  even  fif- 
teen thousand.  Imagine  the  cost  of  the  negative  alone 
not  to  say  the  salaries  of  the  actors,  of  the  technicians, 
of  the  wardobe,  of  the  studio  rent,  and  of  the  one 
thousand  and  one  other  items!  When  the  architect 
hands  the  contractor  a  plan  for  a  house,  the  contractor 
studies  the  plan  and  orders  the  right  amount  of  build- 
ing material.  Imagine  what  would  happen  if  he  were 
to  order  twice  as  much  material!  Picture-making 
should  not  be  any  different.  The  alibi  of  'perfection' 
has  been  overworked.  Under  its  guise,  the  directors 
are  taking  great  license.  Many  of  them  still  go  under 
the  theory  that,  unless  they  waste  money  for  'perfec- 
tion,' they  will  not  be  considered  good  directors. 

"I  have  known  directors  who  directed  outstanding 
pictures  with  no  more  than  three  'takes'  of  each  scene, 
and  in  many  scenes  only  one  'take.'  If  the  script  is 
planned  properly,  and  the  director  knows  his  busi- 
ness there  is  no  need  for  more  'takes'  unless,  of  course, 


the  actor  fumbles  his  lines.  The  actors  should  study 
their  lines  before  appearing  before  the  camera;  and 
they  should  be  rehearsed  on  the  set  before  shooting 
starts.  The  fact  that  the  industry  has  been  able  to 
absorb  the  waste  is  no  proof  that  it  will  be  able  to 
continue  absorbing  it.  There  may  be  bankruptcies 
unless  we  begin  retrenching  now. 

"I  don't  mean  to  make  cheaper  pictures  but  only  to 
eliminate  the  wanton  waste,  putting  the  money  into 
the  picture  itself — into  quality. 

"Much  of  the  waste  is  now  caused  by  the  fact  that 
the  tax  brackets  are  high.  Some  people  feel  that  the 
waste  would  have  been  paid  to  the  Government  in  the 
form  of  taxes  anyway,  so  why  complain?  To  begin 
with,  it  is  unpatriotic  for  us  to  waste  money  rather 
than  pay  it  in  taxes.  We  should  be  thankful  that  we, 
in  the  motion  picture  industry,  are  making  a  fine 
living  instead  of  begrudging  the  taxes  we  have  to  pay 
and  should  remember  that,  if  we  had  lost  the  war, 
the  taxes  we  would  have  been  paying  would  be  many 
times  the  taxes  we  arc  paying  now,  not  counting  that 
we  would  have  been  reduced  to  slavery.  And  this 
goes  for  those  stars  who  are  refusing  to  make  more 
than  one  picture  a  year  on  the  theory  that,  if  they 
should  make  more  pictures,  they  would  pay  most  of 
their  additional  earnings  to  the  Government.  But 
aside  from  the  patriotic  duty,  it  is  the  duty  we  owe 
to  ourselves;  wc  should  learn  to  produce  pictures  with 
as  little  waste  as  possible  so  that,  when  the  lush  times 
go,  we  shall  be  in  a  position  to  continue  producing 
good  pictures,  and  not  to  have  to  start  learning  how 
to  do  it  when  we  are  in  a  pinch." 

I  called  this  studio  executive's  attention  to  the  con- 
troversy  that  has  arisen  on  the  question  of  overlong 
pictures  and  asked  him  how  he  felt  about  it.  He  pro- 
duced and  showed  me  the  following  telegram  from 
his  company's  New  York  office : 

"Have  talked  with  circuit  buyers  and  leading  ex' 
hibitors  representing  local  and  national  circuits  and 
they  are  very  much  concerned  with  the  extreme  length 
of  many  of  the  important  releases.  Concensus  of 
opinion  is  that  ninety  minutes  should  be  the  maximum 
running  time  for  top  features.  With  necessity  of 
maintaining  double  feature  programs  and  getting 
turn-over  in  today's  crowded  theatres,  over-length 
features  are  costing  theatres  of  the  nation  a  fortune. 
It  may  surprise  some  Hollywood  producers  to  know 
that  exhibitors  are  deliberately  leaving  out  one,  two 
and  three  reels  of  features.  That  operators  are  being 
instructed  by  theatre  owners  to  cut  whole  sections 
out  of  over-length  features.  Audiences  may  be  mysti- 
fied by  the  action  of  some  features  but  exhibitors,  in 
order  to  get  turn-over,  are  taking  these  measures  to 
get  in  the  dough.  Therefore,  it  is  only  good  sense  to 
face  the  issue  and  have  producers  eliminate  over- 
footage  in  excess  of  a  running  time  of  ninety  minutes." 

After  reading  the  telegram,  I  was  told  by  this  execu- 
tive that  the  exhibitor  practice  of  taking  one,  two  and 
even  three  reels  from  a  long  picture  so  as  to  make  it 
fit  his  program  has  been  going  on  for  a  long  time,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  contract  forbids  any  elimina- 
tion without  the  distributor's  consent. 

(To  be  continued) 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI                        SATURDAY,  SEPTEMBER  16,  1944  No.  38 


Wanton  Waste  in  Production  —  No.  2 

(Continued  from  last  wee\) 


So  sensational  were  this  executive's  disclosures  on 
waste  in  production  that  I  called  on  the  head  of  an' 
other  major  studio  to  get  his  point  of  view,  particularly 
as  it  concerns  the  extra  long  pictures.  I  pointed  out  to 
him  particularly  exhibitor  complaints  to  the  effect  that 
the  industry  seems  to  be  reaching  for  the  five-hour 
running  time  picture. 

This  second  executive  told  me  that  he  agrees  with 
the  views  of  the  first  studo  executive  about  the  waste, 
and  with  the  exhibitors  that  the  pictures  are  too  long. 
But,  as  regards  to  the  length  of  the  features,  he  put 
the  blame  on  the  double-featuring  exhibitors.  "One 
Eastern  exhibitor  wrote  me,"  he  said,  "that  one  of  our 
pictures  was  at  least  thirtyfive  minutes  too  long.  But 
the  irony  of  it  is  that  he  double-featured  this  long  fea- 
ture with  another  feature  so  weak  that  his  complaint 
really  became  a  joke.  He  complained  that  our  top 
feature  is  by  thirty-five  minutes  too  long,  and  yet  he 
added  a  sixty-five  minute  running  time  to  make  the 
show  still  longer. 

"Let  me  admit  to  you  that  we,  at  this  studio  as  well 
as  at  other  studios,  are  making  our  top  pictures  too 
long  purposely,  so  as  to  discourage  the  exhibitors  from 
double-featuring  worth-while  pictures. 

"The  exhibitors  are  accusing  us  of  being  wasteful. 
In  my  opinion,  no  one  is  more  wasteful  than  the  ex- 
hibitor. Just  think  of  it!  Some  of  them  are  double- 
featuring  two  top  pictures." 

This  studio  executive  showed  me  a  letter  that  he  had 
received  from  one  of  the  biggest  circuits  and  his  reply 
to  the  circuit  head. 

Part  of  his  reply  reads  as  follows : 

"I  have  your  letter  of  July  21st  and  have  read  the 
reviews  you  enclosed.  I  cannot  help  but  agree  with  the 
opinion  of  the  reviewers  in  the  case  of  both  pictures.  It 
is  also  true  that  many  pictures  are  being  made  over- 
length.  The  great  problem  that  always  arises  in  the 
mind  of  the  producer,  which  is  certainly  not  the  factor 
that  should  finally  determine  the  length  of  a  picture, 
is  the  question  of  pictures  being  double-billed.  As  you 
know,  the  tendency  of  the  exhibitor,  without  any  con- 
sideration of  the  value  of  the  particular  product,  is  to 
double-bill  top  "A"  pictures.  The  tendency  of  this 
seems  to  increase  wherever  pictures  are  made  in  length 
of  under-footage  rather  than  over-footage." 

He  then  cites  one  of  the  company's  top  pictures, 
which  should  have  no  trouble  playing  as  a  single  bill 


because  it  is  making  a  hit,  being  paired  by  one  of  the 
first-run  theatres  with  a  mediocre  picture,  the  length 
of  which  was  six  thousand  feet.  "Here  you  have 
added  6000  feet  of  footage  to  the  show  and  the  pro- 
ducer has  the  perfect  right  to  ask  why,"  he  said  in  his 
letter  replying  to  the  circuit  heads  complaint.  "No 
doubt  the  answer  of  the  exhibitor  in  this  case  would  be 
that  it  is  the  policy  of  the  house.  But  maybe  the  policy 
is  wrong,  so  why  not  let's  make  this  a  two-way  street? 
If  the  exhibitor  and  the  producer  could  get  together 
and  iron  out  these  kinks  that  certainly  are  costing  the 
industry  a  tremendous  sum  of  money,  then  it  would 
be  better  all  around. . . . 

"Please  understand  that  your  letter  just  gave  me  an 
opportunity  to  let  you  know  there  are  two  sides  to  the 
question  but  it  still  does  not  lessen  the  importance  of 
your  very  just  criticism." 

Although  this  executive  is  to  a  great  extent  right  in 
his  complaint  against  the  practice  of  playing  two  top 
features  on  the  same  bill,  and  in  general  against  the 
double-featuring  policy  of  the  majority  of  theatres, 
neither  he  nor  the  head  of  any  other  studio  is  justified 
in  trying  to  "kill"  this  policy  by  making  all  top  fea- 
tures over-length,  for  in  doing  so  they  are  not  taking 
into  consideration  the  interests  of  the  picture-going 
public.  Adding  unnecessary  footage  to  a  long  picture 
slows  up  the  action  and  bores  the  public  during  the 
showing  of  such  footage.  So  one  comes  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  practice  of  some  first-run  theatre  man- 
agers of  cutting  all  unnecessary  footage  is  a  blessing 
rather  than  a  vice.  The  only  trouble  is  that  the  inde- 
pendent theatre  owner  cannot  resort  to  this  practice; 
only  affiliated  theatre  managers  can  resort  to  it. 

I  called  on  one  of  the  top  executives  of  another 
major  studio  to  get  his  viewpoint,  and  was  told  by  him 
that  the  complaint  against  waste  in  production  and 
against  the  practice  of  padding  is  all  too  true.  He 
named  a  director  who  shot  six  hundred  thousand  feet 
of  film  in  producing  a  feature.  (Editor's  7\[ote:  The 
feature  in  question  has  not  yet  been  released.  Conse' 
quently,  its  final  length  cannot  yet  be  determined.) 

I  was  astounded  by  this  revelation.  To  cut  a  film, 
the  running  time  of  which  may  finally  be  two  and  one- 
half  hours,  down  to  the  required  length  from  even 
twenty  thousand  feet  is,  indeed,  a  problem — the  cut- 
ters must  be  ingenious  to  effect  smooth  continuity;  but 
to  cut  it  down  to  such  length  from  600,000  feet  is  a 
task  that  no  cutter  can  perform  successfully. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


150 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  16,  1944 


"The  Singing  Sheriff"  with  Bob  Crosby 
and  Fay  McKenzie 

(Universal,  Oct.  6;  time,  63  min.) 

An  ordinary  comedy  with  music,  the  sort  that  may 
get  hy  with  undiscriminating  audiences  as  the  lower' 
half  of  a  double  bill.  The  story,  which  is  a  trite  version 
of  the  mistaken  identity  theme,  has  about  as  much 
"meat"  as  a  well-licked  bone,  and  its  treatment  is  most 
unimaginative.  The  comedy,  at  best,  is  only  mildly 
amusing.  Not  much  can  be  said  for  the  music,  which 
is  undistinguished.  Other  than  Bob  Crosby,  whose 
marquee  value  is  questionable,  the  others  in  the  cast 
mean  nothing  at  the  box-office : — 

Shot  while  questioning  Joe  Sawyer  about  a  murder, 
Samuel  S.  Hinds,  sheriff  of  a  tough  western  town, 
sends  East  for  his  son,  whom  he  had  not  seen  since 
boyhood.  The  son,  down  with  measles,  appeals  to  Bob 
Crosby,  an  actor  and  his  employer,  for  help.  Crosby, 
to  make  a  dying  man  happy,  offers  to  go  West  and 
pose  as  the  son.  Arriving  at  Hinds'  home,  Crosby  finds 
that  he  has  a  beautiful  "sister"  (Fay  McKenzie),  with 
whom  he  falls  in  love.  Edward  Norris,  the  town  law- 
yer, to  whom  Fay  is  engaged,  becomes  annoyed  at 
Crosby's  unusual  "brotherly"  affection  for  Fay.  To 
clear  up  the  murder,  Hinds  appoints  Crosby  as  deputy 
sheriff  and  orders  him  to  apprehend  Sawyer's  gang. 
Though  thoroughly  frightened,  Crosby,  through  an 
accident,  succeeds  in  chasing  the  outlaws  out  of  town. 
Sawyer,  however,  plots  to  even  matters.  That  night, 
while  the  townspeople  celebrate  at  a  barbecue,  Sawyer 
sends  some  of  his  men  to  kill  Crosby  while  others  go  to 
the  town's  bus  depot  to  stage  a  robbery.  Crosby, 
frightened  by  the  shooting,  decides  to  get  out  of  town. 
He  leaves  a  note  for  Fay,  telling  her  who  he  really  is, 
and  heads  for  the  bus  depot.  He  arrives  there  in  time 
to  accidentally  scare  off  the  outlaws  and  prevent  the 
robbery.  He  becomes  a  town  hero  to  all  except  Fay, 
who  resented  the  fact  that  he  had  deceived  her  in 
order  to  make  love  to  her.  Determined  to  square  him- 
self in  her  eyes,  Crosby  decides  to  remain  in  town 
and  clear  up  the  murder.  He  arrests  Sawyer  and  tricks 
him  into  confessing,  not  only  to  the  murder,  but  also 
to  the  fact  that  Norris  was  the  real  leader  of  the  gang. 
His  work  accomplished,  Crosby  wins  Fay. 

Henry  Blankfort  and  Eugene  Conrad  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Bernard  W.  Burton  produced  it,  and 
Leslie  Goodwins  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Fuzzy 
Knight,  Iris  Adrian  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"That's  My  Baby"  with  Richard  Arlen 
and  Ellen  Drew 

(Republic,  Sept.  14;  time,  68  win.) 

Just  a  moderately  entertaining  program  comedy, 
with  some  music.  The  story  offers  such  a  hodge-podge 
of  nonsense  that  one  becomes  bored  with  the  proceed- 
ings by  the  time  the  picture  is  half  finished.  As  is  usual 
in  pictures  of  this  type,  numerous  specialty  acts  are 
dragged  in  by  the  ear  to  bolster  up  the  entertainment 
values,  but  this  is  of  little  help  since  none  of  these 
acts  presents  anything  unusual.  Not  even  such  capable 
players  as  Richard  Arlen  and  Ellen  Drew  are  able  to 
rise  above  the  poor  material : — 

Because  her  father,  Minor  Watson,  was  in  a  con- 
stant state  of  depression,  Ellen  Drew  summons  two 
psychiatrists  (Alex  Callam  and  Leonid  Kinskey)  to 


probe  into  the  cause  of  his  melancholia.  The  two  psy- 
chiatrists learn  that  Watson  had  not  laughed  for 
twenty  years,  ever  since  he  separated  from  his  wife 
(Madeline  Grey),  an  eccentric  writer.  To  bring  Wat- 
son out  of  his  despondency,  Kinskey  arranges  with 
Ellen  and  Richard  Arlen,  her  fiance  and  artist  em- 
ployed by  Watson's  comic  magazine  publishing  house, 
to  replace  the  servants  in  Watson's  home  with  per- 
formers to  amuse  him.  All  this  serves  to  infuriate 
Watson  even  more.  Ellen  and  Arlen  decide  to  investi- 
gate Watson's  past,  hoping  to  find  a  clue  to  his 
troubles.  They  steal  into  his  office  and,  raiding  his 
private  files,  find  evidence  that  indicated  he  was  still 
in  love  with  his  wife.  While  going  through  the  files, 
they  are  caught  by  Richard  Bailey,  Arlen's  rival  for 
Ellen's  hand,  who  seizes  upon  this  opportunity  to  have 
Watson  discharge  Arlen.  Ellen,  furious  with  her 
father,  asks  Arlen  to  elope  with  her  at  once,  but  Arlen 
suggests  that  they  first  attempt  to  cure  her  father.  The 
young  couple  locate  Ellen's  mother  and  learn  from  her 
that  Watson's  one  great  ambition  was  to  be  a  cartoon- 
ist. Years  previously  he  had  drawn  a  cartoon  of  a  baby, 
but  she  had  scoffed  at  it  and  both  had  not  spoken  to 
each  other  ever  since  that  time.  Arlen  finds  the  car- 
toon Watson  had  drawn,  and  he  sets  about  animating 
it  in  the  hope  that  it  will  induce  Watson  to  laugh. 
The  experiment  is  a  great  success.  With  his  wife  be- 
side him,  and  his  creative  idea  developed  on  the  screen, 
Watson  becomes  happy  once  again. 

Nicholas  Barrows  and  William  Tunberg  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Walter  Colmes  and  Dave  Fleischer  pro- 
duced it,  and  William  Berke  directed  it.  The  specialty 
acts  include  Mike  Riley  and  his  Musical  Maniacs, 
Freddie  Fisher  and  his  Schnickel  fritz  Band,  Isabelita 
and  the  Guadalahara  Boys,  Gene  Rodgers,  Peppy  and 
Peanuts,  Frank  Mitchell  and  Lyle  Latell,  Alphonse 
Berge  and  Doris  Duane,  Adia  Kuznetzoff,  Al  Marod, 
Chuy  Reyes'  orchestra  and  Pigmeat  Markham. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"The  Soul  of  a  Monster"  with  Rose  Hobart, 
George  Macready  and  Jeanne  Bates 

(Columbia,  August  17;  time,  61  min.) 
This  is  one  of  the  poorest  horror  melodramas  that 
has  been  turned  out  in  a  long  while.  The  story  is  in- 
sipid, and  the  direction  and  acting  are  bad.  Moreover, 
it  is  so  lacking  in  suspense  that  instead  of  chilling  or 
thrilling  one,  it  is  conducive  to  sleep.  Most  stories  of 
horror  melodramas  are,  as  a  rule,  far-fetched,  but  this 
one  is  so  completely  absurd  and  dull  that  many  patrons 
may  not  have  the  patience  to  see  it  through.  The 
producer  has  tried  to  cover  up  the  weak  story  material 
by  resorting  to  the  usual  eerie  camera  tricks,  but  it  is 
doubtful  if  any  of  these  will  scare  even  a  five-year-old 
child:— 

Informed  that  her  husband  (George  Macready) 
was  dying  of  an  infection,  and  that  there  was  no  hope 
for  his  recovery,  Jeanne  Bates  frantically  prays  to  any 
power,  good  or  evil,  to  save  him.  Her  call  is  answered 
by  Rose  Hobart,  a  mysterious  woman,  who  forces  her 
way  into  the  house  and  miraculously  cures  the  dying 
man.  Macready,  who  had  been  a  kindly  physician, 
falls  under  Miss  Hobart's  strange  hypnotic  powers, 
and  he  becomes  vicious  in  his  actions  towards  his  wife, 
and  towards  Erik  Rolf  and  Jim  Bannon,  his  friends. 
While  assisting  Macready  on  an  operation,  Bannon, 


September  16,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


151 


who,  too,  was  a  doctor,  accidentally  gashes  Macready 
with  a  scalpel.  He  is  horrified  when  Macready  not 
only  fails  to  feel  it,  but  no  blood  flows  from  the  deep 
wound.  Miss  Hobart  tries  to  get  rid  of  Bannon  by 
running  him  down  with  her  automobile.  Bannon,  in- 
jured badly,  appeals  to  Macready  to  operate  on  him. 
Miss  Hobart  enters  the  room  just  as  Macready  begins 
the  operation  and  influences  him  to  allow  Bannon  to 
die  on  the  operating  table.  Charged  with  murder, 
Macready  determines  to  destroy  Miss  Hobart  and  win 
his  soul  back  from  her.  In  a  violent  quarrel  with  Mac- 
ready,  Miss  Hobart  loses  her  balance  and  falls  through 
a  window  to  the  pavement  below.  Macready  awakens 
on  his  deathbead  to  find  that  he  had  been  having  a 
horrible  dream.  Persuading  Jeanne  not  to  appeal  to 
the  powers  of  evil  for  his  recovery,  a  change  comes 
over  the  dying  man  and  his  pulse  quickens.  Bannon, 
attending  him,  declares  he  will  live. 

Edward  Dein  wrote  the  screen  play,  Ted  Richmond 
produced  it,  and  Will  Jason  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Dead  Man's  Eyes"  with  Lon  Chaney, 
Jean  Parker,  Acquanetta  and  Paul  Kelly 

(Universal,  T^ou.  10;  time,  64  min.) 

A  fair  enough  program-mystery  melodrama,  suit' 
able  for  those  who  enjoy  this  type  of  entertainment. 
The  treatment  of  the  story  follows  a  familiar  pattern 
in  that  several  of  the  characters  are  given  motives  for 
the  commission  of  the  crime.  The  story,  however,  is 
only  mildly  intriguing,  for  even  though  the  identity 
of  the  murderer  is  not  revealed  until  the  closing  scenes, 
one  guesses  early  in  the  picture  just  who  he  is.  Lon 
Chaney,  as  the  blind  artist,  and  Thomas  Gomez,  as 
the  detective,  are  good,  but  the  other  members  of  the 
cast  are  unimpressive.  The  action  is  a  bit  too  slow,  and 
there  is  no  comedy  to  relieve  the  tension  — 

Lon  Chaney,  an  artist  in  love  with  Jean  Parker, 
becomes  a  victim  of  jealousy  when  Acquanetta,  his 
model,  sees  to  it  that  he  daubs  his  tired  eyes  with 
acetic  acid  instead  of  boric  acid,  causing  him  to  be 
come  blind.  Chaney,  not  wishing  to  become  a  burden, 
tries  to  break  his  engagement  to  Jean.  Informed  that 
Chaney 's  sight  could  be  restored  by  transplanting  the 
cornea  from  a  dead  man's  eyes,  Edward  Fielding, 
Jean's  father,  wills  his  eyes  to  Chaney.  George 
Meeker,  a  rejected  suitor,  again  courts  Jean  out  of  a 
belief  that  she  will  not  marry  Chaney.  Her  father, 
however,  frowns  on  the  courtship,  angering  Meeker. 
Meanwhile  Paul  Kelly,  a  mutual  friend  of  all,  reveals 
to  Acquanetta  that  he  was  in  love  with  her.  Some 
weeks  later,  Chaney,  having  quarrelled  with  Fielding 
over  Jean,  goes  to  his  home  to  apologize,  only  to  find 
him  beaten  to  death.  Jean  discovers  Chaney  leaning 
over  her  father,  and  accuses  him  of  the  murder.  While 
Chaney  is  held  for  trial,  the  terms  of  Fielding's  will 
are  carried  out.  After  the  operation,  Chaney  pretends 
that  he  still  cannot  see,  hoping  to  catch  the  murderer. 
Meanwhile  Acquanetta  accidentally  discovers  the 
murderer's  identity  and,  realizing  that  her  love  for 
Chaney  was  hopeless,  tries  to  telephone  Jean  to  reveal 
his  name.  She  is  murdered  before  she  can  complete  the 
call.  Chaney,  quietly  carrying  on  his  own  investiga- 
tion, comes  to  the  conclusion  that  Kelly,  in  a  desperate 
attempt  to  win  Acquanetta  for  himself,  had  murdered 
Fielding  so  that  he  (Chaney)  would  be  convicted  of 


the  crime,  thus  causing  Acquanetta  to  forget  her  love 
for  him.  Chaney  arranges  with  the  police  to  hide  in 
his  apartment,  and  invites  Kelly  to  call  on  him.  Bluntly 
accused  of  the  murders,  Kelly  exposes  himself  by  at- 
tempting to  kill  Chaney.  The  police  stop  him.  Jean, 
begging  Chaney 's  forgiveness,  reunites  with  him. 

Dwight  V.  Babcock  wrote  the  screen  play.  Will 
Cowan  produced  it,  and  Reginald  LeBorg  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Thomas  Gomez,  Jonathan  Hale, 
Pierre  Watkin  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Last  Ride"  with  Richard  Travis 
and  Eleanor  Parker 

(Warner  Bros.,  Oct.  7;  time,  57  mm.) 
A  routine  program  gangster  melodrama,  with  a 
formula  "cops  and  robbers"  plot.  The  method  used 
by  the  hero,  a  detective,  in  apprehending  the  racke- 
teers is  the  old  one  in  which  he  allows  himself  to  be 
discredited  in  order  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  gang. 
Even  though  it  lacks  novelty  in  treatment,  and  one 
guesses  in  advance  the  developments  of  the  story,  it 
may  appeal  to  the  action  fans,  for  there  are  several 
fights  and  some  exciting  encounters  between  the  police 
and  the  crooks.  The  story  is  somewhat  unpleasant  in 
that  it  pits  brother  against  brother.  There  is  some  ro- 
mantic interest,  but  it  is  of  slight  importance  to  the 
plot : — 

Assigned  to  investigate  the  accidental  death  of 
Harry  Lewis,  who  had  been  killed  when  a  tire  blew 
out  on  his  car,  Detective  Richard  Travis  learns  that 
the  tire  had  been  bought  from  a  "black  market"  gang, 
which  rebuilt  old  tires  and  sold  them  as  new.  Un- 
known to  Travis,  the  gang  was  headed  by  Police 
Captain  Cy  Kendall,  his  immediate  superior,  whose 
chief  henchmen  were  Jack  LaRue  and  Charles  Lang, 
Travis'  brother.  Travis,  however,  was  aware  of  the 
fact  that  his  brother  was  in  a  nefarious  business,  but 
did  not  know  his  connections.  Acting  on  a  tip  that  the 
gang  was  going  to  rob  a  tire  warehouse,  Travis  catches 
five  of  the  racketeers  and  offers  to  release  them  for  a 
$3,500  bribe.  Kendall  arranges  for  Travis'  brother  to 
deliver  the  money.  A  night  watchman,  who  had  wit- 
nessed the  transaction,  reports  the  incident  to  Police 
Headquarters.  Wade  Boteler,  the  Chief  of  Police,  sus- 
pends Travis  from  the  force,  but  does  not  let  on  that 
the  suspension  was  a  pre-arranged  plan  to  allow  Travis 
to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  gang  so  that  he  could 
learn  the  secret  leader's  identity.  Through  his  brother, 
Travis  becomes  a  member  of  the  gang  and  he  eventu- 
ally meets  Kendall.  Meanwhile  LaRue,  who  had  been 
following  Travis'  movements,  trails  him  to  secret  meet- 
ing with  the  Police  Chief.  Kendall,  warned  by  LaRue, 
takes  Travis  to  the  gang's  tire  factory,  intending  to 
dispose  of  him.  LaRue,  pleased  at  having  uncovered 
Travis'  plan,  boasts  to  Lang  that  Kendall  will  "take 
care"  of  his  brother.  Realizing  that  his  brother's  life 
was  at  stake,  Lang  kills  LaRue  and  hurries  to  the  fac- 
tory. He  arrives  in  time  to  prevent  Travis'  death,  and 
shoots  it  out  with  Kendall.  Lang  dies  and  Kendall  is 
badly  wounded.  The  racket  smashed,  Travis  is  re- 
stored to  the  force  with  high  honors. 

Raymond  L.  Shrock  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  D. 
Ross  Lederman  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Mary 
Gordon,  Michael  Ames  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


152 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  16,  1944 


Instead  of  interviewing  more  heads  of  major  stu- 
dios, I  thought  I  would  have  a  talk  with  the  head  of 
one  of  the  independent  studios.  He  said  to  me :  "Those 
responsible  for  the  waste  of  the  directors  are  the  heads 
of  the  companies  more  than  the  directors  themselves. 
Having  grown  rich,  they  do  not  feel  as  though  they 
should  work  hard  any  longer.  Consequently,  they 
allow  the  directors  to  run  wild. 

"Unless  the  director  is  to  a  certain  extent  super- 
vised, he  will  use  the  company's  money  to  aggrandize 
himself  rather  than  promote  the  interests  of  the  com- 
pany by  producing  the  picture  at  the  lowest  cost  pos- 
sible, and  by  getting  the  best  values  out  of  the  story. 

"Every  director  feels  that  the  picture  he  is  produc- 
ing should  win  him  the  Academy  Award.  Conse- 
quently, he  works  for  himself  rather  than  for  the 
company;  he  wants  to  dazzle  the  industry,  not  with 
the  profits  that  the  picture  will  bring,  but  with  his 
direction.  In  other  words,  most  directors  work  for 
themselves  rather  than  for  the  company,  but  with  the 
company's  money. 

"If  the  scripts  are  overwritten,  causing  the  negative 
cost  to  run  high;  if  all  the  values  in  the  story  are  not 
brought  out,  the  fault  lies  in  the  neglect  of  the  studio 
executives,  or  even  with  their  own  laziness,  rather 
than  with  any  of  the  component  factors.  They  should 
not  pass  the  buck." 

I  wanted  to  hear  the  side  of  the  directors,  and 
approached  one  who  has  just  finished  a  great  picture 
at  a  considerable  amount  under  budget. 

"I  agree  with  the  others,"  he  said,  "that  the  director 
is  in  the  main  responsible  for  the  waste.  Instead  of  re- 
hearsing with  their  actors  beforehand,  most  directors 
go  on  the  set  in  the  morning  unprepared.  Then  they 
try  to  rehearse  the  scenes,  with  the  result  that  time  is 
consumed  until  the  players  remember  their  lines. 
What  you  saw  today  was  produced,  not  at  the  studio, 
but  at  the  home  of  the  leading  main  character.  Many 
an  evening  I  worked  with  him  until  late  at  night  to 
give  the  young  man  a  chance  to  perfect  himself.  When 
the  scene  called  for  the  leading  lady,  she  was  sent  for 
and  she  went  through  her  part  until  she  could  act  it 
and  speak  her  lines  with  naturalness.  When  they 
stepped  in  front  of  the  camera  the  following  day,  they 
knew  what  was  wanted  and  went  through  the  paces 
without  a  hitch. 

"But  that  means  work.  But  good  results  require 
work,  for  in  my  opinion  no  substitute  has  ever  been 
found  for  work." 

(To  be  concluded  next  wee\.) 


A  WAY  TO  AVOID  ADVERSE  PICTURE 

LEGISLATION  ABROAD 

Writes  Bill  Wilkerson  in  the  August  18  issue  of  his 
Holly  wood  Reporter: 

"From  every  way  we  view  it,  it  is  our  opinion  that 
the  best  thing  the  industry  can  do  in  its  worrying 
about  foreign  legislation  against  its  product,  is  to 
stand  pat,  do  as  little  talking  as  possible  and  let  the 
guys  come  to  them  instead  of  going  to  the  guys.  All  the 
world  wants  Hollywood's  entertainment  and  the 


heads  of  all  foreign  governments  realize  that  and  know 
they  have  to  deliver  it  or  permit  it  to  be  delivered.  .  .  ." 

Evidently  Wilkerson  has  in  mind  the  Spanish  Gov- 
ernment, which  is  about  to  establish  a  prohibitive  tariff 
on  motion  pictures,  or  rather  on  moving  pictures  that 
are  produced  in  the  United  States.  But  the  method 
that  he  suggests  is  not  the  best  when  it  comes  to  pro- 
ducing results :  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  heads  of 
the  Department  of  State  believes  that  a  free  exchange 
of  commodities  among  nations  is  the  finest  preventive 
of  wars,  the  producers  should  appeal  to  Mr.  Hull  to 
induce  the  Spanish  Government  to  avoid  using  a 
tariff  against  the  entry  of  American  motion  pictures 
into  Spain,  and  if  he  should  fail  in  his  efforts,  then  he 
should  suggest  to  Congress  to  put  a  prohibitive  tariff 
on  some  of  the  Spanish  commodities  that  are  imported 
by  the  United  States.  That  is  the  best  way  of  making 
the  Spanish  Government  see  the  light. 


COLUMNIST  SIDNEY  SKOLSKY'S 
UNJUSTIFIED  CRITICISM 

In  a  recent  issue  of  the  Hollywood  Citizen-J^ews, 
Sidney  Skolsky  said  partly  the  following  in  his  syndi- 
cated column  about  trailers: 

"There  is  no  business  that  hurts  itself  the  way 
movies  do.  I'm  referring  now,  especially,  to  trailers. 
You  know  what  a  trailer  is:  it  is  a  film  clip  that  is  sup- 
posed to  entice  you  and  sell  you  on  seeing  the  coming 
attraction  at  the  theatre. 

"But  how  many  trailers  ever  got  you  back  into  the 
theatre  to  see  that  special  picture?  I  can't  recall  any. 

"Practically  every  studio  has  a  trailer  department 
whose  business  it  is  to  make  a  film  clip  so  interesting 
and  enticing  that  it  will  be  a  'teaser'  and  you  will  want 
to  see  the  picture.  But  what  happens?  Often  you  say 
to  yourself,  after  seeing  a  trailer:  'I  don't  have  to  see 
the  picture.  I  feel  as  if  I  have  seen  it  already.' 

"Many  trailers  tell  so  much  that  they  tell  the  com- 
plete story  in  digest  form.  ..." 

Sidney  Skolsky 's  remarks  about  trailers  have  no 
basis  of  fact.  As  far  as  any  one  knows,  the  trailer 
makers'  motto  has  been  and  is:  "Don't  tell  the  story 
in  a  trailer."  I  know  at  least  one  trailer  making  com- 
pany that  sticks  to  this  motto  religiously — National 
Screen  Service. 

The  procedure  on  trailers  is  no  different  from  the 
procedure  on  either  features  or  shorts;  although  the 
trailer  producer  is  furnished  with  selected  scenes  of 
the  picture,  a  script  has  to  be  prepared  just  as  is  the 
case  with  shorts  as  well  as  features.  Thus  the  head  of 
the  trailer  department  has  a  chance  to  see  whether  a 
trailer  tells  the  story  or  not;  if  it  comes  close  to  telling 
a  story,  either  the  scenes  are  rearranged,  or  some  of 
them  are  eliminated,  others  being  put  in  their  places. 

The  trailer  producer  could  not  tell  a  story  even  if  he 
wanted  to.  How  can  he  tell  the  story  in  ninety  feet  of 
scenes,  if  it  is  a  program  feature,  or  in  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  if  it  is  an  "A"  feature?  It  is  impossible 
to  tell  a  story  even  in  cases  where  the  trailer  is  ex- 
traordinarily long. 

If  Mr.  Skolsky  had  looked  into  the  trailer  matter 
more  fully,  he  would  not  have  written  that  criticism. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 


Vol.  XXVI 


SATURDAY,  SEPTEMBER  23,  1944 


No.  39 


Wanton  Waste  in  Production  —  No.  3 


(Concluded  from 

The  technician  who  chooses  the  "takes"  that  will  be  put 
in  the  film  is  the  film  editor,  commonly  called  "film  cutter," 
unless,  of  course,  the  director  gives  definite  orders,  in  which 
case  the  first  "rough  assembly"  must  be  assembled  as  desired 
by  the  director.  This  is  his  prerogative  in  accordance  with  the 
rules  of  the  Directors  Guild.  But  once  the  director  views  the 
first  assembly,  then  either  the  unit  producer  or  the  film 
editor  takes  charge.  When  either  does  so,  he  can  overrule 
the  director  by  taking  out  scenes  which  the  director  had 
approved,  but  which,  in  the  opinion  of  the  film  editor,  did 
not  give  the  best  results. 

When  the  film  editor  is  done  with  the  editing,  the  picture 
is  said  to  have  been  cut  to  the  proper  length,  unless,  of 
course,  the  picture  belong  to  a  minor  classification  and  must 
be  brought  down  to  a  standard  length.  In  such  a  case,  the 
film  editor  often  is  compelled  to  take  out  scenes  that  are,  in 
his  opinion,  essential  to  the  proper  unfolding  of  the  action. 

Because  of  the  nature  of  his  work,  the  film  editor  knows 
more  about  the  wastefulness  of  the  directors  than  the  mem' 
ber  of  any  of  the  other  crafts. 

I  sought  the  viewpoint  of  some  film  editors  for  presenta' 
tion  in  this  article. 

"There  is  no  excuse,"  one  of  them  said  to  me,  "for  the 
so  many  'takes'  of  each  scene  most  directors  'shoot.'  In  one 
case  I  know,  a  director  shot  fifty  'takes'  of  one  scene.  When 
I  was  making  the  first  assembly,  I  asked  him  which  'take' 
to  use.  'Oh,'  he  said  to  me, — -'any  one  of  them  will  do!  Use 
"take  One!"  '  The  remainder  of  the  'takes*  were  thrown, 
speaking  figuratively  as  well  as  almost  actually,  on  the  cutting 
room  floor.  (Editor's  J^ote:  The  film  editors  have  fine  hoo\s 
on  which  they  hang  the  superfluous  film.) 

"The  trouble  with  many  directors  is  that  they  lack  the 
power  of  visualization  and  in  order  for  them  to  cover  them- 
selves they  take  shots  right  and  left  of  almost  every  scene 
so  that  the  film  editor  may  have  plenty  of  material  on  hand 
to  use  in  case  a  scene  does  not  'cut.'  By  having  the  camera- 
man photograph  many  'takes'  of  the  same  action,  he  hopes 
that  somebody  will  put  them  together  to  make  something 
out  of  them.  He  shoots  from  all  sides,  from  all  angles,  all 
around  the  actors.  Thus  the  waste  piles  up. 

"A  capable  director  shoots  no  more  than  two  or  three 
'takes'  if  neither  the  first  or  the  second  'take'  answers  his 
requirements.  Only  when  an  actor  'muffs'  his  lines  is  he 
compelled  to  continue  shooting  'takes'  until  that  actor  pro- 
nounces his  lines  correctly.  Under  such  circumstances,  he  is 
justified  for  shooting  many  'takes.' 

"The  wise  director  has  his  film  editor  on  the  set,  watching 
every  scene  while  the  shooting  goes  on.  If  the  film  editor 
thinks  that  a  certain  scene  will  not  'cut'  as  it  is  shot,  he 
warns  the  director  and  a  modification  is  made  on  the  spot. 
The  bigger  the  director,  the  more  easily  he  accepts  his  film 
editor's  suggestions.  The  director  who  shoots  'wild'  is  the 
one  who  accepts  no  suggestions  lest  it  be  said  that  he  does 
not  know  his  business.  It  is  an  attempt  to  hide  his  ignorance, 
for  a  director  who  knows  his  business  realizes  that  this  is  a 
composite  art  and,  being  such,  every  detail  cannot  be  thought 
out  by  one  person.  Oftentimes  an  'outsider'  will  see  some- 
thing that  the  director  may  miss,  for  the  director  is  immersed 
in  the  details  of  handling  his  actors  and  of  seeing  that  every- 
thing on  the  set  is  correct.  If  he  is  an  intelligent  director,  he 
will  invariably  accept  a  suggestion,  not  only  from  his  film 
editor,  but  also  from  his  script  clerk,  and  even  from  a  grip. 
(Editor's  T^ote:  A  'grip'  is  a  general  technician.)  Such  a 
director  does  not  have  to  shoot  all  around  the  actors;  he 
knows  what  the  script  calls  for  and  he  goes  about  getting  it. 

"Some  studios  construct  their  scripts  with  only  master 
scenes.  (Editor's  T^ote :  A  master  scene  gives  the  director 


last  wee\'s  issue) 

only  a  general  idea  of  the  action,  leaving  it  to  his  discretion 
how  to  split  it  into  individual  scenes  so  as  to  ma\e  the  action 
unfold  smoothly  and  logically.)  While  such  a  method  of 
screen-play  construction  is  economical,  it  requires  that  the 
director  know  his  business.  The  good  Lord  help  the  studio 
if  the  director  who  is  given  such  a  screen  play  should  happen 
to  lack  the  power  of  visualization. 

"Another  fault  with  some  directors  is  the  fact  that  often, 
when  they  keep  on  shooting  additional  'takes'  of  a  scene, 
they  fail  to  tell  the  players  why  they  are  shooting  the  new 
'take',  with  the  result  that  the  actor  repeats  the  error,  if  an 
error  was  the  cause  of  the  're-take.' 

"Most  directors  keep  on  shooting  a  scene  over  and  over 
again  because  raw  stock  is,  in  their  opinion,  cheap;  they  for- 
get that,  not  only  time  is  consumed,  but  printing  and  de- 
veloping cost  money." 

Another  film  editor  told  me  that  he  had  seen  a  director 
shoot  'take'  after  'take'  of  miniature  scenes  where  there 
was  no  action  and  no  chance  for  anything  to  go  wrong.  "It 
was,"  as  he  put  it,  "cruel  waste." 

*        *  * 

Of  the  members  of  the  craft  that  know  more  about  the 
ability  or  lack  of  ability  of  directors,  none  is  more  qualified 
to  speak,  excepting  the  cameraman,  than  a  member  of  the 
grip  craft.  (Editor's  T^ote:  A  "grip"  is,  as  it  has  already 
been  said,  a  general  technician,  a  sort  of  "jac\-of -all-trades." 
A  head  grip  told  me  that  it  would  ta\e  a  day  for  him  to  de- 
fine what  the  duties  of  a  grip  are.  T^either  the  director  nor 
the  cameraman  can  ma\e  a  move  without  him.  A  s\illed 
grip  is  a  great  asset.)  So  I  sought  the  opinion  of  one  of 
them,  a  person  with  whose  knowledge  I  am  thoroughly 
familiar.  He  said  to  me: 

"I  have  seen  directors  shoot  'take'  after  'take'  without  any 
rhyme  or  reason.  Their  only  excuse  was  that  they  were 
trying  to  attain  perfection.  And  I  have  seen  directors  shoot 
sequences  that  cost  thousands  of  dollars,  afterwards  thrown 
on  the  'cutting  room  floor.' 

Of  course,  often  the  directors  were  not  responsible  for 
the  fact  that  the  sequence  was  superfluous;  when  the  di- 
rector is  handed  a  script  and  is  asked  to  shoot  it,  the  fault 
lies  with  the  faulty  construction  of  the  script.  And  the  unit 
producer  should  have  seen  to  it  that  the  script  was  right. 
But  in  the  case  of  directors  with  a  name,  they  are  as  much 
to  blame,  for  the  reason  that,  before  shooting  starts,  the 
director  is  handed  the  script  and  is  asked  to  read  it  with  a 
view  to  making  suggestions  for  alterations. 

"Anyway,  you  want  to  know  about  waste  and  here  it  is. 

"We  watch  the  director  and,  if  we  had  not  worked  with 
him  before,  we  know  at  once  whether  he  knows  his  business 
or  not  by  the  way  he  acts.  A  good  director  seldom  raises  his 
voice;  he  knows  what  he  wants  and  he  doesn't  have  to 
shout  his  orders  to  the  actors.  Such  a  director  shoots  few 
'takes.'  On  the  other  hand,  the  faker  shouts  so  that  there 
is  no  mistake  that  he  is  heard,  for  he  thinks  that  only  by 
shouting  can  he  impress  the  actors  and  the  technicians  of 
his  genius. 

"I  have  worked  with  directors  who  gave  their  orders  to 
the  actors  during  actual  shooting.  It  is  true  that  they  spoke 
their  orders  in  either  scenes  or  spots  in  the  scenes  where  there 
was  no  dialogue,  but  the  'virgin'  sound  track  was  ruined, 
and  the  dubbing  department  had  to  use  library  sound  to 
replace  the  sound  that  was  ruined. 

"But  library  sound  can  never  be  as  satisfactory  as  original 
sound,  for  example,  when  the  actor's  foot  sinks  into  sand, 
you  hear  a  crunching  sound,  which  is  in  unison  with  the 
movement  of  the  foot.  To  use  library  sound  to  take  the 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


154 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  23,  1944 


"The  Big  Noise"  with  Laurel  and  Hardy 

(20th  Centura-Fox,  October;  time.  74  min.) 

A  typical  Laurel  and  Hardy  program  slapstick  comedy;  it 
will  undoubtedly  amuse  children,  and  it  should  please  the 
avid  followers  of  this  comedy  team.  Others,  however,  will 
probably  find  it  quite  tedious,  for  the  story  is  extremely 
silly,  the  comedy  situations  dragged  out,  and  the  slapstick 
gags  too  familiar  to  be  funny.  Its  seventy-four  minutes  run- 
ning time  is  much  too  long.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  whole 
thing  shapes  up  as  two-reeler  material  stretched  to  feature 
length: —  „  , 

Fearing  for  the  safety  of  his  invention,  a  deadly  high 
explosive,  Arthur  Space  telephones  a  detective  agency  for 
two  men.  The  message  is  taken  by  Laurel  and  Hardy,  janitors 
cleaning  the  office,  who,  seeing  an  opportunity  to  better 
themselves,  report  to  Space's  home  as  detectives.  Their  stay 
at  the  house  creates  no  end  of  confusion  because  of  the 
many  mechanical  gadgets  Space  had  installed  in  his  home. 
Meanwhile,  in  the  house  next  door,  a  gang  of  desperadoes, 
headed  by  Frank  Fcnton  and  his  wife  (Veda  Ann  Borg), 
planned  to  steal  the  secret  bomb  and  to  sell  it  to  a  foreign 
government.  The  gang  gains  entrance  to  Spaces  home 
when  Dons  Merrick,  Veda's  unsuspecting  sister,  becomes 
friendly  with  Space.  Learning  that  the  War  Department 
had  asked  Space  to  bring  his  bomb  to  Washington  the 
gang  attempts  to  steal  it.  But  Laurel  and  Hardy,  thinking 
fast,  lock  the  criminals  in  a  closet.  Space  decides  to  throw 
the  gangsters  off  the  trail  by  sending  the  boys  to  Washing- 
ton ahead  of  him,  with  a  dummy  bomb.  En  route  by  train, 
the  boys  receive  a  telegram  from  Space  informing  them 
that  they  had  taken  the  real  bomb.  Realizing  that  the  gang 
would  catch  up  with  them,  the  boys  leave  the  train  and 
head  for  an  airport,  where  they  unwittingly  board  a  radio- 
controlled  target  plane  used  by  the  Army  fo' S"™"*  V*» 
tice  The  plane  takes  off  suddenly  and  the  boys  find  them- 
selves shot  at.  Forced  to  parachute,  they  discover  themselves 
over  the  ocean,  right  above  a  Jap  submarine.  Hardy  drops 
the  secret  bomb  for  a  direct  hit,  sinking  the  submarine.  I  he 
merit  of  Space's  explosive  is  proved  to  the  War  Department, 
and  the  two  amateur  detectives  win  wide  acclaim^ 

W  Scott  Darling  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sol  M.  Wurtzel 
produced  it,  and  Mai  St.  Clair  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Bobby  Blake,  Phil  Van  Zandt  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Impatient  Years"  with  Jean  Arthur, 
Charles  Coburn  and  Lee  Bowman 

(Columbia,  Sept.  7;  time,  90  min.) 

A  fair  romantic  comedy-drama,  one  that  will  have  to  de- 
pend on  lean  Arthur's  marquee  value  for  whatever  business 
it  will  do  The  story  idea— what  to  do  about  hasty  war  mar- 
naees— is  good,  but  the  picture  fails  to  answer  the  problem 
because  of  an  artificial  story  that  builds  up  to  a  series  of 
time-worn  comedy  situations,  few  of  which  provoke  more 
than  a  grin.  For  example,  one  is  asked  to  believe  that  a 
soldier  and  his  wife,  after  being  away  from  each  other  tor 
slightly  more  than  a  year,  would  greet  each  other  with  a 
limp  handshake,  like  total  strangers,  even  though  they  had 
known  each  other  for  only  four  days  prior  to  his  departure 
overseas,  and  she  had  since  borne  him  a  child.  It  just  isn  t 
true  to  life  No  fault  can  be  found  with  any  of  the  players; 
they  really  try  hard,  but  the  inept  script  proves  to  be  too 
much  of  a  handicap: —  i_.-i.uj  i 

Jean  Arthur  and  Lee  Bowman,  her  soldier  husband,  ask 
Judge  Edgar  Buchanan  to  dissolve  their  marriage  because 
they  felt  like  strangers  to  each  other.  Charles  Coburn,  Jean  s 
father,  intercedes  and  suggests  to  the  Judge  that  the  young 
couple  retrace  their  actions  during  the  four  days  when 
they  first  knew  each  other  in  the  hope  that  they  would  re- 
capture their  love.  The  Judge  orders  them  to  follow  the 
suggestion.  Jean  and  Bowman  go  to  San  Francisco,  where 
they  relive  their  romance  in  minute  detail,  causing  no  end 
of  confusion  to  the  people  they  come  in  contact  with.  On 
the  fourth  day,  the  young  couple  realize  their  love.  While 
celebrating,  Jean  becomes  ill  and,  in  jest,  tells  Bowman  that 
he  must  have  poisoned  her.  The  remark  is  overheard  by  the 
hotel  clerk,  who  summons  Coburn  to  save  his  daughter. 
After  a  series  of  complications  in  which  Coburn  believes 
Bowman  is  insane,  because  he  catches  him  smothering  Jean 
with  a  pillow  (to  cure  her  hiccups),  Jean  and  Bowman 
return  home  for  a  joyous  reunion  with  their  baby. 

Virginia  Van  Upp  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Irving  Cum- 
mings  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Charley 
Grapewin,  Harry  Davenport,  Frank  Jenks,  Charles  Arnt 
and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Babes  on  Swing  Street"  with  Peggy  Ryan 
and  Ann  Blyth 

(Universal.  Oct.  27;  time,  70  min.) 

As  indicated  by  the  title,  this  is  another  program  musical 
in  which  most  of  the  action  revolves  around  'teen-aged 
youngsters.  As  such,  it  is  a  fair  entertainment,  and  it  should 
fit  nicely  wherever  something  light  is  needed  to  round  out 
a  double  bill.  The  story  is  thin  and  trite,  and  at  the  slightest 
provocation  some  one  either  bursts  into  song  or  starts  to 
dance.  Peggy  Ryan  is  her  usual  boisterous  but  ingratiating 
self,  making  the  most  of  her  well  known  comedy  and  musical 
talents.  Others  contributmg  to  the  musical  end  of  the  pic- 
ture are  June  Prcisscr,  Ann  Blyth  and  Marion  Hutton,  who 
sing  to  the  accompaniment  of  Freddie  Slack  and  his  orches- 
tra. Andy  Dcvinc  and  Leon  Errol  contribute  the  comedy.  A 
high  spot  is  Sidney  Miller's  comedy  impersonations  of  dif- 
ferent stars: — 

To  help  further  the  musical  education  of  a  group  of 
talented  but  poor  youngsters,  Ann  Blyth,  niece  of  wealthy 
Leon  Errol,  suggests  to  them  that  they  establish  a  night-club 
for  'teen-aged  boys  and  girls,  the  profits  of  which  would  be 
used  for  their  professional  training.  Errol,  whose  wealth 
was  controlled  by  his  sister  (Alma  Kruger),  because  he 
would  not  come  into  his  inheritance  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  fifty,  learns  of  Ann's  plan  and  decides  to  help  the 
youngsters.  Informing  his  sister  that  he  required  the  use  of 
a  large  recreation  hall,  which  was  part  of  his  inheritance, 
Errol  turns  the  hall  over  to  the  youngsters  and  helps  them 
to  convert  it  into  a  night-club.  On  dress  rehearsal  night. 
Miss  Kruger  learns  of  Errol's  deception  and  orders  every 
one  out  of  the  hall.  Errol,  determined  to  have  his  way, 
stages  a  fake  suicide  attempt,  compelling  Miss  Kruger  to 
change  her  mind.  On  opening  night,  Miss  Kruger  discovers 
that  the  suicide  attempt  had  been  a  hoax.  She  telephones 
the  police  and  demands  that  they  eject  everyone  from  the 
hall.  One  of  the  policemen  recognizes  Errol  as  an  old  school 
chum,  and  a  discussion  of  their  ages  brings  out  the  fact 
that  Errol  was  fifty-three  years  old,  thus  making  him  legally 
entitled  to  his  inheritance.  With  the  recreation  hall  now 
under  his  control,  Errol  permits  the  night-club  to  be  opened, 
thus  assuring  the  youngsters  of  their  musical  educations. 

Howard  Dimsdale  and  Eugene  Conrad  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Bernard  W.  Burton  produced  it,  and  Edward  Lillcy 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Anne  Gwynne,  Kirby  Grant 
and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"In  the  Meantime,  Darling"  with 
Jeanne  Crain  and  Frank  Latimore 

(20th  Century-Fox,  October;  time,  72  min.) 

This  is  a  fairly  pleasant  comedy-drama,  of  program  grade, 
revolving  around  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  a  young  bride, 
who  spends  her  honeymoon  with  her  soldier-husband  in 
a  crowded  rooming  house  near  a  training  camp.  The  story, 
though  thin,  has  considerable  human  interest,  and  its  holds 
one's  interest  to  a  fair  degree  because  of  its  topical  nature. 
Jeanne  Crain,  of  "Home  in  Indiana"  fame,  is  an  effective 
performer,  and  makes  a  sympathetic  character  of  the  heroine. 
The  comedy,  though  not  of  the  type  to  provoke  hearty 
laughter,  is  fairly  amusing: — 

Accompanied  by  her  wealthy  parents  (Eugene  Pallette 
and  Mary  Nash),  Jeanne  Crain  comes  to  an  old-fashioned 
hotel  on  the  outskirts  of  an  army  camp  to  marry  Lieutenant 
Frank  Latimore.  The  hotel,  which  offered  accommodations 
only  to  officers  and  their  wives,  was  the  only  one  in  the 
vicinity,  and,  because  of  the  limited  space  and  the  help 
shortage,  the  army  wives  had  instituted  a  cooperative  work 
plan  to  ease  the  burden  of  Jane  Randolph,  the  hotel  man- 
ager. Despite  her  efforts  to  cooperate,  Jeanne  finds  herself 
constantly  misunderstood  by  the  other  women,  because  of 
her  haughty  airs  and  her  inability  to  make  herself  useful. 
She  becomes  rebellious  and  almost  quarrels  with  Jane,  but 
when  she  learns  that  Jane's  husband  had  been  killed  in 
action  she  realizes  that  her  conduct  had  been  shameful,  and 
determines  to  change  her  ways.  Worried  over  the  possibility 
of  Latimore  being  sent  overseas,  Jeanne  writes  to  her  father 
and  suggests  that  he  use  his  political  connections  to  keep 
Latimore  in  camp  permanently.  Latimore,  learning  of  the 
suggestion,  becomes  furious.  They  quarrel,  and  Jeanne  de- 
cides to  return  home  to  her  family.  But  when  Latimore  finds 
a  book  about  infant  care  in  his  room,  he  mistakenly  be- 
lieves that  Jeanne  was  to  become  a  mother,  and  he  hurries 
to  the  railroad  station  to  intercept  her.  That  same  evening, 
Latimore's  detachment  is  ordered  overseas.  Before  his  de- 
parture, Jeanne  informs  him  that  she  had  been  studying  to 
help  in  the  hotel's  nursery,  and  that  he  was  mistaken  about 


September  23,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


155 


her  becoming  a  mother.  Latimore,  at  first  crestfallen,  em- 
braces Jeanne  and  vows  to  raise  a  large  family  when  he 
returns  at  the  war's  end. 

Arthur  Kober  and  Michael  Uris  wrote  the  screen  play, 
and  Otto  Preminger  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Stanley  Prager,  Gale  Robbins,  Doris  Merrick,  Eliza- 
beth Risdon  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"The  Master  Race"  with  George  Coulouris, 
Stanley  Ridges  and  Osa  Massen 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  97  min.) 

A  forceful  drama.  Unlike  most  anti-Nazi  pictures  pro- 
duced recently.  "The  Master  Race"  treats  the  subject  from 
a  fresh  and  significant  angle — the  two-fold  problem  facing 
the  Allies  in  gaining  the  confidence  of  the  people  of  liberated 
countries,  and  in  preventing  the  Nazis  from  secretly  sowing 
seeds  of  hatred  and  discord  in  these  liberated  areas  in 
preparation  for  a  third  World  War.  It  is  an  interest-holding 
story,  expertly  directed  and  well  performed  by  a  capable 
cast.  Edward  A.  Golden,  whose  previous  picture,  "Hitler's 
Children,"  was  a  phenomenal  success,  is  entitled  to  credit, 
not  only  for  his  intelligent  handling  of  an  all-important 
problem,  but  also  for  his  foresight  in  guarding  against  the 
possibility  of  his  production  becoming  out  of  date  with  the 
coming  of  peace;  he  has  treated  the  story  in  a  manner  that 
will  keep  it  timely  for  many  months,  even  if  Germany  should 
surrender  within  the  next  few  weeks.  The  picture  deserves 
to  be  shown  everywhere,  for  it  will  do  much  to  awaken  the 
people  to  the  scheming  deceits  and  devices  that  have  been 
and  still  are  employed  by  the  German  militarists: — 

In  Berlin,  Colonel  George  Coulouris,  a  Junker  miltarist, 
informs  a  group  of  officers  that  the  German  armies  are  col- 
lapsing. He  instructs  them  to  dedicate  themselves  to  the 
task  of  laying  the  groundwork  for  a  third  World  War. 
Coulouris,  posing  as  a  Belgian  patriot,  has  himself  shipped 
to  a  Nazi  concentration  camp  in  Kolar,  Belgium.  When  a 
United  Nations  detachment,  led  by  American  Major  Stanley 
Ridges,  liberates  the  town,  the  prisoners,  Coulouris  among 
them,  are  freed.  Coulouris  compels  Helen  Beverly,  a  local 
collaborationist,  to  accept  him  as  a  patriotic  relative,  and 
to  let  him  stay  at  her  home.  Learning  that  Paul  Guilfoyle, 
whom  Ridges  had  appointed  as  his  civilian  aid,  was  dissatis- 
fied with  local  conditions,  Coulouris  cultivates  his  friend- 
ship and  uses  him  as  an  easy  dupe  to  spread  suspicion  among 
the  villagers  against  the  Allies.  After  a  series  of  other  inci- 
dents in  which  Coulouris  murders  Miss  Beverly  and  incites 
Guilfoyle  to  blow  up  the  local  prison,  because  some  of  the 
Nazi  prisoners  wished  to  help  in  the  reconstruction  work, 
a  few  of  the  surviving  Nazis  identify  Coulouris.  He  is 
sentenced  to  death  and  executed,  just  as  word  of  Germany's 
surrender  arrives. 

There  is  considerable  human  interest  and  tragedy  in  a 
by-plot  concerning  Lloyd  Bridges,  a  young  patriot,  who  re 
turns  to  the  liberated  town  to  find  his  sweetheart  (Nancy 
Gates)  scorned  because  of  her  mother's  (Miss  Beverly) 
conduct.  There  is  tragedy  also  in  the  fact  that  his  sister,  Osa 
Massen,  was  bitter  and  ashamed,  because  she  had  to  submit 
to  the  Nazis,  and  had  borne  an  illegitimate  child. 

Herbert  J.  Biberman,  Anne  Froelick,  and  Rowland  Leigh 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Robert  Golden  produced  it,  and  Mr. 
Biberman  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Carl  Esmond,  Morris 
Carnovsky,  Gavin  Muir  and  others. 

"Tall  in  the  Saddle"  with  John  Wayne 
and  Ella  Raines 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  87  mm.) 
A  thrilling  western  melodrama,  of  greater  magnitude 
than  the  average  picture  of  this  type;  it  should  easily  please 
the  western  fans,  while  the  rank-and-file  should  find  much 
in  it  to  thrill  them.  The  story  is  interesting  and  suspensive, 
has  a  few  fierce  fist  fights,  a  good  deal  of  shooting,  exciting 
horse  riding,  a  love  affair,  and  good  comedy  touches.  John 
Wayne  is  properly  effective  as  the  hero,  thrilling  one  with 
his  display  of  courage  and  resourcefulness  in  the  face  of 
danger.  Ella  Raines  is  outstanding  as  the  fiery  heroine,  and 
George  "Gabby"  Hayes  provokes  considerable  laughter  by 
his  antics: — 

En  route  to  the  KC  ranch  to  start  work  as  a  foreman, 
John  Wayne  learns  that  the  owner  had  been  murdered, 
and  that  the  ranch  had  been  inherited  by  Audrey  Long, 
an  Eastern  girl,  and  by  Elisabeth  Risdon,  her  aunt.  On  his 
first  day  in  town,  Wayne  humiliates  Russell  Wade  in  a 
poker  game.  Ella  Raines,  Wade's  fiery-tempered  sister,  tries 
to  run  Wayne  out  of  town,  but  Wayne  humiliates  her,  too. 
Determined  to  get  even,  Ella  orders  her  stepfather  and  ranch 


manager  (Don  Douglas)  to  hire  Wayne  so  that  she  could 
have  the  satisfaction  of  firing  him.  Wayne,  having  no  desire 
to  work  for  Miss  Risdon,  accepts  the  job.  Audrey  visits 
Wayne  and  confides  to  him  that  she  did  not  trust  her  aunt. 
She  asks  Wayne  to  obtain  a  letter  written  by  her  aunt  to 
Ward  Bond,  a  crooked  judge,  who  was  handling  the  KC 
ranch's  affairs,  which  would  prove  that  she  was  of  age  and 
capable  of  managing  her  own  affairs.  Wayne's  interest  in 
Audrey  arouses  Ella's  jealousy.  Wayne,  attempting  to  get 
the  letter  from  Bond,  uncovers  evidence  indicating  that 
Ella's  brother  knew  who  murdered  the  ranch  owner.  While 
questioned  by  Wayne,  Wade  is  mysteriously  shot  dead. 
Wayne  is  blamed  for  the  murder,  but  he  escapes  and,  with 
the  help  of  Ella,  and  George  "Gabby"  Hayes,  a  drunken 
derelict,  whom  he  had  befriended,  goes  on  the  trail  of  the 
murderer.  After  a  series  of  events,  Wayne  captures  Bond 
and  compels  him  to  confess  that  Ella's  stepfather  had  killed 
the  ranch  owner  because  he  wanted  his  land,  and  he  had 
shot  Wade  because  he  knew  of  the  crime.  Bond  confesses 
also  that  Wayne  was  really  the  dead  ranch  owner's  next 
of  kin,  and  that  he  and  Miss  Risdon  had  used  Audrey  to 
swindle  him  out  of  the  ranch.  The  murders  solved,  Wayne 
takes  Ella  for  his  bride. 

Michael  Hogan  and  Paul  P.  Fix  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Robert  Fellows  produced  it,  and  Edwin  L.  Marin  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Emory  Parnell,  Paul  P.  Fix,  Raymond 
Hatton,  Frank  Puglia  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Frenchman's  Creek"  with  Joan  Fontaine 
and  Arturo  de  Cordova 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  113  min.) 

A  good  costume  entertainment,  lavishly  produced  and 
photographed  in  Technicolor.  It  should  do  exceptionally 
good  business  because  of  the  widely-read  novel  on  which 
the  story  is  based,  and  of  the  popularity  of  Joan  Fontaine. 
Set  in  the  seventeenth  century,  the  story  is  an  adventurous 
romantic  drama  revolving  around  the  escapades  of  a  beauti- 
ful but  unhappily  married  aristocrat,  who  falls  in  love  with 
a  swashbuckling  French  pirate.  Pictures  dealing  with  pirates 
generally  have  more  excitement  than  there  is  in  this  one, 
nevertheless,  it  has  a  fair  quota  of  thrills,  including  sword 
duels,  the  hijacking  of  a  merchantman,  and  all  the  other 
swaggering  doings  identified  with  pictures  of  this  type.  It 
does,  however,  have  many  slow  spots,  and  some  judicious 
cutting  would  help  matters  considerably.  Joan  Fontaine 
makes  an  enticing  heroine,  enacting  her  role  with  what  ap- 
pears to  be  a  tongue-in-cheek  exuberance.  Arturo  de  Cor- 
dova, as  the  pirate  chief,  looks  more  dashing  than  he 
actually  is.  Basil  Rathbone  is  ludicrously  leering  as  the  fop- 
pish villain,  whom  Joan  murders  in  a  fight  for  her  honor. 
Cecil  Kellaway,  as  the  understanding  servant,  is  the  best  of 
the  supporting  cast.  Because  of  the  sex  situations,  the  pic- 
ture is  unsuitable  for  children: — 

Tiring  of  London  society,  of  her  foppish  husband  (Ralph 
Forbes),  and  of  the  persistent  attentions  of  Basil  Rathbone, 
Forbes'  best  friend,  Joan  Fontaine,  an  aristocrat,  takes  her 
two  children  and  leaves  for  her  estate  on  the  Cornish  coast. 
Arriving  there,  she  finds  that  the  estate  had  been  used  as 
headquarters  by  a  pirate  gang,  led  by  Arturo  de  Cordova, 
whose  raids  on  estates  nearby  had  raised  the  ire  of  the 
Cornish  aristocrats.  Joan  meets  the  pirate  chief  when  he 
brings  his  ship  into  a  hidden  anchorage  in  a  creek  nearby. 
Both  are  attracted  to  each  other,  and  Joan,  in  an  adventur- 
ous mood,  dresses  as  a  cabin  boy  and  accompanies  him  on  a 
foray.  Meanwhile  her  husband  and  Rathbone  come  to  the 
estate,  summoned  by  the  Cornish  gentry,  who  believed  the 
pirate's  hideout  was  in  the  vicinity,  and  needed  help  to 
capture  him.  At  a  dinner,  with  Joan  presiding  as  hostess, 
the  aristocrats  lay  their  plans  for  the  capture.  Joan's  shrewd 
methods  to  delay  them,  so  that  the  pirate  might  escape,  are 
interrupted  by  de  Cordova's  daring  entrance  with  a  group 
of  his  best  swordsmen.  He  disarms  the  aristocrats,  locks 
them  in  a  room,  and  bids  Joan  goodbye.  The  aristocrats 
manage  to  free  themselves  and  give  chase.  Rathbone  re- 
mains behind  and  tries  to  force  his  unwelcome  attentions  on 
Joan.  Rather  than  submit,  she  kills  him.  Meanwhile  de 
Cordova  is  captured  as  he  successfully  holds  off  the  aristo- 
crats to  gain  time  for  his  crew's  escape.  The  aristocrats  make 
plans  to  hang  him,  but  Joan  effects  his  escape  through  a 
ruse.  De  Cordova  begs  Joan  to  sail  away  with  him,  but  she 
realizes  her  duty  to  her  children,  and  chooses  to  remain  at 
the  estate. 

Talbot  Jennings  wrote  the  screen  play  from  the  book  by 
Daphne  du  Mauricr,  David  Lewis  produced  it,  and  Mitchell 
Leisen  directed  it.  B.  G.  DcSylva  was  the  executive  pro- 
ducer. The  cast  includes  Nigel  Biuce  and  others. 


156 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  23,  1944 


place  of  the  original  sound  is  impossible;  no  'phony'  sound 
can  ever  work  in  unison  with  the  action  in  the  film. 

"Why  do  they  do  it?  First,  because  they  do  not  know 
any  better;  secondly,  because  they  want  to  impress  the 
studio  head  with  the  fact  that  they  are  hard  workers,  and 
that  they  have  great  knowledge.  When  the  studio  executive 
sits  in  the  projection  room  to  look  at  the  'dailies,'  (Editor's 
A[ote:  The  "dailies"  are  the  film  pieces  that  were  shot  in 
a  day,)  he  is  usually  impressed  when  he  hears  the  director 
give  orders  to  the  cameraman  to  change  lenses,  the  type  of 
lens  to  use  (even  though  often  he  does  not  know  the  dif- 
ference between  lenses — the  task  of  fitting  the  proper 
lens  belonging  to  the  cameraman,)  and  to  what  location 
to  move.  The  studio  executive  who  docs  not  know  says  to 
himself:  'What  a  hard-working  director!'  He  never  stops 
to  figure  out  what  this  director  is  costing  the  company.  If 
he  knew,  he  would  have  taken  the  director  off  the  picture 
at  once. 

"A  good  crew  of  experienced  grips,  an  intelligent  script 
girl,  a  good  assistant  director, — a  good  all  around  technical 
crew  have  often  saved  a  director  from  blundering.  Often 
the  director  lacks  the  necessary  knowledge,  but  when  he  is 
'regular'  we  break  our  necks  to  help  him  out.  But  the  Lord 
help  the  director  who  is  not  only  ignorant,  but  also  mean; 
we,  the  technicians,  won't  do  anything  for  him  even  if  we 
actually  do  not  sabotage  him,  and  he  eventually  'breaks  his 
neck'." 

I  don't  know  how  much  good  these  articles  will  do  in 
bringing  the  question  of  production  wastefulness  to  the  in- 
dustry's attention.  The  studio  heads  who  gave  me  the  in- 
formation that  is  contained  in  them  believe  that  they  will 
do  much  good.  Anyway,  I  have  presented  to  the  industry 
these  facts  with  the  hope  that  some  attempt  will  be  made 
to  curb  the  wastefulness  of  the  directors  and  to  induce  the 
producers  to  see  to  it  that  the  scripts  are  prepared  without 
any  superfluous  matter. 

These  facts  may  do  some  good  also  in  inducing  the  studio 
heads  to  discontinue  the  practice  of  stretching  the  length 
of  the  big  features  in  an  effort  to  compel  the  exhibitors  to 
give  up  the  double  features,  particularly  the  double-featur- 
ing of  two  top  features. 

Every  producer  fears  the  consequences  after  the  war 
unless  production  waste  is  eliminated.  The  American  pic- 
tures will  have  to  compete  with  the  pictures  that  will  be 
made  abroad.  Russia  has  representatives  in  this  country 
studying  the  American  production  methods  and  technique. 
The  British  Government  has  already  expressed  its  intention 
of  aiding  the  British  film  industry  after  the  war.  France  will 
resume  production  after  the  war,  and  the  French  Govern- 
ment will,  no  doubt,  aid  the  industry  either  with  quotas  or 
with  other  restrictions,  and  the  French  directors  at  present 
in  the  United  States  will  return  to  France  to  produce,  richer 
in  knowledge.  Mexico  is  now  producing  pictures  that  fit 
better  the  Central  and  South  American  markets,  because 
they  understand  the  mood  of  the  Latin  American  inhabitants 
better  than  do  the  American  producers.  Germany,  too,  will 
contribute  its  share  of  meritorious  pictures — UFA  pro- 
duced many  outstanding  pictures  before  the  war.  All  these 
pictures  will  offer  stiff  competition  to  the  American  pictures. 
The  only  way  by  which  our  pictures  could  compete  with 
them  advantageously  is  for  our  producers  to  make  better 
pictures  than  they  have  made  heretofore.  And  in  order  for 
them  to  make  better  pictures,  every  dollar  that  is  now  wasted 
should  be  put  into  picture  values. 

The  lush  times  that  are  prevailing  now  will  not  prevail 
always.  It  is  possible  that  times  will,  after  the  war,  become 
normal  again.  Consequently,  unless  our  producers  begin 
practicing  economy  now,  the  industry  will  find  itself  in  a 
tough  spot. 

The  exhibitor,  too,  can  do  his  share  of  economy  by 
eliminating  double-billing,  or  at  least  the  double-billing  of 
two  top  features. 


PROPAGANDISTS  ON  A  NEW  TACK! 

Under  this  heading.  Allied  States  Association  has  issued 
the  following  bulletin,  dated  September  19: 

"It  has  come  to  the  attention  of  this  office  that  the  af- 
filiated interests,  in  their  efforts  to  stampede  exhibitors  into 
opposition  to  the  Attorney  General's  efforts  in  their  behalf, 
have  shifted  from  the  absurd  one-at-a-time  scare  to  the 
wildest  claims  regarding  the  effect  of  theatre  divorcement 
and  divestiture  on  independent  exhibitors  and  small  circuits. 

"According  to  reports  they  are  even  going  so  far  as  to 
claim  that  the  policy  of  the  Department  of  Justice  is  to  re- 
quire that  an  exhibitor  who  has  more  than  one  theatre  in  a 


city  of  5,000  or  over  shall  dispose  of  all  theatres  in  excess 
of  one,  in  order  to  create  competition! 

"These  claims,  if  not  corrected,  may  cause  unnecessary 
concern  in  independent  ranks  and  might  even  influence 
some  exhibitors  to  play  into  the  hands  of  the  propagandists. 

"Allied  and  cooperating  leaders  should  point  out  to  their 
members  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  that  there  is  no  power 
anywhere  to  dissolve  a  circuit,  or  to  compel  an  exhibitor  to 
dispose  of  theatres,  except  for  violation  of  the  Sherman  Act. 
It  is  no  violation  of  that  act  for  an  exhibitor  to  have  more 
than  one  theatre,  or  even  all  the  theatres,  in  a  town  of  any 
size. 

"It  is  the  abuse  of  great  buying  power  to  force  favors 
from  the  distributors  and  drive  out  competitors  that  de- 
termines whether  the  law  has  been  violated  and,  consequent- 
ly, whether  a  circuit  should  be  dissolved. 

"The  only  case  involving  the  dissolution  of  an  independ- 
ent circuit  is  the  Crescent  Case,  which  is  now  pending  in 
the  Supreme  Court  on  appeal.  But  that  case  involved  a 
large  and  powerful  circuit  which  had  used  its  buying  power 
to  prevent  competitors  from  getting  product.  The  District 
Court  ordered  the  circuit  to  dispose  of  such  number  of  its 
theatres  as  might  be  necessary  to  break  the  back  of  its 
monopoly. 

"Similar  charges  of  abuse  of  power  are  made  in  the  pend- 
ing suits  against  the  Schine  and  Griffith  circuits  and  if  the 
Crescent  decision  is  affirmed  by  the  Supreme  Court  next 
fall,  it  is  likely  that  those  circuits  also  will  be  broken  up. 

"But  the  Department  of  Justice  has  no  policy,  and  no 
authority,  to  disturb  independent  exhibitors  and  circuits 
who  have  not  violated  the  law  by  exerting  their  buying 
power  so  as  to  injure  competitors  or  force  them  out  of 
business.  If  you  have  not  violated  the  law,  nothing  can 
harm  you." 

"Mrs.  Parkington"  with  Greer  Garson 
and  Walter  Pidgeon 

(MGM,  November,  time,  124  min.) 

Very  Good!  Skillfully  produced,  this  is  another  triumph 
for  the  Greer  Garson-Wafter  Pidgeon  team,  and  their  popu- 
larity alone  is  enough  to  insure  the  picture's  box-office  suc- 
cess. Based  on  the  novel  by  Louis  Bromfield,  the  story  covers 
the  period  from  1872  to  1938,  and  it  revolves  around  the 
highlights  in  the  hectic  life  of  an  eighty-four-year-old  woman 
from  the  time  she  was  a  housemaid  in  a  thriving  Nevada 
mining  town  up  to  the  point  where  she  became  the  matri- 
archal head  of  a  parasitical  family,  with  whom  she  was 
thoroughly  disgusted.  Told  in  a  series  of  flashbacks,  the 
story  is  an  effective  combination  of  human  interest,  romance, 
and  comedy.  Greer  Garson  is  at  her  best,  bringing  warmth 
and  understanding  to  a  colorful  role,  and  Walter  Pidgeon, 
as  her  dynamic  husband,  handles  his  part  in  outstanding 
fashion.  The  supporting  cast  is  very  able.  The  usual  MGM 
excellence  prevails  in  the  settings  and  costumes  of  the 
periods  depicted: — 

On  Christmas  Eve  in  1938,  Miss  Garson  learns  that 
Edward  Arnold,  her  pompous  son-in-law,  was  involved  in 
a  fraudulent  stock  transaction,  and  needed  financial  help 
lest  he  be  arrested.  She  calls  her  family  together  and  asks 
them  if  they  would  be  willing  to  forego  their  inheritance 
to  keep  Arnold  out  of  prison.  While  the  family  bickers 
over  the  personal  loss  to  themselves,  Miss  Garson's  thoughts 
carry  her  back  to  the  year  1872  when  Walter  Pidgeon,  her 
late  husband,  had  taken  her  to  New  York  as  his  bride,  after 
her  mother  had  been  accidentally  killed  in  one  of  his  mines. 
He  had  enlisted  the  aid  of  Agnes  Moorehead,  a  French 
Baroness  and  his  former  sweetheart,  to  teach  her  how  to 
dress  and  act.  Pidgeon  had  built  a  magnificent  mansion  for 
her,  and  he  became  enraged  when  New  York  socialites 
spurned  his  invitations  to  a  ball.  As  a  result,  he  had  ruined 
many  of  them  by  his  stock  market  machinations.  Shortly 
after  the  death  of  her  son  in  1899,  Greer  had  sent  Pidgeon 
to  England  while  she  remained  at  home  to  grieve.  But  she 
soon  followed  him  when  she  learned  that  an  English  noble- 
woman (Tara  Birell)  had  been  acting  as  his  hostess.  With 
the  sly  help  of  the  then  Prince  of  Wales  (Cecil  Kellaway), 
she  had  broken  up  the  affair.  Shortly  thereafter,  Pidgeon 
had  been  killed  in  an  auto  accident.  When  the  family  mem- 
bers inform  her  that  they  refuse  to  help  Arnold,  Miss 
Garson  announces  that  she  will  repay  the  stolen  money 
even  if  it  takes  every  penny  of  her  fortune. 

Robert  Thoeren  and  Polly  James  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Leon  Gordon  produced  it,  and  Tay  Garnett  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Gladys  Cooper,  Frances  Rafferty,  Tom  Drake, 
Dan  Duryea,  Selena  Royale,  Fortunio  Bonanova  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


Harrison's  Reports 

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United  States   $16.00  RnnmlRI?  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  Ruura  ioi<,  Publisher 

Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  p.  s.  Harrison,  Editor 

MeXi,C°Ti  >Ut^  SPain JbIb  A  Motion  Picture  Reviewing  Service   

Australia    New' ZeaVa'rid"  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

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ibc  a  copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  SEPTEMBER  30,  1944  No.  40 


The  New  Season  Daw 

Most  of  you  will  recall  that  Columbia,  when  it  an- 
nounced  its  1944-45  program  last  June,  changed  from 
a  policy  of  making  many  promises  to  making  no  prom- 
ises at  all.  Unlike  previous  years,  when  it  listed  the 
new  season's  forthcoming  productions  together  with 
the  outstanding  stars  that  were  to  appear  in  them,  this 
year  Columbia  listed  its  story  properties  and  roster  of 
stars  and  featured  players  under  contract,  and  stated 
that  the  program  would  be  selected  from  the  listings, 
or  from  additional  material  acquired  or  produced 
during  the  year.  Columbia's  explanation  for  present- 
ing the  new  season's  product  in  this  fashion  was  that 
it  wanted  to  "remain  elastic  in  its  thinking"  and  "make 
such  changes  as  it  believes  to  be  in  the  best  interests  of 
an  improved  program,  and  consequently,  in  the  best 
interests  of  the  theatres  served." 

In  other  words,  Columbia's  executives  asked  the 
exhibitors  to  buy  their  company's  1944-45  season's 
product  on  the  basis  of  faith  in  their  good  judgment 
and  business  integrity.  In  effect,  they  said :  "Leave  it 
to  us  boys,  we'll  do  the  right  thing  by  you." 

While  Columbia  has  refrained  from  making  any 
direct  promises  to  the  exhibitors  as  regards  the  specific 
pictures  it  will  produce  on  the  1944-45  program,  it  has, 
in  the  opinion  of  this  paper,  resorted  to  what  might 
be  termed  "quasi-promises."  In  other  words,  it  has  an- 
nounced, through  publicity  releases  sent  to  the  press 
for  publication,  that  it  has  signed  certain  stars  for 
certain  pictures,  thus  indicating  to  the  exhibitors  the 
magnitude  of  the  productions  it  will  make  this  season, 
yet  promising  them  nothing. 

A  recent  Columbia  publicity  release,  for  example, 
states  that,  at  a  special  meeting  that  was  to  be  held  in 
Chicago,  the  Columbia  home  office  executives  and 
district  managers  were  to  lay  plans  for  the  distribu- 
tion, advertising  and  publicity  of  its  important  Tech- 
nicolor production,  "A  Song  to  Remember,"  starring 
Paul  Muni  and  Merle  Oberon.  (Editor's  Note:  "A 
Song  to  Remember"  was  originally  promised  to  the 
1943-44  contract-holders  as  "At  Tsfight  We  Dream." 
It  has  also  been  \nown  as  the  "Love  of  Madame  Sand." 
Shooting  on  this  picture  was  completed  early  last 
March,  but  Columbia  withheld  it  from  the  program 
and  now  offers  it  again,  at  higher  terms,  no  doubt,  as 
a  special,  "separate  and  apart  from  any  program") 
The  publicity  release  states  also  that  "distribution  and 
advertising  plans  will  also  be  discussed  on  a  number 
of  other  top  productions  to  be  released  within  the 
next  few  months.  These  include:  Together  Again,' 
which  stars  Irene  Dunne  and  Charles  Boyer  with 
Charles  Coburn;  Tonight  and  Every  Night,'  the 
Technicolor  production  starring  Rita  Hayworth  .  .  .; 
'Counterattack,'  which  stars  Paul  Muni . .  .;and  'Over 
21,'  for  which  Irene  Dunne  has  been  named."  (Edi- 


>  for  Columbia  Pictures 

tor's  "Nfite:  "Together  Again,"  originally  \nown  as 
"Road  to  Yesterday,"  and  "Tonight  and  Every 
J\[ight,"  originally  titled,  "Heart  of  a  City,"  are  two 
more  top  productions  that  were  withheld  from  the 
1943-44  contract-holders.) 

How  many  of  these  aforementioned  top  produc- 
tions will  be  delivered  on  the  1944-45  program  is,  of 
course,  a  big  question.  Columbia,  smarting  under  the 
criticism  that  had  been  heaped  upon  it  because  of  its 
notorious  record  of  broken  promises,  shrewdly  guard- 
ed against  more  of  this  same  criticism  by  making  no 
definite  promises  for  the  1944-45  season.  But  a  com- 
pany that  asks  its  prospective  customers  to  do  business 
with  it  on  the  basis  of  faith  in  its  good  judgment  and 
business  integrity  must  either  stand  or  fall  on  its  rec- 
ord of  past  accomplishments.  And  Columbia's  record 
is  very  bad. 

We  need  not  go  any  further  back  than  the  1943-44 
season,  just  completed,  to  prove  the  unfaithfulness 
with  which  this  company  has  consistently  treated  its 
customers. 

The  following  are  the  top  pictures  Columbia  prom- 
ised but  did  not  deliver  to  the  1943-44  contract- 
holders  : 

"Heart  of  a  City,"  now  titled,  "Tonight  and  Every 
Night,"  with  Rita  Hayworth,  in  Technicolor;  "Gone 
Are  the  Days,"  with  Rita  Hayworth  and  Gary  Grant, 
in  Technicolor;  "Road  to  Yesterday,"  now  titled, 
"Together  Again,"  with  Irene  Dunne;  "The  First 
Woman  Doctor,"  with  Olivia  de  Havilland;  "At 
Night  We  Dream,"  with  Paul  Muni.  As  said  before, 
this  production  is  now  offered,  under  the  title,  "A 
Song  to  Remember,"  as  a  1944-45  special  release; 
"The  Life  of  Al  Jolson."  No  cast  mentioned. 

With  the  exception  of  "The  First  Woman  Doctor," 
every  one  of  these  top  productions  has  been  listed 
among  the  properties  from  which  Columbia  will  se- 
lect its  1944-45  program.  But  remember,  no  promise 
has  been  made  that  any  one  of  them  will  be  delivered. 
Which  pictures  will  ultimately  be  delivered  depends 
on  how  "elastic"  the  Columbia  executives  remain  in 
their  thinking.  Consequently,  you  may  find  some  of 
these  top  productions  offered  once  again  on  the  1945- 
46  program. 

And  let  us  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that,  if  these 
six  top  productions  had  been  delivered  and  allocated 
to  the  higher  brackets  where  they  rightfully  belonged, 
the  contract-holder  would  not  have  been  compelled 
to  exhibit  in  their  place  six  other  pictures,  none  of 
which  match  the  potential  box-office  value  of  the  un- 
delivered pictures,  and  some  of  which  are  of  no  better 
than  program  grade — yet  all  of  them  snuggled  com- 
fortably into  the  high  allocation  brackets. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


158 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  30,  1944 


"My  Buddy"  with  Donald  Barry, 
Ruth  Terry  and  Alexander  Granach  , 

(Republic,  Oct.  12;  time,  69  mm.) 

Unpleasant  program  fare.  The  idea  underlying 
"My  Buddy" — the  problem  of  post-war  jobs  for  re- 
turning servicemen— is  timely  and  important;  un- 
fortunately, the  picture  does  nothing  more  than  pose 
the  problem  in  a  brief  prologue  and  epilogue,  and  in 
between  resorts  to  a  trite  and  sordid  gangster  story 
about  a  young  soldier  who  returns  from  World  War 
I  and  engages  in  a  life  of  crime  because  of  his  in- 
ability to  find  honest  employment.  The  point  of  the 
story  is,  of  course,  that  we  must  plan  intelligently 
now  if  we  are  to  keep  the  returning  soldiers  on  the 
straight  and  narrow  path. 

As  a  gangster  melodrama,  the  picture  should  satisfy 
the  avid  followers  of  this  type  of  entertainment,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  it  is  totally  lacking  in  originality 
either  in  story  or  in  treatment.  But  as  an  example  of 
what  might  happen  to  returning  servicemen  in  the 
event  they  experience  difficulty  in  finding  employment, 
the  selection  of  a  gangster  story  is  in  the  worst  pos- 
sible taste,  for  it  may  cause  to  the  families  of  fighting 
men  no  end  of  worry  lest  their  boy  turn  to  a  life  of 
crime.  Another  bad  feature  is  that  it  lends  itself  to 
political  propaganda,  which  is  something  a  motion 
picture  designed  for  entertainment,  even  though  it 
has  a  message,  should  avoi.  Republic  had  an  im- 
portant subject  to  work  with,  but  it  muffed  the  op- 
portunity. 

In  the  development  of  the  story,  John  Litel,  a 
priest,  appears  before  a  Post- War  Planning  Commit- 
tee and,  to  aid  them  in  their  work,  relates  to  them  the 
story  of  Donald  Barry,  who  had  returned  from  the 
war  in  1919  to  find  his  mother  living  in  poverty. 
Peeved  because  no  jobs  were  available,  Barry  had 
joined  up  with  Alexander  Granach,  a  gangster  leader. 
He  had  been  caught  smuggling  bootleg  whiskey,  and 
had  been  given  a  five-year  jail  term  after  Granach 
had  double-crossed  him.  In  prison,  Barry  had  organ- 
ized his  own  "mob,"  and  upon  release  had  engaged  in 
a  bloody  gang  war  with  Granach  to  gain  control  of 
the  "rackets."  He  had  ultimately  killed  Granach,  and 
had  been  killed  himself  in  a  gun  battle  with  the  police. 

Arnold  Manoff  wrote  the  screen  play,  Eddy  White 
produced  it,  and  Steve  Sekely  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Lynne  Roberts,  George  E.  Stone,  Ray  Walk- 
er, Emma  Dunn  and  others. 

Not  for  children. 


"When  the  Lights  Go  On  Again"  with 
Jimmy  Lydon  and  Barbara  Belden 

(PRC,  Sept.  15;  time,  74  min.) 
Very  Good!  Based  on  a  theme  that  is  timely,  this 
human  interest  drama  is  the  sort  of  entertainment 
that  will  be  understood  and  enjoyed  by  all.  It  is  strong 
enough  for  single-billing  in  many  houses,  while  in 
double-feature  situations  the  co-feature  will  have  to 
be  pretty  good  to  crowd  this  one  from  the  upper  spot. 
It  concerns  itself  with  the  rehabilitation  of  a  young 
soldier,  who  returns  from  overseas  a  victim  of  am- 
nesia. Under  the  very  capable  direction  of  William  K. 
Howard,  the  story  is  told  in  an  honest,  direct,  and 
realistic  manner.  Mr.  Howard's  sympathetic  handling 
and  thorough  understanding  of  his  subject  has  re- 
sulted in  a  number  of  deeply  moving  situations,  some 
of  which  will  bring  tears  to  the  eyes,  particularly  to 
those  of  women.  Jimmy  Lydon,  who  is  best  known  for 
his  "Henry  Aldrich"  characterization,  turns  in  a  bril- 


liant performance  as  the  young  soldier,  proving  his 
worth  as  a  dramatic  actor.  The  courage  and  helpful- 
ness displayed  by  the  boy's  family  and  his  young  wife, 
in  their  efforts  to  rehabilitate  him,  conveys  a  good 
moral  in  these  times: — 

Given  a  furlough  because  of  "combat  fatigue," 
Jimmy  Lydon  heads  for  home  from  the  South  Pacific. 
In  Kansas  City,  he  is  injured  in  a  taxicab  accident, 
causing  him  to  develop  amnesia.  The  bewildered  boy 
is  found  by  Regis  Toomey,  a  sympathetic  newspaper- 
man, who  recognizes  his  condition  and  offers  to  take 
him  to  Middletown,  where  Jimmy  lived.  En  route, 
Jimmy  falls  asleep.  He  dreams  about  his  romance  with 
Barbara  Belden,  daughter  of  Harry  Shannon,  local 
newspaper  editor,  and  about  the  opposition  of  his 
father  (Grant  Mitchell),  a  wealthy  real  estate  owner, 
who  wanted  him  to  forget  Barbara  and  to  marry  a 
girl  of  high  social  standing.  Rebelling  against  his 
father's  desire  to  run  his  life  for  him,  Jimmy  had  quit 
school  and  had  eloped  with  Barbara.  The  day  after 
their  honeymoon,  Pearl  Harbor  had  been  bombed. 
Jimmy's  enlistment  in  the  Marines  had  brought  about 
a  reconciliation  with  his  father,  prior  to  his  departure 
overseas.  Jimmy  awakens  as  the  train  reaches  Middle- 
town.  Toomey,  in  consideration  of  Jimmy's  strange- 
ness, takes  him  to  a  hotel  for  the  night.  On  the  follow- 
ing morning,  Toomey  visits  Jimmy's  family  and  Bar- 
bara, and  explains  what  kind  of  care  and  devotion 
Jimmy  must  have,  and  how  they  must  react  to  his 
condition,  in  order  that  he  recover.  As  the  days  go 
by,  Jimmy,  under  the  patient  handling  of  his  family 
and  his  wife,  slowly  recovers  as  he  begins  to  recognize 
familiar  scenes  and  objects.  His  memory  is  restored 
to  normalcy  when  he  recognizes  a  favorite  trysting 
place  he  and  Barbara  had  often  visited. 

Milton  Lazurus  wrote  the  screen  play  from  an 
original  story  by  Frank  Craven,  Leon  Fromkess  pro- 
duced it,  and  William  K.  Howard  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Dorothy  Peterson,  George  Cleveland, 
Warren  Mills  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"The  Unwritten  Code"  with  Tom  Neal, 
Roland  Vamo  and  Ann  Savage 

(Columbia,  Oct.  26;  time,  61  min.) 

Ordinary  program  fare.  It  is  another  "assembly- 
line"  anti-Nazi  melodrama,  produced  on  a  modest 
budget,  with  little  about  it  that  is  distinctive.  The 
story  lacks  originality,  and  it  leans  heavily  on  the 
long  arm  of  coincidence  in  the  development  of  the 
plot.  Since  it  moves  at  a  fairly  fast  pace,  however,  and 
since  parts  of  it  are  fairly  exciting,  it  may  get  by  with 
audiences  that  pay  little  attention  to  story  detail. 
Neither  the  direction  nor  the  performances  are  any- 
thing to  brag  about.  Set  this  one  down  for  the  lower- 
half  of  a  mid-week  double  bill : — 

When  an  Allied  ship  carrying  German  war  prison- 
ers is  torpedoed,  Roland  Varno  and  Otto  Reicher, 
Nazi  soldiers,  swim  to  a  life  raft  on  which  a  British 
officer  lay  wounded.  Varno,  who  had  been  educated  in 
England,  kills  the  Britisher  and  steals  his  credentials 
and  uniform.  He  is  rescued  and  brought  to  a  hospital 
in  the  United  States,  where  he  feigns  an  arm  injury 
in  order  to  remain  in  the  country.  Reicher,  who,  too, 
had  been  saved,  was  interned  in  a  war  prisoner's  camp 
near  the  hospital.  Ann  Savage,  a  sympathetic  nurse  at 
the  hospital,  offers  to  take  Varno  to  her  home  to  re- 
cuperate, in  order  to  make  more  room  available  at 
the  hospital.  Sergeant  Tom  Neal,  Ann's  boy-friend, 


September  30,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


159 


becomes  jealous  when  Varno  takes  an  interest  in  her. 
His  jealousy  turns  to  suspicion,  however,  when  Bobby 
Larson,  Ann's  young  brother,  informs  him  that  he 
had  seen  Varno  embrace  Ann  against  her  will,  and 
that  he  had  moved  his  injured  arm.  Meanwhile  Varno 
learns  of  Reicher's  presence  in  the  prison  camp,  and 
lays  plan  to  arm  the  prisoners  and  to  set  them  free. 
Reicher  escapes  from  the  camp  and  is  hidden  in  a 
barn  by  Varno.  Bobby  discovers  Reicher,  and  sends 
one  of  his  young  friends  for  help.  Learning  that 
Reicher  had  been  found  out,  Varno,  clinging  to  his 
role  of  Britisher,  shoots  the  luckless  Nazi  just  as  Neal 
and  a  contingent  of  soldiers  arrive  on  the  scene.  But 
Neal,  having  investigated  Varno 's  credentials  through 
the  British  Consul,  exposes  and  imprisons  him.  Varno 
is  shot  and  killed  in  an  attempted  escape. 

Leslie  T.  White  and  Charles  Kenyon  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Sam  White  produced  it,  and  Herman 
Rotsten  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Howard  Free- 
man and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Climax"  with  Boris  Karloff, 
Susanna  Foster  and  Turhan  Bey 

(Universal,  Oct.  20;  time,  86  min.) 

This  suspense  drama,  with  operatic  music,  is  com' 
parable  to  Universale  "Phantom  of  the  Opera"  in  its 
artistic  production,  lavish  settings,  and  Technicolor 
photography.  As  entertainment,  however,  it  is  only 
fair,  not  only  because  of  the  far-fetched  story,  but 
also  because  of  the  stagey  situations.  And  the  players, 
with  the  exception  of  Boris  KarlofF,  who  is  properly 
sinister  as  a  demented  physician,  do  not  help  matters 
much — their  performances  are  wooden.  It  has,  how- 
ever, a  fair  share  of  suspense  and  chills,  brought  about 
by  KarlofTs  fanatical  machinations  as  he  tries  to  still 
the  heroine's  voice  through  hypnotism.  Good  music 
is  interpolated  in  the  story  in  such  a  way  that  it  does 
not  retard  the  action.  The  closing  scenes  are  fairly 
exciting,  even  though  the  outcome  is  obvious.  The 
action  frequently  lags,  and  there  is  little  comedy  re- 
lief. Universal  produced  "The  Climax"  once  before, 
in  1930,  but  considerable  changes  have  been  made  for 
this  version : — 

Karloff,  physician  of  the  Royal  Opera  House, 
broods  over  his  loneliness  for  June  Vincent,  a  great 
opera  star,  whom  he  had  murdered  secretly  in  a  jealous 
rage  ten  years  previously.  Walking  through  the 
theatre,  Karloff  is  astounded  to  hear  a  voice,  uncan- 
nily like  Junes,  singing  "The  Magic  Voice"  opera, 
which  he  considered  sacred  to  the  memory  of  the 
dead  star.  In  the  library,  he  finds  Susanna  Foster  and 
Turhan  Bey,  music  students,  rehearsing  the  opera. 
Thomas  Gomez,  the  opera's  manager,  grants  Susanna 
an  opportunity  to  sing  and,  at  her  debut,  she  becomes 
a  great  diva.  Karloff  becomes  upset  when  he  learns 
that  Gomez  planned  to  revive  "The  Magic  Voice" 
with  Susanna  singing  the  leading  role.  He  lures 
Susanna  to  his  office  for  a  throat  examination,  and 
there  he  exerts  his  hypnotic  powers  upon  her  to  pre- 
vent her  from  singing.  Under  Karloff  's  spell,  Susanna's 
voice  breaks  every  time  she  attempts  to  sing.  Karloff 
convinces  Gomez  that  the  young  girl  should  spend 
several  days  at  his  home  for  a  complete  rest.  Susanna, 
helpless,  cannot  resist.  Gale  Sondergaard,  KarlofTs 
housekeeper  and  former  maid  to  the  dead  opera  star, 
warns  Bey  that  Karloff  means  to  destroy  Susanna. 
Bey  manages  to  spirit  Susanna  out  of  the  house,  and 
he  convinces  her  that  her  voice  had  not  been  affected. 


By  inducing  the  King  to  order  a  command  perform- 
ance of  "The  Magic  Voice,"  Bey  compels  Gomez  to 
give  Susanna  the  leading  role.  On  the  eve  of  the  per- 
formance, Karloff  kidnaps  Susanna  from  her  dressing 
room,  but  she  is  rescued  by  Bey  and  returned  to  the 
theatre  in  time  to  sing.  Driven  insane  by  his  frustra- 
tion, Karloff  rushes  to  a  secret  room  containing  the 
body  of  June.  Both  he  and  the  body  are  devoured  in 
flames  when  he  accidentally  upsets  a  lighted  lamp. 

Curt  Siodmak  and  Lynn  Starling  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  George  Waggner  produced  and  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  George  Dolenz,  Ludwig  Stossel, 
Jane  Farrar  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"My  Pal,  Wolf,"  with  Sharyn  Moffett 
and  Jill  Esmond 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  75  min.) 

A  pleasing  program  comedy-drama,  best  suited  for 
theatres  that  cater  to  family  audiences.  There  is  a 
warm,  heart-arresting  quality  about  the  story,  which 
revolves  around  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  a  "poor- 
little-rich-girl,"  who  seeks  to  keep  an  Army  dog  she 
had  befriended,  but  the  story  is  weakened  consider- 
ably by  a  number  of  unbelievable  situations  and  by 
the  fact  that  it  "wanders  all  over  the  lot."  Had  more 
attention  been  paid  to  the  script,  the  picture  might 
have  emerged  as  a  "sleeper."  Sharyn  Moffett,  as  the 
little  heroine,  is  a  very  appealing  child,  and  her  per- 
formance is  exceptionally  good.  No  small  amount  of 
credit  is  due  Grey  Shadow,  a  highly-trained,  intelli- 
gent police-dog.  Since  none  of  the  players  means  any- 
thing at  the  box-office,  the  picture  will  require  ex- 
tensive exploitation  to  put  it  over: — 

Because  her  parents  were  too  engrossed  with  their 
respective  business  affairs,  Sharyn  leads  a  lonely  life 
on  a  huge  Virginia  estate,  with  three  good-hearted 
but  shiftless  servants,  and  a  Norwegian  family  of 
caretakers  on  a  nearby  estate,  as  her  only  companions. 
Deciding  that  Sharyn  needs  a  governess,  her  mother 
employes  Jill  Esmond  for  the  post.  Miss  Esmond,  a 
strict  disciplinarian,  becomes  decidedly  unpopular 
with  the  servants.  When  Sharyn  tells  her  of  finding 
a  "wolf"  in  a  cave  in  the  woods,  Miss  Esmond  harshly 
accuses  the  child  of  lying.  Rebellious,  Sharyn  slips 
away  to  feed  the  animal,  a  big  police-dog,  which  had 
been  trapped  at  the  bottom  of  an  old  dry  well,  only 
to  become  trapped  herself.  Wolf,  the  dog,  escapes, 
and  returns  with  a  rescue  party  for  Sharyn.  Over  the 
protests  of  Miss  Esmond,  Sharyn's  father  permits  her 
to  keep  the  dog.  Miss  Esmond,  learning  that  Wolf 
had  run  away  from  a  nearby  army-dog  training  camp, 
notifies  the  authorities.  Wolf  is  taken  away,  but  he 
breaks  out  of  camp  and  rejoins  Sharyn.  Accompanied 
by  two  of  the  Norwegian  family's  children,  Sharyn, 
taking  Wolf  with  her,  "hitch-hikes"  to  Washington, 
where  she  appeals  to  the  Secretary  of  War  personally 
in  an  attempt  to  buy  the  dog.  The  Secretary  sympa- 
thetically convinces  Sharyn  why  the  Army  needed 
Wolf,  and  summons  her  parents  to  take  her  home. 
The  parents  resolve  to  spend  more  time  with  their 
daughter,  and  discharge  Miss  Esmond  for  her  mean- 
ness. A  few  days  later,  Sharyn  is  made  happy  when 
the  Secretary  of  War  sends  her  a  puppy  police-dog. 

Lillie  Hayward,  Leonard  Praskins,  and  John  Paxton 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Adrian  Scott  produced  it,  and 
Alfred  Werker  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Una 
O'Connor,  George  Cleveland,  Charles  Arnt,  Bobby 
Larson  and  others. 


160 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


September  30,  1944 


Columbia's  failure  to  live  up  to  its  1943-44  prom- 
ises does  not  come  as  a  surprise;  it  comes  along  as  the 
natural  sequence  in  this  company's  long  record  of  con- 
sistency in  its  policy  of  hocus-pocus— "now  you  see 
it;  now  you  don't."  Be  assured  that  the  reputation 
Columbia  has  built  for  itself  is  causing  its  executives 
no  end  of  grief.  According  to  confidential  reports 
reaching  this  office,  the  Columbia  salesmen  are  meet- 
ing with  considerable  exhibitor  resistance  because  of 
their  inability  to  offer  a  specific  program.  To  get 
around  this  opposition,  many  of  the  salesmen  may 
point  to  their  company's  "quasi-promises"  as  being 
indicative  of  what  the  program  will  be  like.  You 
should  accept  these  "quasi-promises"  at  their  face 
value — zero.  This  paper  has  often  said  and  continues 
to  say  that  there  is  only  one  way  for  you  to  do  busi- 
ness with  the  Columbia  salesman — make  him  write 
his  company's  promises  into  the  contract. 


THE  INDUSTRY  IN  POLITICS 

Under  the  slogan,  "Hollywood-for-Dewey,"  a 
group  of  actors,  writers  and  others  have  come  out  for 
Dewey,  pledging  themselves  to  work  for  his  election 
as  President.  Very  soon  another  group  will,  I  am  sure, 
come  out  pledging  themselves,  under  the  slogan, 
"Hollywood-for-Rcxisevelt,"  to  work  for  the  reelection 
of  President  Roosevelt. 

Since  our  country  is  a  democracy,  in  spirit  as  well 
as  in  substance,  any  citizen  has  the  right  to  declare 
himself  for  the  candidate  of  any  party— we  know 
that;  but  when  a  group  of  picture  people  wants  to 
drag  the  industry  into  politics,  that  is  another  matter, 
for  if  the  candidate  should  lose  the  election  the  conse- 
quences may  be  grave — they  may  bring  upon  the  in- 
dustry political  punishment. 

I  say  that  the  industry  is  being  dragged  into  politics 
only  because  these  picture  people  are  using  in  their 
slogans  the  word  "Hollywood."  No  one  speaks  or 
thinks  of  Hollywood  as  a  community  in  the  accepted 
sense  of  that  term;  to  the  American  people,  in  fact 
the  whole  world,  Hollywood  is  synonymous  with  mo- 
tion pictures.  Consequently,  the  use  of  the  word 
"Hollywood"  in  a  political  group's  slogan  conveys  to 
most  people  the  idea,  not  that  one  group  in  a  certain 
community  is  in  favor  of  a  particular  candidate,  but 
that  the  motion  picture  industry  itself  favors  that 
candidate. 

Since  this  is  a  presidential  election,  one  that  the 
entire  populace  is  interested  in,  it  behooves  those  pic- 
ture people  who  wish  to  declare  themselves  for  a 
particular  candidate  to  do  so  in  a  manner  that  will 
not  involve  the  industry  as  a  whole.  A  presidential 
election  certainly  is  not  a  non-partisan  affair;  people 
are  either  for  or  against  each  candidate.  And  that  is 
true  whether  those  people  are  part  of  the  industry  or 
entirely  outside  of  it.  The  motion  picture  industry, 
however,  should  not  be  put  in  a  position  where  it 
may  be  accused  of  acting  as  a  unified  group  in  foster- 
ing the  election  of  any  one  candidate. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  public's  only  con- 
tact with  the  industry  is  through  the  exhibitor.  When 
the  public  resents  some  action  of  the  industry,  it  ex- 
presses its  displeasure  by  staying  away  from  the 
theatres.  An  exhibitor  who  would  purposely  use  his 
theatre  for  the  support  of  a  certain  candidate  takes 
his  own  chances  on  what  the  reaction  of  his  patrons 
will  be.  But  when  an  exhibitor  who  plays  no  partisan 


politics  stands  to  suffer  because  of  the  machinations 
of  some  political  group,  with  whom  he  has  no  direct 
connection,  but  with  whom  it  is  his  misfortune  to  be 
indirectly  identified— by  the  remote  fact  that  both  he 
and  they  are  engaged  in  different  branches  of  the  same 
industry,  then  that  political  group  is  guilty  of  a  gross 
injustice  for  having  adopted  a  slogan  that  might  cause 
a  breach  between  the  exhibitor  and  his  patrons. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  public's  feelings  are  not 
the  only  ones  that  might  be  aroused.  I  wonder  whether 
those  who  have  coined  the  slogan,  "Hoi ly wood- for- 
Dewey,"  or  those  who  will  remold  it  to  read,  "Holly- 
wood-for-Roosevelt,"  have  thought  or  will  'think  of 
the  other  consequences. 

If,  after  the  election,  a  group  of  Republican  Con- 
gressmen, if  Dewey  should  lose,  or  of  Democrats,  if 
Roosevelt  should  lose,  should  try  to  introduce  in  Con- 
gress legislation  adverse  to  the  motion  picture  in- 
dustry on  the  grounds  that  it  is  also  a  political  organi- 
zation, what  will  those  proponents  of  "Hollywood-in- 
Politics"  say  or  do? 

There  are  plenty  of  good  political  names  and  politi- 
cal slogans  for  those  who  wish  to  take  an  active  part 
in  the  candidacy  of  Mr.  Dewey.  And  there  are  just 
as  many  good  slogans  and  good  names  for  those  who 
wish  to  back  President  Roosevelt.  But  the  word 
"Hollywood"  should  be  kept  out  of  all  of  them. 

The  industry  has  had  a  number  of  sad  experiences 
in  such  matters,  yet  it  seems  as  if  some  of  us  never 
learn. 


"Goin'  to  Town"  with  Lum  and  Abner 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  70  mm.) 

This  is  a  typical  Lum  and  Abner  homespun  pro- 
gram comedy,  best  suited  for  theatres  that  have  found 
the  other  pictures  in  the  series  acceptable  to  their 
patrons.  The  comedy  team's  radio  popularity  should 
of  course,  be  of  considerable  help.  The  story  is  an  in- 
nocuous affair,  designed  to  fit  Lum  and  Abner 's  rustic 
brand  of  humor,  and  one  or  two  of  the  situations  are 
fairly  amusing,  but  for  the  most  part  the  action  is 
mild,  causing  one's  interest  to  lag.  A  night-club  se- 
quence towards  the  finish  serves  as  an  excuse  for  a 
musical  interlude,  featuring  Nils  T.  Granlund  and 
his  showgirls: — 

Lum  and  Abner  (Chester  Lauck  and  Norris  Goff) 
are  made  the  victims  of  a  practical  joke  when  Andrew 
Tombes,  a  wealthy  oil  operator,  while  waiting  in  Pine 
Ridge  for  his  car  to  be  repaired,  tells  them  that  there 
is  an  oil  pool  under  their  general  store  and  offers  them 
a  fortune  for  the  property.  The  two  rural  storekeepers 
refuse  the  offer  and  induce  their  friends  and  neigh- 
bors to  finance  the  drilling  of  a  well.  The  venture 
proves  unsuccessful,  and  Lum  and  Abner,  faced  with 
disgrace  and  bankruptcy,  go  to  Chicago  to  see  Tombes 
about  financing  further  drilling.  Their  misadventures 
in  Chicago  bring  them  in  contact  with  Herbert  Raw- 
linson,  Tombes'  business  rival,  who  offers  to  buy  their 
property.  Tombes'  business  partner,  unaware  that 
Tombes  had  perpetrated  a  practical  joke,  outbids 
Rawlinson  and  buys  the  worthless  property,  enabling 
Lum  and  Abner  to  repay  their  neighbors  with  a  hand- 
some profit  to  boot. 

Charles  E.  Roberts  and  Charles  R.  Marion  wrote 
the  screen  play,  Frank  Melford  produced  it,  and  Leslie 
Goodwins  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Barbara  Hale, 
Florence  Lake,  Dick  Elliott  and  others. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  7,  1944  No.  41 


MISDIRECTED  EXTRAVAGANCE 

From  time  to  time,  exhibitors  have  written  to  me 
complaining  about  the  distributors1  waste  in  their 
direct  mail  advertising  campaigns  in  connection  with 
the  sale  of  their  pictures  to  the  exhibitor. 

The  gist  of  most  of  these  complaints  is  that  the 
advertising  campaigns  are  grossly  overdone,  not  only 
in  the  number  of  repetitional  mailing  pieces,  but  also 
in  the  elaborateness  of  many  of  the  mailing  pieces. 
Some  of  the  exhibitors  feel  that  one  broadside  tells 
them  all  they  want  to  know  about  a  particular  picture, 
and  that,  instead  of  mailing  out  additional  broadsides 
on  the  same  picture,  a  better  purpose  would  be  served 
if  the  distributors  would  put  the  cost  of  this  extrane- 
ous material  into  the  exploitation  of  the  picture  to  the 
public.  Other  exhibitors  feel  that,  if  the  direct  mail 
campaign  would  be  stopped  after  one  coverage,  the 
savings  could  be  reflected  in  reduced  film  rentals. 

No  fault  can  be  found  with  the  distributors  for  try 
ing  to  promote  their  pictures  to  the  exhibitors,  but,  if 
I  am  to  judge  from  some  of  the  advertising  material 
that  reaches  my  office,  there  seems  to  be  some  justifica- 
tion for  the  exhibitor  complaints.  The  time  and  ex- 
pense that  have  gone  into  some  of  the  repititious  mail- 
ings could  indeed  have  been  put  to  better  use  had  they 
gone  into  the  selling  of  the  pictures  to  the  public. 

Not  all  the  distributors,  however,  are  wasteful  in 
their  sales  promotion  campaigns.  One  of  the  best  ex- 
amples of  promoting  a  picture  to  the  exhibitors  is  the 
policy  followed  by  RKO,  under  the  capable  handling 
of  Leon  J.  Bamberger,  its  sales  promotion  manager. 
Not  only  are  RKO's  sales  promotion  campaigns  stop- 
ped after  one  coverage,  but  the  mailing  pieces  are  de- 
signed in  so  clever  a  fashion  that  each  piece,  after 
conveying  its  sales  message  to  the  exhibitors,  can  be 
used  as  a  lobby  display,  both  before  and  during  the 
exhibition  of  the  picture.  For  instance,  the  mailing 
piece  used  to  promote  "Step  Lively"  was  a  folder  ar- 
rangement measuring  10"  x  Hj/2",  which  told  its  sales 
story  as  the  exhibitor  unfolded  it.  When  opened  in 
full,  the  piece  measured  40"  x  58" — lobby  poster  size, 
with  one  side  designed  to  sell  the  picture  to  the  public. 
Another  clever  mailing  piece  was  the  one  used  in  pro- 
moting "Marine  Raiders."  This  one,  after  telling  its 
story  to  the  exhibitor,  could  be  taken  apart  and  used 
as  a  set  of  pennants  to  be  hung  in  the  lobby.  Mr.  Bam- 
berger has  sent  me  a  number  of  other  mailing  pieces, 
each  cleverly  designed  to  serve  the  same  two-fold  pur- 
pose already  mentioned. 

As  said  before,  no  fault  can  be  found  with  the  dis- 
tributors for  trying  to  exploit  their  pictures  to  the  ex- 
hibitors, but  most  of  them  would  do  well  to  emulate 
RKO,  not  only  in  eliminating  waste,  but  also  in  de- 


signing broadsides  that  can  be  utilized  by  the  exhibi- 
tors after  they  have  served  their  original  purpose. 

The  primary  source  of  the  entire  industry's  income 
is  the  public.  Hence  the  exploitation  material  ad- 
dressed to  the  exhibitor  should  have  as  its  ultimate  goal 
the  public. 


A  SUGGESTION  TO  PRODUCERS- 
HOW  TO  FIGHT  RESTRICTIONS 
ON  AMERICAN  PICTURES  ABROAD 

According  to  the  trade  papers,  Argentina  has  for- 
mulated a  decree  whereby  the  exhibitors  in  that  coun- 
try are  compelled  to  play  a  minimum  of  forty  per 
cent  Argentine  pictures. 

According  to  the  September  5  issue  of  the  Film 
Daily,  the  distributors  in  New  York,  after  studying 
the  decree  that  was  put  in  effect  in  Argentina  on 
August  1?,  this  year,  have  found  it  encouraging  in 
that  it  will  make  it  possible  for  them  to  merchandise 
their  pictures  more  extensively,  thus  making  up  the 
loss  of  revenue  from  the  restrictions  of  the  decree. 

This  paper  believes  that  the  distributors  are,  like  the 
boy  who  passes  by  a  graveyard  at  night  time,  whistling 
to  keep  up  their  courage. 

Unless  the  Department  of  State  is  able  to  ease  up 
such  restrictions  by  threatening  retaliation — a  method 
that  the  State  Department  is  reluctant  to  adopt — there 
is  only  one  way  by  which  the  distributors  could  beat 
the  game  of  the  foreign  governments :  it  is  for  them  to 
send  to  those  countries  nothing  but  choice  product. 
Just  now,  no  country  in  the  world  can  compete  with 
this  country  in  the  production  of  good  pictures,  how- 
ever small  is  the  percentage  of  such  pictures;  and  even 
the  mediocre  pictures  produced  in  this  country  are, 
with  rare  exception,  better  than  the  best  produced  in 
foreign  countries.  Such  being  the  case,  the  distributors 
in  this  country  could  beat  the  game  of  these  foreign 
governments  by  sending  to  their  countries  only  the 
best  that  is  produced  in  this  country.  If  that  were  to 
happen,  the  picture-going  public,  by  comparing  the 
quality  of  the  native  pictures,  imposed  on  them  by 
government  decree,  with  the  quality  of  the  pictures 
sent  there  from  this  country,  will  know  how  far  su- 
perior are  the  American  pictures,  and  they  will  learn 
to  wait  until  an  American  picture  is  shown  before 
going  to  a  picture  show. 

But  who  among  the  American  producers  will  de- 
cide what  should  and  what  should  not  be  sent  abroad? 
They  will  not  be  able  to  agree  among  themselves,  with 
the  result  that  they  will  be  unable  to  adopt  a  policy 
that  would  net  them  even  greater  revenue  than  they 
will  be  getting  by  sending  pictures  regardless  of 
quality. 


162 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  7,  1944 


"Irish  Eyes  Are  Smiling"  with  June  Haver, 
Dick  Haymes  and  Monty  Woolley 

(20th  Century-Fox,  October;  time,  90  mm.) 

Because  of  its  engaging  performances,  melodious 
music,  and  good  comedy,  this  latest  of  20th  Century- 
Fox's  elaborate  Technicolor  musicals,  which  has  its 
setting  in  the  early  1900's,  is  the  sort  of  entertainment 
that  should  go  over  very  well  with  the  rank-and-file. 
There  is  nothing  unusual  about  the  story,  which  is 
supposedly  based  on  the  career  of  Ernest  R.  Ball, 
well-known  American  composer  of  ballads  that  are 
still  popular  today,  but  it  has  some  amusing  comedy 
situations  and  romantic  complications,  and  it  holds 
one's  interest  all  the  way  through.  June  Haver,  a  com- 
parative newcomer,  has  a  pleasing  personality,  and 
her  singing  and  dancing  talents  are  used  to  good  ad- 
vantage. Dick  Haymes,  popular  crooner  on  the  radio 
but  new  to  the  screen,  gives  a  creditable  performance 
as  the  young  composer.  Together,  he  and  Miss  Haver 
make  a  good  romantic  team.  Leonard  Warren,  a  bari- 
tone, and  Blanche  Thebom,  soprano  with  the  Metro- 
politan Opera  Co.,  are  excellent  in  their  renditions 
of  some  of  Ball's  music.  Monty  Woolley,  in  the  role 
of  a  caustic,  unscrupulous  promoter,  is  responsible 
for  a  good  part  of  the  comedy : — 

Attempting  to  sell  one  of  his  ballads  at  a  Cleveland 
burlesque  theatre,  Dick  Haymes,  a  struggling  com- 
poser, mistakes  June  Haver,  a  chorus  girl,  for  Veda 
Ann  Borg,  the  star.  When  Veda  indignantly  orders 
Haymes  ejected,  June  comes  to  his  defense  and  loses 
her  job.  Haymes  falls  desperately  in  love  with  June, 
but  she  leaves  for  New  York  to  try  her  luck  on  Broad- 
way. Desperately  in  need  of  money  to  follow  her, 
Haymes  earns  it  in  a  vaueville  theatre  by  putting  on 
an  exhibition  match  with  Maxie  Rosenbloom,  a  kindly 
prizefighter,  who  permits  him  to  last  three  rounds.  In 
New  York,  Haymes  searches  for  June  in  vain,  and 
finally  secures  work  as  a  song  "plugger."  While 
"plugging"  a  song  at  a  night-club,  Haymes  is  ridiculed 
by  Monty  Woolley  and  Anthony  Quinn,  two  gam- 
blers, who  were  entertaining  Beverly  Whitney,  a 
famous  singer.  Angered,  Haymes  discards  his  music 
and  begins  singing  one  of  his  own  ballads.  The  song 
catches  the  guests'  fancy,  and  Beverly  offers  to  use  it 
in  her  show.  From  then  on  success  comes  easy  to 
Haymes,  but  he  continues  his  search  for  June.  While 
dining  with  Woolley,  Beverly  and  Quinn,  Haymes 
finds  June  working  in  the  restaurant  as  a  hat-check 
girl.  At  the  table,  he  overhears  Woolley  bet  Quinn 
that  he  can  make  a  star  within  three  months  of  the 
first  girl  to  come  out  of  the  ladies  lounge.  Woolley 
had  arranged  with  Beverly  to  come  out  first,  but 
Haymes,  without  letting  June  in  on  the  plan,  arranges 
for  her  to  be  pushed  out  first.  June  loses  her  temper, 
and  runs  out.  Beverly,  lest  June  interfere  with  her 
interest  in  Haymes,  secures  a  job  for  her  in  a  New 
Jersey  night-club  to  get  her  out  of  the  way.  After  a 
series  of  complications  in  which  Woolley  foils  Quinn's 
attempt  to  spirit  June  out  of  the  country,  Jane  and 
Haymes  are  reunited,  and  she  is  starred  in  a  Broadway 
show  featuring  Haymes'  songs. 

Earl  Baldwin  and  John  Tucker  Battle  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Damon  Runyon  produced  it,  and  Gregory 
Ratoff  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Clarence  Kolb, 
Chick  Chandler  and  others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"None  But  the  Lonely  Heart"  with 
Cary  Grant  and  Ethel  Barrymore 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  113  mm.) 
The  best  that  can  be  said  for  this  drama  is  that  it 
may  prove  of  interest  to  intellectuals  because  of  the 
story's  "social  consciousness,"  but  as  far  as  the  picture- 
goer  of  the  rank-and-file  is  concerned,  the  action  is 
too  slow  for  him,  and  the  depressing  story,  drab  set- 
tings, and  unhappy  ending,  tend  to  make  him  feel 
morbid.  Another  drawback  is  that  the  Cockney  accent 
of  the  players  makes  much  of  the  dialogue  unintel- 
ligible. The  screen  play,  which  is  based  on  Richard 
Llewellyn's  widely-read  novel,  is  a  loosely  written 
affair  that  fails  to  make  clear  its  purpose,  which  seems 
to  be  that  the  man  in  the  street  must  take  courage  if 
we  are  to  have  a  better  world.  No  fault  can  be  found 
with  the  performances.  Cary  Grant,  as  the  shiftless 
Cockney,  and  Ethel  Barrymore,  as  his  hard-working 
mother,  play  their  roles  with  distinction,  and  Barry 
Fitzgerald,  seen  briefly  as  Grant's  philosophical  friend, 
gives  a  good  account  of  himself.  The  popularity  of 
the  players  should,  of  course,  help  considerably,  but 
it  is  not  the  sort  of  picture  that  will  benefit  from 
"word-of -mouth"  recommendation : — 

Grant,  a  shiftless  young  Cockney  embittered  with 
the  sordid  surroundings  of  London's  East  End,  drifts 
idly  and  aimlessly  through  life.  His  shiftlessness  dis- 
gusts Ethel  Barrymore,  his  mother,  owner  of  a  small 
second-hand  shop,  causing  many  quarrels  between 
them.  Grant's  car  for  music  arouses  his  interest  in 
Jane  Wyatt,  a  young  cello  player,  but  he  does  not 
return  her  deep  love  for  him.  Grant  falls  in  love  with 
June  Duprez,  cashier  at  a  Fun  Fair,  arousing  the 
jealousy  of  racketeer  George  Coulouris,  her  ex-hus- 
band, to  whom  she  was  inextricably  bound.  After  an 
unusually  bitter  quarrel  with  his  mother,  Grant  de- 
cides to  leave  home.  But  when  Konstantin  Shayne,  a 
friendly  pawnbroker,  informs  him  that  his  mother 
was  ill  of  cancer,  Grant  becomes  reconciled  with  her 
and  helps  her  to  run  the  shop.  Meanwhile  June  warns 
Grant  to  stay  away  from  her  lest  Coulouris  harm  him. 
Grant  tries  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  Coulouris  only  to 
have  the  crook  offer  him  a  well-paying  job.  Desperate 
and  determined  to  ease  his  mother's  last  days,  Grant 
accepts  the  offer.  Grant  turns  on  Coulouris,  however, 
when  his  thugs  molest  the  kindly  pawnbroker.  But, 
before  he  can  have  a  showdown  with  the  racketeer, 
Grant  is  arrested  when  the  stolen  car  in  which  he  was 
riding  crashes.  The  pawnbroker  bails  him  out  of  jail. 
Returning  home,  Grant  finds  that  his  mother,  too,  had 
been  arrested,  having  been  caught  dealing  in  stolen 
goods.  He  visits  her  in  the  hospital  jail,  where  he  finds 
her  dying.  Later,  he  receives  a  note  from  June  inform- 
ing him  that  she  had  returned  to  Coulouris  to  pro- 
tect him.  These  bitter  setbacks  make  Grant  realize 
that  there  is  no  hope  for  a  better  world  unless  the 
man  in  the  street  bestirs  himself  and  fights  for  it.  He 
realizes  also  the  worth  of  Jane's  love,  and  goes  to  her. 

Clifford  Odets  wrote  and  directed  the  screen  play, 
and  David  Hempstead  produced  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"My  Buddy"  with  Donald  Barry 

(Republic,  Oct.  12;  time,  69  min.) 
Through  a  typographical  error,  the  running  time  of 
this  feature  was  given  as  9  minutes  in  the  review 
printed  last  week.  The  correct  running  time  is  69 
minutes. 


October  7,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


163 


"Carolina  Blues"  with  Kay  Kyser, 
Ann  Miller  and  Victor  Moore 

(Columbia,  Sept.  26;  time,  80  min.) 
Just  a  moderately  entertaining  comedy  with  music, 
of  program  grade.  Its  chief  assets  are  Ann  Miller's 
dancing,  Georgia  Carroll's  torch  singing,  and  Kay 
Kyser's  music.  Its  main  appeal  will,  therefore,  be 
directed  to  the  younger  set  and  to  others  who  enjoy 
popular  music.  The  story,  however,  is  a  thin  and 
familiar  one,  offering  little  to  hold  one's  interest.  Here 
and  there  it  has  some  good  gags,  but  for  the  most  part 
the  players  labor  for  laughs.  A  Harlem  song  and 
dance  number  is  rather  well  done : — 

Arriving  in  New  York  after  an  overseas  tour,  Kay 
Kyser  promises  the  members  of  his  band  a  two-weeks 
vacation.  Kyser,  however,  is  compelled  to  postpone 
the  vacation  plans  when  Jeff  Donnell,  his  publicist, 
arranges  for  the  band  to  perform  at  a  war  plant. 
Victor  Moore,  poor  relation  of  the  plant's  owners, 
pretends  wealth  and  uses  his  family  ties  to  promote  a 
job  for  Ann  Miller,  his  daughter,  as  soloist  with 
Kyser's  band,  to  replace  Georgia  Carroll,  who  planned 
to  marry  and  leave  the  troupe,  Kyser  declines  to  em- 
ploy Ann,  explaining  that  rich  girls  were  generally 
unreliable.  Meanwhile  Howard  Freeman,  a  fellow 
townsman  of  Kyser's,  pleads  with  him  to  come  to 
Rocky  Mount,  N.  C,  to  stage  a  bond  rally  and  raise 
enough  money  to  build  a  cruiser  named  after  the  town. 
Kyser,  lest  the  rally  interfere  with  his  band's  vacation 
plans,  compromises  by  staging  the  show  in  New  York. 
With  the  money  raised,  Kyser  allows  the  band  to  go 
on  vacation,  while  he  goes  to  Rocky  Mount  alone  to 
receive  the  congratulations  of  the  townspeople.  Com- 
plications arise  when  the  Government  notifies  Kyser 
that  the  money  raised  in  New  York  could  not  be  allo- 
cated to  Rocky  Mount.  To  stage  another  rally,  Kyser 
feigns  illness  and  summons  the  band  members.  All 
come  to  Rocky  Mount  in  the  belief  that  he  was  dying. 
Meanwhile  Moore  and  Ann  arrive,  intending  to  tell 
Kyser  the  truth  about  themselves.  Kyser  patronizes 
them  in  the  hope  that  Moore  will  buy  enough  bonds 
to  reach  the  sum  needed  for  a  cruiser.  Ann  tells  Kyser 
the  truth  about  herself,  and  Moore,  to  insure  the  bond 
rally's  success,  blackmails  his  wealthy  realtives  into 
buying  $20,000,000  worth  of  bonds. 

Joseph  Kaufman  and  Al  Martin  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Samuel  Bischoff  produced  it,  and  Leigh  Jason 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Harold  Nicholas,  the 
Cristianis,  the  Four  Step  Brothers,  the  Layson 
Brothers  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Swing  Hostess"  with  Martha  Tilton 
and  Iris  Adrian 

(PRC,  Sept.  8;  time,  76  mm.) 

A  routine  program  comedy  with  music;  it  should 
serve  its  purpose  as  a  supporting  feature  in  its  in- 
tended market.  Martha  Tilton  has  a  pleasing  voice, 
and  some  of  the  songs  she  sings  are  catchy  tunes.  The 
story  is  rather  lightweight,  but  it  is  no  worse  than  the 
stories  used  in  the  majority  of  program  musicals 
turned  out  by  the  larger  companies.  Cliff  Nazzaro, 
who  resorts  to  "double  talk,"  manages  to  provoke  a 
few  laughs,  but  there  is  little  about  the  comedy  that 
is  amusing: — 

Martha  Tilton,  an  ambitious  young  singer,  seek- 
ing employment  with  Charles  Collins'  orchestra,  at- 


tends an  audition  held  by  Collins.  Through  a  mis- 
understanding, Collins  fails  to  hear  her  voice.  Need- 
ing work,  Martha  accepts  a  job  changing  records  for 
a  juke  box  concern,  and,  while  on  this  job,  becomes 
friendly  with  Collins  but  does  not  know  his  identity. 
A  friend  of  Martha's  gives  her  an  opportunity  to 
record  her  voice,  but,  before  she  can  obtain  the  record, 
Harry  Holman,  owner  of  the  recording  company,  ar- 
rives with  Betty  Brodel,  in  whom  he  was  interested, 
to  make  a  recording  of  her  voice.  When  Holman  plays 
the  record,  he  hears  Martha's  voice  and  mistakes  it 
for  Betty's.  Not  realizing  his  error,  Holman  signs 
Betty  to  a  contract.  Collins,  hearing  the  record  played 
over  the  radio,  is  thrilled  with  the  voice.  He  signs 
Betty  to  sing  with  his  band  at  the  opening  of  a  new 
night-club.  Holman,  however,  realizes  his  mistake 
when  Betty  makes  another  record.  Since  the  friend 
who  had  arranged  for  Martha  to  record  her  voice 
could  not  be  found,  Holman  institutes  a  nation-wide 
search  to  find  the  girl  who  made  the  record.  A  group 
of  vaudevillians,  who  lived  in  Martha's  boarding 
house,  recognize  her  voice  and  determine  that  she 
should  get  credit.  Through  them,  and  the  assistance 
of  Iris  Adrian,  her  close  friend,  Martha  is  credited 
for  having  made  the  record  and  is  given  an  oppor- 
tunity to  sing  with  Collins'  band  on  the  night  of  the 
opening. 

Louise  Rousseau  and  Gail  Davenport  wrote  the 
screen  play.  Sam  Neufeld  produced  it,  and  Sam  New- 
field  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


STATEMENT  OF  THE  OWNERSHIP,  MANAGEMENT,  CIR- 
CULATION, ETC.,  REQUIRED  BY  THE  ACT  OF  CON- 
GRESS OF  AUGUST  24,  1912,  AND  MARCH  3,  1933,  OF 
HARRISON'S  REPORTS,  published  Weekly  at  New  York, 
N.  Y.,  for  Oct.  1,  1944. 

State  of  New  York. 
County  of  New  York. 

Before  me,  a  Notary  Public,  in  and  for  the  State  and  County 
aforesaid,  personally  appeared  Al  Picoult,  who,  having  been  duly 
sworn  according  to  law,  deposes  and  says  that  he  is  the  Managing 
Editor  of  the  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  and  that  the  following  is, 
to  the  best  of  his  knowledge  and  belief,  a  true  statement  of  the 
ownership,  management,  etc.,  of  the  aforesaid  publication  for  the 
date  shown  in  the  above  caption,  required  by  the  Act  of  August  24, 
1912,  as  amended  by  the  Act  of  March  3,  1933,  embodied  in  section 
537,  Postal  Laws  and  Regulations,  printed  on  the  reverse  of  this 
form,  to  wit: 

1.  That  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  publisher,  editor,  managing 
editor,  and  business  manager,  are: 

Publisher,  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc.,  1270  6th  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Editor,  P.  S.  Harrison,  1270  6th  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Managing  Editor,  Al  Picoult,  1270  6th  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Business  Manager,  None. 

2.  That  the  owner  is:  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc.,  1270  6th  Ave., 
New  York,  N.  Y. 

P.  S.  Harrison,  1270  6th  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

3.  That  the  known  bondholders,  mortgagees  and  other  security 
holders  owning  or  holding  1  per  cent,  or  more  of  total  amount  of 
bonds,  mortgages,  or  other  securities  are:  None. 

4.  That  the  two  paragraphs  next  above,  giving  the  names  of  the 
owners,  stockholders,  and  security  holders,  if  any,  contain  not  only 
the  list  of  stockholders  and  security  holders  as  they  appear  upon  the 
books  of  the  company  but  also,  in  cases  where  the  stockholder  or 
security  holder  appears  upon  the  books  of  the  company  as  trustee  or 
in  any  other  fiduciary  relation,  the  name  of  the  person  or  corporation 
for  whom  such  trustee  is  acting,  is  given;  also  that  the  said  two 
paragraphs  contain  statements  embracing  affiant's  full  knowledge 
and  belief  as  to  the  circumstances  and  conditions  under  which  stock- 
holders and  security  holders  who  do  not  appear  upon  the  booths  of  the 
company  as  trustees,  hold  stock  and  securities  in  a  capacity  other 
than  that  of  a  bona  fide  owner;  and  this  affiant  has  no  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  any  other  person,  association,  or  corporation,  has  any  inter- 
est direct  or  indirect  in  the  said  stock,  bonds,  or  other  securities  than 
as  so  stated  by  him. 

(Signed)  AL  PICOULT, 
(Managing  Editor). 

Sworn  to  and  subscribed  before  me  this  2nd  day  of  October,  1944. 

JACK  G.  KARPF, 
(My  commission  expires  March  30,  1945.) 


164 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  7,  1944 


A  VAIN  HOPE 

"Provided  no  burdensome  restrictions  are  placed 
on  American  films  by  foreign  governments,"  says  Lou 
Pelegrine,  staff  writer  of  the  Film  Daily  in  the  Sep- 
tember 25  issue  of  that  paper,  "the  future  of  the  na- 
tion's film  business  abroad  with  the  return  of  peace 
hinges  on  the  ability  of  Hollywood  producers  to  turn 
out  entertainment  pictures  and  avoid  propaganda." 
Such  is  the  opinion  of  distributors  as  gathered  by  Mr. 
Pelegrine. 

I  don't  know  what  Mr.  Pelegrine  means  by  "avoid 
propaganda."  To  comprehend  the  meaning  of  this 
phrase  clearly,  one  must  assume  that  the  American 
producers  produced  propaganda  pictures  before  the 
war.  But  such  does  not  seem  to  be  the  case.  The  future 
of  the  industry  abroad,  therefore,  depends,  in  the 
opinion  of  "informed  circles"  in  New  York,  on  the 
producers'  ability  to  make  "entertainment  pictures." 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  proportion  of  good  to 
bad  pictures  has  remained  the  same  throughout  the 
years  of  feature  pictures,  it  is  doubtful  if  the  number 
of  good  pictures  will  be  larger  after  the  war.  If  any- 
thing, it  will  be  smaller,  for  the  reason  that  the  cost 
of  production  is  constantly  increasing,  and  there  is  no 
hope  that  the  present  waste  will  be  eliminated.  Conse- 
quently, we  must  take  as  a  basis  the  number  of  pic- 
tures that  arc  likely  to  be  produced,  and  the  distribu- 
tors' prayer  that  the  foreign  governments  will  not  im- 
pose any  restrictions  on  the  American  films. 

Experience  has  shown  us,  however,  that  the  foreign 
governments  will  put  restrictions  on  our  films,  regard- 
less of  our  prayers  to  the  contrary.  What,  then,  can 
be  done  to  offset  the  restrictions  that  will  be  imposed 
on  American  pictures  by  the  foreign  governments? 

As  it  has  already  been  said  in  these  columns,  there 
is  only  one  way,  assuming  that  the  Department  of 
State  will  be  impotent  to  prevent  foreign  government 
restrictions :  To  send  abroad  nothing  but  the  best  pic- 
tures so  that  the  public  will  clamor  for  American  pic- 
tures. When  they  see  the  native  product  and  compare 
it  with  the  product  that  is  imported  from  America, 
they  will  patronize  American  pictures  in  increasing 
numbers  until  the  day  will  come  when  the  exhibitors 
of  those  countries  will  point  out  to  the  officials  of  their 
governments  that  it  is  useless  for  them  to  impose  re- 
strictions on  the  American  films  with  the  hope  that 
the  quality  of  the  native  product  will  improve. 

To  enable  the  producers  to  send  abroad  nothing  but 
the  best,  they  must  appoint  an  impartial  committee  to 
do  the  choosing.  But  will  they  be  able  to  suppress  their 
company  vanity  for  a  long-range  benefit?  Personally  I 
doubt  it. 

What  is  the  reason  for  my  doubts?  Every  industry 
in  the  United  States  has  been  buying  space  in  the 
magazines  and  newspapers  with  the  purpose  of  build- 
ing up  good  will  except  the  motion  picture  industry. 
Promptings  from  this  medium  and  from  other  me- 
diums have  failed  to  arouse  them,  even  though  the 
cost  will  be  virtually  nothing  to  them.  Each  company 
will  spend  money  to  boost  its  own  product,  but  when 
it  comes  to  combining  with  the  other  companies  for 
the  purpose  of  conducting  a  campaign  of  good  will  for 
the  entire  industry  they  are  unwilling  to  spend  a  dime. 
Their  action  on  this  important  matter  is  what  makes 
me  doubt,  as  I  have  said,  that,  when  it  comes  to  dele- 


gating their  individual  powers  in  the  selecting  of  pic- 
tures that  should  be  sent  abroad,  they  will  be  unwilling 
to  do  it.  And  they  will  continue  sending  every  picture 
that  they  make,  thus  giving  a  chance  to  the  native 
product  to  displace  the  American  product,  a  small  per- 
centage at  first,  but  a  great  one  as  time  goes  on. 

To  those  who  hope  that  the  foreign  governments 
will  forego  placing  restrictions  upon  the  importation 
of  American  films,  this  paper  says  that  they  are  hoping 
in  vain. 


RETAIN  YOUR  SATURDAYS 
AND  SUNDAYS 

Under  the  heading,  "Independent  Exhibitor  Reso- 
lution No.  1,"  Sidney  E.  Samuelson,  indefatigable 
business  manager  of  Allied  Independent  Theatre 
Owners  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  sounds  a  timely 
warning  in  a  recent  service  bulletin  of  his  organiza- 
tion. Says  Samuelson: 

"This  is  the  season  of  the  year  when  distributors 
announce  their  new  product  in  glowing  terms  and 
make  extravagant  promises  for  the  future. 

"This  is  the  season  of  the  year  when  each  and 
every  independent  exhibitor  should  resolve  to  retain 
his  Saturdays  and  Sundays  for  himself.  Go  over  your 
books — analyze  your  expenses  and  receipts — and  you 
will  be  convinced  that  you  must  keep  the  good  play- 
ing time  for  yourself  if  you  are  to  make  an  adequate 
profit  sufficient  to  repay  you  for  your  work,  your  in- 
vestment and  to  provide  for  future  remodeling  and 
replacements. 

"Fair  film  rentals  could  be  profitable  to  both  exhibi- 
tor and  distributor.  But  one-sided  deals  that  make  the 
distributor  your  partner  on  the  very  profitable  days 
and  leave  you  holding  the  bag  during  the  rest  of  the 
week  should  be  avoided." 


A  RESOLUTION  AGAINST  RE-ISSUES 
PRICED  THE  SAME  AS  NEW  PRODUCT 

At  its  meeting  held  at  Bretton  Woods,  N.  H.,  on 
September  8,  the  Board  of  Directors  of  National 
Allied  adopted  the  following  resolution : 

"WHEREAS  the  declared  purpose  of  the  distribu- 
tors in  selling  re-issues  was  to  relieve  the  existing  film 
shortage  and  to  make  product  available  to  the  exhibi- 
tors at  prices  they  could  afford  to  pay;  and 

"WHEREAS  the  pictures  so  re-issued  have  long 
been  written  off  on  the  books  of  the  companies  and 
the  only  cost  properly  chargeable  against  them  are 
prints,  distribution  and  advertising  costs  and  royalties; 
and 

"WHEREAS  distributors  now  are  demanding  for 
re-issues  prices  which  are  far  in  advance  of  those 
charged  for  that  class  of  product  in  recent  years  and 
which  are  comparable  with  the  prices  demanded  for 
current  releases;  now  therefore,  be  it 

"RESOLVED  by  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Allied 
States  Association  of  Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  that 
they  condemn  the  efforts  of  the  distributors  in  at- 
tempting to  exact  for  re-issues  prices  in  excess  of  those 
charged  for  that  class  of  pictures  during  the  1943- 
1944  season." 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  TWO 

HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  7,  1944  No.  41 

(Partial  Index  No.  5 — Pages  134  to  160  Incl.) 


Titles  of  Pictures  Reviewed  on  page 

Arsenic  and  Old  Lace — Warner  Bros.  (118  min.)  143 

Babes  on  Swing  Street — Universal  (70  min.)  154 

Big  Noise,  The — 20th  Century-Fox  (74  min.)  154 

Climax,  The — Universal  (86  min.)  159 

Cry  of  the  Werewolf — Columbia  (64  min.)  135 

Dark  Mountain — Paramount  (56  min.)  142 

Dead  Man's  Eyes — Universal  (64  min.)  151 

Doughgirls,  The — Warner  Bros.  (102  min.)  142 

Enemy  of  Women — Monoeram  (87  min.)  146 

Frenchman's  Creek — Paramount  (113  min.)  155 

Gangsters  of  the  Frontier — PRC  (58  m.)  not  reviewed 

Goin'  to  Town— RKO  (70  min.)  160 

Impatient  Years,  The — Columbia  (90  min.)  154 

In  Rosie's  Room — Republic  (See  "Rosie,  the  Riveter")  .  51 
In  the  Meantime,  Darling — 20th  Century-Fox  (72  m.) .  154 

Kansas  City  Kitty — Columbia  (72  min.)  135 

Kismet— MGM  (100  min.)  138 

Land  of  the  Outlaws — Monogram  (60  min.)  .  .not  reviewed 

Last  Ride,  The — Warner  Bros.  (57  min.)  151 

Lost  in  a  Harem — MGM  (89  min.)  144 

Marriage  is  a  Private  Affair— MGM  (116  min.)  134 

Master  Race,  The — RKO  (97  min.)  155 

Merry  Monahans,  The — Universal  (91  min.)  134 

Mrs.  Parkington — MGM  (124  min.)  156 

Murder  in  Thornton  Square,  The — MGM 

(See  "Gaslight")   78 

My  Buddy — Republic  (69  min.)  158 

My  Pal,  Wolf— RKO  (75  min.)  159 

National  Barn  Dance — Paramount  (76  min.)  142 

One  Mysterious  Night — Columbia  (63  min.)  138 

Our  Hearts  Were  Young  and  Gay — Paramount  (81  m) .  143 

Pearl  of  Death — Universal  (69  min.)  144 

Rainbow  Island — Paramount  (97  min.)  143 

Reckless  Age — Universal  (63  min.)  143 

Rustler's  Hideout — PRC  (55  min.)  not  reviewed 

San  Antonio  Kid — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

San  Diego,  I  Love  You — Universal  (83  min.)  147 

San  Fernando  Valley — Republic  (74  m.)  not  reviewed 

She's  a  Soldier,  Too — Columbia  (67  min.)  147 

Silver  Key,  The — Columbia  (See  "Girl  in  the  Case") . .  62 

Singing  Sheriff,  The — Universal  (63  min.)  150 

Soul  of  a  Monster,  The — Columbia  (61  min.)  150 

Stagecoach  to  Monterey — Republic  (55  m.)  ..  not  reviewed 

Storm  Over  Lisbon — Republic  (86  min.)  142 

Strangers  in  the  Night — Republic  (56  min.)  134 

Swing  in  the  Saddle — Columbia  (69  min.)  ....  not  reviewed 

Tall  in  the  Saddle— RKO  (87  min.)  155 

That's  My  Baby — Republic  (68  min.)  150 

Till  We  Meet  Again — Paramount  (88  min.)  144 

Twilight  on  the  Prairie — Universal  (62  min.)  146 

Unwritten  Code,  The — Columbia  (61  min.)  158 

Utah  Kid,  The — Monogram  (53  min.)  not  reviewed 

When  Strangers  Marry — Monogram  (67  min.)  146 

When  the  Lights  Go  On  Again — PRC  (74  min.)  158 


RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 
Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  York  19,  H-  T.) 

1943-44 

5007  Mr.  Winkle  Goes  To  War— Edw.  Robinson.  Aug.  3 

5027  Cry  of  the  Werewolf — Massen-Crane  Aug.  17 

5026  Soul  of  a  Monster — Hobart-Bates  Aug.  17 

5012  Kansas  City  Kitty — Davis-Crosby-Frazee.  . .  .Aug.  24 
Swing  in  the  Saddle — Mus.  Western  (69m.)  .Aug.  31 
5002  The  Impatient  Years — Arthur-Bowman  Sept.  7 

5025  Ever  Since  Venus — Savage-Hunter  Sept.  14 

5033  One  Mysterious  Night — Morris-Carter  Sept.  19 

5011  Carolina  Blues — Kyser-Miller  Sept.  26 

5026  Strange  Affair — Joslyn-Keyes  Oct.  5 

_  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

6201  Cowboy  from  Lonesome  River — Starrett.  .  .  .Sept.  21 
Meet  Miss  Bobby  Socks — Crosby-Merrick.  .  .Oct.  12 

6021  Shadows  in  the  Night — Baxter-Foch  Oct.  19 

The  Unwritten  Code — Neal-Savage  Oct.  26 

Mark  of  the  Whistler — Dix-Carter  Nov.  2 

Sergeant  Mike — Parks-Bates  Nov.  7 

Eve  Knew  Her  Apples — Miller- Wright  Nov.  9 


Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Features 

(1540  Broadway,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 
Block  9 

501  The  Seventh  Cross — Tracy-Gurie  September 

502  Barbary  Coast  Gent — Beery  September 

503  Waterloo  Bridge — Taylor-Leigh  (reissue) ..  September 

504  Maisie  Goes  to  Reno — Sothern-Hodiak .  .  .  .September 

505  Marriage  is  a  Private  Affair — Turner- 

Craig   October 

506  Kismet — Dietrich-Colman   October 

507  Mrs.  Parkington — Pidgeon-Garson  November 

508  Naughty  Marietta — MacDonald-Eddy 

(  reissue  )   November 

509  Lost  in  a  Harem — Abbott  6s?  Costello  December 

Specials 

500  Dragon  Seed— Hepburn-Huston   August 

510  An  American  Romance — Donlevy  November 


Monogram  Features 

(630  H™th  Ave.,  Hew  Tork  19,  H-  Y.) 
1943-44 

305  Are  These  Our  Parents?— Neill-Vinson  July  15 

323  Three  of  a  Kind — Gilbert-Howard  July  22 

356  West  of  the  Rio  Grande — J.  M.  Brown  ( 59m) .  Aug.  5 

315  Call  of  the  Jungle — Ann  Corio  Aug.  19 

325  Leave  it  to  the  Irish — Dunne-McKay  Aug.  26 

367  The  Utah  Kid— Trail  Blazers  (53  m.)  Aug.  26 

306  Oh,  What  a  Night— Lowe-Parker  Sept.  2 

324  Black  Magic — Sidney  Toler  Sept.  9 

313  Block  Busters — East  Side  Kids  Sept.  16 

357  Land  of  the  Outlaws — J.  M.  Brown  (60  m.) .  .Sept.  30 

358  Law  of  the  Valley — J.  M.  Brown  Nov.  4 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 
(Continued  on  inside  page) 


October  7,  1944  HARRISON  S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  B 


Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 


416  Shadow  of  Suspicion — Weaver-Cookson  Sept.  2  J 

413  When  Strangers  Marry — Jagger-Hunter  Oct.  7 

408  A  Wave,  A  Wac  6?  a  Marine — Youngman  Oct.  7 

111  Enemy  of  Women — Drake-Andor  Oct.  21 

Army  Wives — Rambeau-Knox  Nov.  4 

Alaska — Taylor-Lindsay   Nov.  18 

The  Jade  Mask — Sidney  Toler  Nov.  25 


RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave..  Hew  York  20,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 

501  None  But  the  Lonely  Heart — Grant-Barrymore 

502  The  Master  Race — Coulouris-Ridges  

503  Tall  in  the  Saddle — Wayne-Raines  

504  Goin'  to  Town — Lum  and  Abner  

505  My  Pal,  Wolf— Moffett-Esmond  

Specials 

581  Casanova  Brown — Cooper- Wright  


Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  Hew  York  18,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  1 

4401  Rainbow  Island — Lamour-Bracken  

4402  Till  We  Meet  Again — Milland-Britton  

4403  National  Barn  Dance — Quigley-Heather  

4404  Our  Hearts  Were  Young  and  Gay — Lynn-Russell.  .  . 

4405  Dark  Mountain — Lowery-Drew  


PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave..  Hew  York  22,  H-  T.) 

1943-44 

466  Rustler's  Hideout — Buster  Crabbe  No.  8 

(55  m.)  Sept.  12 

41PS  When  the  Lights  Go  On  Again — Lydon(re) .  Nov.  23 
>  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

505  Dixie  Jamboree — Langford-Kibbee  Aug.  15 

513  Castle  of  Crimes — English  cast  Aug.  25 

509  Swing  Hostess — Tilton-Adrian  Sept.  8 

551  Gangsters  of  the  Frontier — Texas  Rangers 

No.  1  (58  m.)   Sept.  21 

I  Accuse  My  Parents — Hughes-Lowell  Oct.  10 

Bluebeard — Carradine-Parker   Oct.  15 

Wild  Horse  Phantom — Buster  Crabbe  No.  1 .  .Oct.  28 
I'm  From  Arkansas — Summerville-Brendel. .  .Oct.  31 

Dead  or  Alive — Texas  Rangers  No.  2  Nov.  9 

The  Town  Went  Wild — Lydon-Horton  Nov.  15 

The  Great  Mike — Stuart  Edwin  Nov.  30 


Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway.  Hew  York  19,  H-  T.) 
1943-44 

322  The  Girl  Who  Dared — Gray-Cookson  Aug.  5 

344  Song  of  Nevada — Roy  Rogers  (74  m.)  Aug.  5 

324  Port  of  40  Thieves — Bachelor-Powers  ....  Aug.  13 

3306  Ride,  Ranger,  Ride — Gene  Autry  (reissue)  .  Sept.  1 

326  Strangers  in  the  Night — Terry-Grey  Sept.  12 

328  That's  My  Baby— Arlen-Drew  Sept.  14 

345  San  Fernando  Valley — Roy  Rogers  (74  m.)  .Sept.  15 

327  Atlantic  City — Moore-Taylor  Sept.  15 

3307  Git  Along  Little  Doggies — Autry  (reissue) .  .  .Oct.  15 

323  Storm  Over  Lisbon — Von  Stroheim-Ralston- 

Arlen  Oct.  16 

(More  to  come) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

3311  Tucson  Raiders — Elliott-Hayes  (55  m.)  May  14 

3312  Marshal  of  Reno— Elliott-Blake  (56  m.)  July  2 

461  Silver  City  Kid — Lane-Stewart  (55  m.)  July  20 

451  Bordertown  Trail — Burnette-Carson  (56  m.)  Aug.  11 

401  Sing,  Neighbor,  Sing — Taylor-Terry  Aug.  12 

3313  San  Antonio  Kid — Elliott-Stirling  (56  m.)..Aug.  16 

462  Stagecoach  to  Monterey — Lane-Stewart 

(55  m.)  Oct.  6 

403  My  Buddy— Barry-Terry  Oct.  12 

402  End  of  the  Road — Norris- Abbott  Nov.  10 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 

(444  W.  56th  St..  Hew  York  19,  H-  T.) 

Block  1 

501  Take  It  or  Leave  It — Phil  Baker  August 

502  Wing  and  a  Prayer — Ameche-Andrews  August 

Block  2 

503  Sweet  and  Lowdown — Goodman-Bari  September 

504  Dangerous  Journey — Travelogue  September 

505  Greenwich  Village — Ameche-Bendix  September 

Block  3 

506  The  Big  Noise — Laurel  ii  Hardy  October 

507  In  the  Meantime,  Darling — Crain-Latimore.  .  .October 

508  Irish  Eyes  Are  Smiling — Woollcy-Haymes.  . .  .October 

Special 

530  Wilson — Knox-Fitzgerald   Not  set 


United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave..  Hew  York  19.  H-  T.) 

The  Hairy  Ape — Bendix-Hayward  June  16 

Forty  Thieves — Hopalong  Cassidy  (60  m.)  June  23 

Sensations  of  1945 — Powell-O'Keefe  June  30 

Summer  Storm — Darnell-Sanders  July  14 

Abroad  with  Two  Yanks — Bendix-O'Keefe  Aug.  4 

Since  You  Went  Away — All-star  cast  Not  set 


Universal  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave..  Hew  York  20,  H-  T.) 

9005  Gypsy  Wildcat— Montez-Hall   Sept.  1 

9022  Moonlight  and  Cactus — Andrews  Sisters.  ...  Sept.  8 
The  Merry  Monahans — O'Connor-Ryan  .  .  .  .Sept.  15 

9019  The  Pearl  of  Death — Rathbone-Bruce  Sept.  22 

San  Diego,  I  Love  You — AIlbritton-Hall . .  .  .Sept.  29 

9030  The  Singing  Sheriff — Crosby-McKenzie  Oct.  6 

Babes  on  Swing  Street — Ryan-Blyth  Oct.  13 

The  Climax — Foster-Karloff  Oct.  20 

Bowery  to  Broadway — All  Star  Nov.  3 

Dead  Man's  Eyes — Chaney-Parker  Nov.  10 

9081  Riders  of  the  Sante  Fe — Rod  Cameron  Nov.  10 

Reckless  Age — Gloria  Jean  Nov.  17 

The  Suspect — Laughton-Raines  Nov.  24 

Murder  in  the  Blue  Room — McDonald-Cook. Dec.  1 

Hi'  Beautiful — O'Driscoll-Beery,  Jr  Dec.  8 

My  Gal  Loves  Music — Crosby-McDonald.  .  .  .Dec.  15 
The  Fugitive — Jean-Curtis  Dec.  22 


Warner  Brothers  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St.,  Hew  York  18,  H-  T.) 

401  Janie — Reynolds- Arnold-Harding  Sept.  2 

402  Crime  By  Night — Cowan-Wyman  Sept.  9 

403  Arsenic  and  Old  Lace — Grant-Massey  Sept.  23 

404  The  Last  Ride — Travis-Lang  Oct.  7 

405  The  Conspirators — Lamarr-Henreid  Oct.  21 


Page  C 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index  October  7,  1944 


SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 

Columbia — One  Reel 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 


6701  Mutt'n  Bones — Phantasy  (7m.)  Aug.  2? 

6851  Screen  Snapshots  No.  1  (10  m.)  Aug.  25 

6651  Community  Sings  No.  1  (9]/2  m.)  Aug.  25 

6951  Kehoe's  Marimba  Band — Film-Vodvil 

(11  m.)   Sept.  1 

6801  K-9-Kadets— Sports  (10J/2  m.)  Sept.  8 

6852  Screen  Snapshots  No.  2  (10  m.)  Sept.  22 

6601  Porkuliar  Piggy — Li'l  Abner  Oct.  6 

6652  Community  Sings  No.  2  (re)  Oct.  12 

6802  Over  the  Jumps — Sports  Oct.  13 

6853  Screen  Snapshots  No.  3  (10  m.)  Oct.  19 

6952  The  Rootin'  Tootin  Band— Film-Vodvil  Oct.  20 

6751  Be  Patient,  Patient — Fox  &  Crow  Oct.  27 

6653  Community  Sings  No.  3  Nov.  10 

Columbia— Two  Reels 
1943-44 


5144  Secret  of  the  Palace — Desert  Hawk  ( 18  m.) .  Aug.  4 

5145  Feast  of  the  Beggars — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.) .  Aug.  11 

5146  Double  of  Jeopardy — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  .Aug.  18 

5147  The  Slave  Traders — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  .  .Aug.  25 

5148  The  Underground  River — Desert  Hawk 


(18  m.)   Sept.  1 

5 1 49  The  Faithful  Wheel— Desert  Hawk  (18m.).  Sept.  8 

5150  Mystery  of  the  Mosque — Desert  Hawk 

(18  m.)   Sept.  15 

5151  Hand  of  Vengeance — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  .Sept.  22 

5152  Sword  of  Fate— Desert  Hawk  (18  m.)  Sept.  29 


5153  The  Wizard's  Story— Desert  Hawk  (18  m.) .  .Oct.  6 

5154  Triumph  of  Kasim — Desert  Hawk  (18  m.).  .Oct.  13 

>  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 


6425  Wedded  Bliss— Billy  Gilbert  (17  m.)  Aug.  18 

6426  Gold  is  Where  You  Lose  it — Clyde 

(W/z  m.)   Sept.  1 

6401  Gents  Without  Cents — Stooges  (19  m.)  .  .  .  .Sept.  22 
6421  Strife  of  the  Party — Vera  Vague  (re)  Oct.  13 

6427  Open  Season  for  Saps — Howard  Oct.  27 


Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer — One  Reel 
1943-44 

S-555  Movie  Pests— Pete  Smith  (11  m.)  July  8 

K-572  Grandpa  Called  it  Art — Pass.  Parade 

(10  m.)   July  15 

W-537  The  Bodyguard— Cartoon  (7  m.)  July  22 

T-521  Monumental  Utah — Traveltalk  (9  m.)  July  29 

S-556  Sports  Quiz — Pete  Smith  (11m.)  Sept.  2 

W-538  Bear  Raid  Warden— Cartoon  (7  m.)  Sept.  9 


S-557  Football  Thrills  of  1943— Pete  Smith  (8  m) .  Sept.  23 
M-589  Nostradamus  No.  4 — Miniature  (11  m.).  .Sept.  30 
(More  to  come) 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 


1943-44 

X-510  Danger  Area — Special  Release  (22  m.)  Jan.  1 

(More  to  come) 


Paramount — One  Reel 
1943-44 

J3-6  Popular  Science  No.  6  (10  m.)   Aug.  4 

E3-6  Puppet  Love — Popeye  (7  m.)   Aug.  11 

D3-6  It's  Nifty  to  be  Thrifty — Little  Lulu  (8  m.)  Aug.  18 

R3-10  Furlough  Fishing — Sportlight  (9  m.)  Aug.  25 

E3-7  Pitching  Woo  at  the  Zoo — Popeye  Sept.  1 

L3-6  Unusual  Occupations  No.  6  Sept.  1 

D3-7  Fm  just  Curious — Little  Lulu  Sept.  8 

Y3-6  Monkey  Business — Speak,  of  Animals  (9  m)  .Sept.  15 

E3-8  Moving  Aweigh — Popeye  Sept.  22 

D3-8  Indoor  Outing — Little  Lulu  Sept.  29 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 


Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 


R4-1  Rhythm  on  Wheels — Sportlight  (10  m.)  Oct.  6 

U4-1  Jasper's  Paradise — Puppetoon  (9  m.)  Oct.  13 

J4-1  Popular  Science  No.  1  (10  m.)  Oct.  20 

P4-1  Yankee  Doodle  Donkey — Noveltoon  Oct.  27 

R4-2  Bronco  and  Brands — Sportlight  Nov.  3 

L4-1  Unusual  Occupations  No.  1  Nov.  10 

D4-1  Birthday  Party — Little  Lulu  Nov.  17 

Y4-1  As  Babies — Speak,  of  Animals  Nov.  24 

U4-2  Two  Gun  Rusty — Puppetoon  Dec.  1 

E4-1  Shape  Ahoy — Popeye  Dec.  8 

R4-3  Picking  the  Favorites — Sportlight  Dec.  8 

P4-2  Gabriel  Churchkitten — Noveltoon  Dec.  15 

J4-2  Popular  Science  No.  2  Dec.  22 

D4-2  Beau  Ties — Little  Lulu  Dec.  29 

Paramount — Two  Reels 
1943-44 


FF3-6  Halfway  to  Heaven — Mus.  Parade  (19  m.)  .Aug.  25 
>  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 


FF4-1  Bonnie  Lassie — Musical  Parade  (19  m.) . .  .  .Oct.  6 
FF4-2  Star  Bright — Musical  Parade  Dec.  15 


Republic — Two  Reels 

384  Haunted  Harbor — Kay  Aldrich 

(15  episodes)  (reset)  Aug.  26 


RKO — One  Reel 
1943-44 

44312  Ski  Chase — Sportscope  (8m.)  July  14 

44313  Swim  Ballet — Sportscope  (8  m.)  Aug.  11 

m  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

54101  Springtime  for  Pluto — Disney  (7  m.)  June  23 

54102  The  Plastic  Inventor — Disney  (7  m.)  (re). June  23 
54301  Harness  Racers — Sportscope  (&Yi  m.) .  .  .  .  Sept.  8 

54201  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  1  Sept.  15 

54104  How  to  Play  Football — Disney  (7  m.)  Sept.  15 

54103  First  Aiders — Disney  (7  m.)  Sept.  22 

RKO — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

43110  Rockefeller  Center — This  is  America 

(17  m.)   July  28 

43111  Brazil  Today— This  is  Amer.  (l7'/2  m.). .  .Aug.  25 

43112  Mare  Island — This  is  America  Sept.  22 

(More  to  come) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

53701  Triple  Trouble— Leon  Errol  (16  m.)  Sept.  1 

53201  Songs  of  the  Colleges — Headliners  (15m.).  Sept.  8 
53401  Go  Feather  Your  Nest — Edgar  Kennedy.  .  .Sept.  22 


Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 

5251  Mexican  Majesty — Adventure  (9  m.)  Aug.  4 

5501  The  Cat  Came  Back — Terrytoon  (6  m.) .  .  .  .Aug.  18 

5252  Jewels  of  Iran — Adventure  (8  m.)  Aug.  25 

5502  The  Two  Barbers — Terrytoon  (6  m.)  Sept.  1 

5351  Blue  Grass  Gentleman — Sports  (9  m.)  Sept.  15 

5503  Ghost  Town — Terrytoon  (6</2  m.)  Sept.  22 

5253  Mystic  India — Adventure  (8  m.)  Sept.  29 

5504  Sultan's  Birthday— Terrytoon  (6]/2  m.)  Oct.  13 

5  505  A  Wolf's  Tale— Terrytoon  Oct.  27 

5254  Black,  Gold  and  Cactus — Adventure  Nov.  10 

5506  Mighty  Mouse  at  the  Circus — Terrytoon.  . .  .Nov.  17 

5255  City  of  Paradox — Adventure  Nov.  24 

5507  Gandy's  Dream  Girl — Terrytoon  Dec.  8 

5352  Trolling  for  Strikes— Sports  Dec.  15 

5508  Dear  Old  Switzerland— Terrytoon  Dec.  22 


October  7,  1944  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  D 


Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

Vol.  10  No.  13 — British  Imperialism — 

March  of  Time  (18m.)  Aug.  1 1 

^  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 

Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

Vol.  1 1  No.  1 — Post-War  Farms — March  of  Time 

(17  m.)   Sept.  8 

5601  Three  Sisters  of  the  Moors — Special  (20  m.) .  Sept.  8 


8381 
8361 


9231 
9371 
9351 
9232 


8131 

9781 

9782 
9783 
9784 
9785 
9786 
9787 
9788 
9789 
9121 
9790 
9791 
9792 

9793 
9681 

9682 

9683 

9684 

9685 

9686 


9610 
9513 
9714 
9313 

9713 
9725 
9715 
9712 
9716 
9717 
9726 
9512 
9718 
9719 
9720 


Universal — One  Reel 
1943-44 

Spinning  a  Yarn — Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  -Aug.  7 

Bear  Mountain  Game — Var.  Views  (9  m.).  .Aug.  14 
(End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 
Abou  Ben  Boogie — Swing  Symphonies  (7m). Sept.  18 

Idol  of  the  Crowd— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Sept.  18 

From  Spruce  to  Bomber — Var.  Views  (9  m.).  Sept.  25 

The  Beach  Nut— Cartunc  (7  m.)  Oct.  16 

Universal — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

Midnight  Melodies — Musical  (15  m.)  July  19 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

Murder  by  Accident — Raiders  of  Ghost  City 

No.  1  (17  m.)  July  25 

Flaming  Treachery — Raiders  No.  2  (17  m.).Aug.  1 
Death  Rides  Double— Raiders  No.  3  (17m.)  .Aug.  8 
Ghost  City  Terror — Raiders  No.  4  ( 17  m.) .  .Aug.  15 
The  Fatal  Lariat— Raiders  No!  5  (17  m.) .  .  .Aug.  22 

Water  Rising — Raiders  No.  6  (17  m.)  Aug.  29 

Bullet  Avalanche — Raiders  No.  7  (17  m.).  .Sept.  5 
Death  Laughs  Last — Raiders  No.  8  (17  m.).Sept.  12 

Cold  Steel— Raiders  No.  9  (17  m.)  Sept.  19 

Swingtime  Holiday- — Musical  (15  m.)  Sept.  20 

Showdown — Raiders  No.  10  (17  m.)  Sept.  26 

The  Trail  to  Torture— Raiders  No.  1 1  (17m)  .Oct.  3 
Calling  all  Buckboards — Raiders  No.  12 

(17  m.)  Otc.  10 

Golden  Vengeance — Raiders  No.  13  (17  m.). Oct.  17 
The  Tragic  Crash — Mystery  of  the  River  Boat 

No.  1  (17  m.)  Oct.  24 

The  Phantom  Killer — River  Boat  No.  2 

(17  m.)  Oct.  31 

The  Flaming  Inferno — River  Boat  No.  3 

(17  m.)   Nov.  7 

The  Brink  of  Doom— River  Boat  No.  4 

(17  m.)   Nov.  14 

The  Highway  of  Peril — River  Boat  No.  5 

(17  m.)   Nov.  21 

The  Fatal  Plunge — River  Boat  No.  6 

(17  m.)   Nov.  28 


Vitaphone — One  Reel 
1943-44 

All  Star  Melody  Master — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  .July  29 

Blue  Nose  Schooner — Sports  (10  m.)  Aug.  5 

From  Hand  to  Mouse — Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)  .  .Aug.  5 
Isle  of  Pingo  Pongo — Mer.  Mel.  (reissue) 

(7  m.)   Aug.  19 

Birdy  and  the  Beast — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Aug.  19 

Buckaroo  Bugs — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  Aug.  26 

Goldilocks  Jivin'  Bears — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.).Sept.  2 

Plane  Daffy— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)   Sept.  16 

Lost  and  Foundling — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  .  .  .Sept.  30 

Booby  Hatched — Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)  Oct.  14 

The  Old  Gray  Hare— Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.) .  .  .Oct.  28 
Champions  of  the  Future — Sports  (7m)  (re)  .Nov.  4 

Stupid  Cupid — Mer.  Mel.  (7m.)  Nov.  11 

Stage  Door  Cartoon — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)...  .Nov.  18 

Odor-able  Kitty — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Dec.  2 

(End  of  1943-44  Season) 


Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

1401  Their  Dizzy  Day — Varieties  ( 10  m.)  Sept.  2 

1601  Bob  Wills  H  Texas  Playboys— Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)   Sept.  2 

1301  Let  it  be  Me— Hit  Parade  (7  m.)  Sept.  16 

1302  September  in  the  Rain — Hit  Par.  (7  m.)  Sept.  30 

1402  Ski  Whizz— Varieties  (10  m.)  Oct.  7 

1602  Listen  to  the  Bands — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  Oct.  7 

1303  Sunday  Got  to  Meeting  Time— Hit  Par.  (7m). Oct.  28 

1603  Harry  Owen's  Royal  Hawaiians — Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)   Nov.  4 

1501  California _Here  We  Are — Sports  (10  m.)..Nov.  18 
Vitaphone — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

9106  U.  S.  Marines  on  Review — Fcaturette 

(20  m.)   July  8 

9004  Devil  Boats— Special  (20  m.)  Aug.  12 

9006  Musical  Movieland — Special  (20  m.)  Sept.  9 

(  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

1 102  Proudly  We  Serve — Fcaturette  (20  m.)  Sept.  23 

1103  Once  Over  Lightly — Fcaturette  (20  m.)  Oct.  14 

1001  Let's  Go  Fishing — Special  (20  m.)  Oct.  21 

1002  Beachhead  to  Berlin— Special  (20  m.)  Nov.  25 

NEWSWEEKLY 

NEW  YORK 
RELEASE  DATES 

Pathe  News  Fox  Movietone 

55212  Wed.  (E)  .  .Oct.  4 

55113  Sat.  (O)  ...Oct.   7       9  T"«.  (O)   Oct.  3 

55214  Wed.  (E)  ..Oct.  11      10  Tr>urs.  (E)  Oct.  5 

55115  Sat.  (O)  .  .  .Oct.  14      11  Tues.  (O^   Oct.  10 

55216  Wed.  (E)  .  .Oct.  18      12  Thu".  (E)  Oct.  12 

55117  Sat.  (O)  ..  .Oct.  21      13  Tues.  (O)   Oct.  17 

55218  Wed.  (E)  .  .Oct.  25      14  7hws.  (E)  Oct.  19 

55119  Sat.  (O)  ...Oct.  28      l">  Tues.  (O)   Oct.  24 

55220  Wed.  (E)..Nov.    1      16  Thurs.  (E)  Oct.  26 

55121  Sat.  (0)...Nov.   4      17  Tues-  (O)   Oct.  31 

55222  Wed.  (E).  .Nov.    8      18  Thurs.  (E)  Nov.  2 

55123  Sat.  (O)... Nov.  11      19  Tues.  (O)  Nov.  7 

55224  Wed.  (E).  .Nov.  15  20  Thurs.  (E) ....  Nov.  9 

55125  Sat.  (O). .  .Nov.  18      21  Tues.  (O)  Nov.  14 

_____  22  Thurs.  (E)  Nov.  16 

Paramount  News 

10  Thurs.  (E)  Oct.  5   

11  Sunday  (O)  . .  .Oct.  8 

12  Thurs.  (E)  ...  .Oct.  12  Universal 

13  Sunday  (O)  .  .  .Oct.  15 

14  Thurs.  (E)  Oct.  19  333  Wed.  (O)  ...Oct.  4 

15  Sunday  (O)  ...Oct.  22      334  Fri.  (E)   Oct.  6 

16  Thurs.  (E)  Oct.  26  335  Wed.  (O)  ...Oct.  11 

17  Sunday  (O)  ...Oct.  29      336  Fri.  (E)   Oct.  13 

18  Thurs.  (E)  Nov.    2  337  Wed.  (O)  ...Oct.  18 

19  Sunday  (0)...Nov.    5      3  38  Fri.  (E)   Oct.  20 

20  Thurs.  (E)  Nov.   9  339  Wed.  (O)  ...Oct.  25 

21  Sunday  (O)... Nov.  12      340  Fri.  (E)   Oct.  27 

22  Thurs.  (E)  Nov.  16  341  Wed.  (O)  ...Nov.  1 

23  Sunday  (0)...Nov.  19      342  Fri.  (E)  Nov.  3 

  343  Wed.  (O)  ...Nov.  8 

Metrotone  News        344  Fri.  (E)  Nov.  10 

207  Tues.  (O)  Oct.    3  345  Wed-  (°)  •••Nov.  15 

208  Thurs.  (E)  ...Oct.    5      346  Frl-  (E)  Nov.  17 

209  Tues.  (O)  Oct.  10 

210  Thurs.  (E)  ..  .Oct.  12   

211  Tues.  (O)  Oct.  17 

212  Thurs.  (E)  . .  .Oct.  19  All  American  News 

213  Tues.  (O) .  . .  .Oct.  24 

214  Thurs.  (E)  ..  .Oct.  26      102  Friday  Oct  6 

215  Tues.  (O).  .  .  .Oct.  31      103  Friday  Oct  13 

216  Thurs.  (E)...Nov.   2      104  Friday  Oct  20 

217  Tues.  (O)  ...Nov.   7      105  Friday  Oct  27 

218  Thurs.  (E)...Nov.    9      106  Friday   Nov  3 

219  Tues.  (O)  ...Nov.  14      107  Friday   Nov  10 

220  Thurs.  (E)...Nov.  16      108  Friday   Nov  17 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


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Vol.  XXVI                          SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  14,  1944  No.  42 


ADMISSION  TAXES  BECOMING 

A  PROBLEM  AGAIN 

Commenting  upon  the  fact  that  the  Federal  tax 
collections  on  admission  prices  for  the  month  of  July 
reached  the  "astronomical  total  of  $34,168,118," 
which  is  more  than  double  the  amount  collected  for 
any  one  month  under  the  old  ten  per  cent  tax  rate, 
when  a  high  point  of  $16,178,306  was  reached,  Will 
Sheridan,  Washington  correspondent  of  The  Inde- 
pendent,  points  out  in  the  September  30  issue  of  that 
paper  that  the  current  figures  "make  it  pretty  obvious 
that  all  the  worry  about  what  would  happen  to  busi- 
ness if  the  tax  went  up  was  quite  premature — likewise 
the  price  rises  at  the  boxoffice  haven't  hurt  attend' 
ance."  Mr.  Sheridan  adds  that  "this,  of  course,  does 
not  mean  that  the  industry  should  sit  back  and  let  the 
20  per  cent  tax  stay  on  after  the  war —  if  a  depression 
comes  that  tax  rate  will  be  a  deterrent." 

Mr.  Sheridan  strikes  a  hopeful  note  by  stating  that, 
while  "chatting  around  capitol  hill,"  he  got  the  im- 
pression  that  Congress  will  not  be  too  difficult  to  con- 
vince,  and  that  "many  solons  will  be  glad  to  put  their 
weight  behind  tax  slicing  plans."  Elsewhere  in  the 
bright  picture  painted  by  Mr.  Sheridan,  he  states  that 
several  Congressmen  even  talked  of  doing  away  with 
admission  levies,  but  he  labels  that  "Utopian  think- 
ing," and  says  that  there  is  a  good  chance  that  the  tax 
might  be  dropped  to  less  than  ten  per  cent.  Lest  any- 
one reading  his  comments  be  misled,  Mr.  Sheridan  is 
careful  to  point  out  that  a  tax-reduction  movement  is 
"definitely  a  post-war  project — one  for  perhaps  a  year 
or  two  after  the  war." 

Mr.  Sheridan's  remarks  about  the  post-war  tax 
situation  are  indeed  encouraging,  but  it  seems  to  me 
that  he  himself  is  indulging  in  what  he  so  aptly  terms 
"Utopian  thinking"  when  he  says  that  Congress  will 
not  be  too  difficult  to  convince.  It  is  quite  probable 
that  Congress  will  be  all  the  more  difficult  to  convince 
because  the  last  tax  rise  did  not  hurt  theatre  at- 
tendance, but,  on  the  contrary,  it  brought  in  more 
revenue  than  had  been  estimated.  True,  such  a  con- 
dition was  brought  about  by  the  abnormal  spending 
ability  of  the  public,  but  it  will  take  some  tall  con- 
vincing to  make  the  tax  experts  see  the  light. 

But  even  more  important  than  what  will  occur  in 
the  post-war  years  is  the  tax  problem  facing  the  indus- 
try at  the  present  time.  Most  of  you  will  recall  that, 
during  the  tax  hearings  held  earlier  this  year,  the 
Treasury  Department  waged  a  determined  fight  for  an 
admission  tax  rate  of  thirty  per  cent.  Although  the 
Department  failed  to  attain  its  objective  then,  it  seems 
as  if  it  has  every  intention  to  attain  it  for  the  coming 
tax  year. 


The  Treasury  Department's  intentions  reveal 
themselves  in  an  analysis  it  issued  recently  showing 
the  comparative  admission  tax  rates  in  this  country 
and  in  the  United  Kingdom.  According  to  this  analy- 
sis, the  English  admission  taxes  range  as  high  as  two 
to  five  times  the  amount  imposed  in  this  country.  For 
example,  the  Department  sets  the  average  admission 
price  in  this  country  at  approximately  32  cents,  on 
which  the  Federal  tax  is  6  cents,  but  in  England,  a 
comparable  admission  price  would  have  a  tax  of  2 1^2 
cents.  On  certain  admission  levels,  namely,  50  cents 
and  83 J/2  cents,  the  tax  rate  in  the  United  Kingdom 
would  be  100%.  Motion  Picture  Daily  reports  that, 
according  to  information  available  in  some  Washing- 
ton quarters,  the  average  admission  price  in  England 
is  in  the  10j/2-pence  to  one-shilling  bracket,  or  from 
17 J/2  to  21  cents,  on  which  the  tax  is  14  cents;  this 
makes  the  rate  as  high  as  67  to  80  per  cent. 

In  compiling  and  issuing  its  comparative  analysis, 
the  Treasury  Department  is,  in  the  opinion  of 
Harrison's  Reports,  laying  the  groundwork  for  a 
continuation  of  its  admission-tax  fight  for  at  least 
thirty  per  cent — and  perhaps  more. 

Exhibitor  organizations  should  begin  now  to  gather 
the  information  that  will  be  required  to  resist  any 
attempt  to  burden  theatres  with  discriminatory  tax- 
ation. Unless  adequate  preparations  are  made  now, 
many  exhibitors  may  find  themselves  in  the  same  posi- 
tion that  thousands  of  night-club  and  cabaret  owners 
were  in  when  the  30  per  cent  tax  imposed  on  them 
affected  their  operations  adversely.  It  was  only  after 
many  of  these  owners  were  forced  out  of  business  by 
lack  of  patronage  that  the  Government  reduced  the 
tax  to  20  per  cent.  But  by  that  time  the  damage  had 
been  done. 

Let  us  not  wait  until  a  similar  damage  strikes  the 
motion  picture  industry.  Theatre  owners  should  take 
steps  to  prevent  it  before  it  comes.  And  the  only  way 
to  do  it  is  to  prepare  now. 


V-DAY  AND  YOUR  INSURANCE  POLICY 

In  a  speech  to  the  Kansas-Missouri  Theatre  Asso- 
ciation, at  its  recent  annual  convention,  Mr.  Finton  H. 
Jones,  of  the  Travelers  Insurance  Company,  indicated 
that,  if  an  exhibitor  elected  to  remain  open  on  V-Day, 
the  insurance  companies  would  protect  him  against 
property  damages  caused  by  vandalism,  provided  his 
insurance  policy  has  a  vandalism  clause.  He  added 
that  an  exhibitor  without  a  vandalism  clause  in  his 
policy  would  also  be  protected  if  he  closed  down  on 
V-Day,  for  it  will  be  assumed  that  he  tried  to  protect 
his  property. 

This  information  should  be  taken  into  consideration 
in  determining  whether  or  not  you  should  remain 
open  on  V-Day. 


166 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  14,  1944 


"Bluebeard"  with  John  Carradine, 
Nils  Asther  and  Jean  Parker 

(PRC,  Oct.  15;  time,  73  mm.) 

An  interest-holding  program  murder  melodrama.  The 
story,  which  is  logically  developed,  takes  place  in  Paris  in 
1885,  and  it  revolves  around  a  maniacal  French  artist,  who 
terrorizes  the  populace  by  a  series  of  hideous  murders.  Since 
the  audience  knows  from  the  beginning  who  the  murderer 
is,  the  interest  lies  in  the  methods  employed  by  the  police 
to  catch  him,  and  in  the  care  taken  by  the  artist  to  escape 
detection.  The  atmosphere  is  rather  grim,  with  no  comedy 
to  relieve  the  tension.  The  direction  and  the  acting  are  very 
able,  with  the  performance  of  John  Carradine,  as  the  artist, 
outstanding.  The  production  values  are  way  above  the 
average  PRC  level: — 

Carradine,  who  operated  a  puppet  show  as  a  hobby,  falls 
in  love  with  Jean  Parker,  a  young  dressmaker.  Unknown 
to  Jean,  Carradine  was  the  vicious  strangler,  whose  identity 
the  police  sought  to  learn.  The  only  person  who  knew  of 
Carradine's  maniacal  murders  was  Ludwig  Stossel,  an  un- 
scrupulous  art  dealer,  who  sold  Carradine's  paintings,  all 
of  which  were  signed  "Albert  Garron."  Inspector  Nils 
Asther,  of  the  Surcte,  discovers  a  painting  of  a  girl  who 
was  one  of  the  strangler's  victims,  and  traces  it  to  Stossel's 
gallery.  Stossel  slyly  professes  ignorance  of  the  painter's 
identity.  Tcala  Loring,  Jean's  sister,  who  was  a  secret  opera- 
tive of  the  Surcte,  poses  as  a  girl  of  wealth  and  offers  Stossel 
a  huge  commission  if  he  could  get  "Garron"  to  paint  her 
portrait.  Unable  to  resist  the  lucrative  fee,  Stossel,  by 
threats,  induces  Carradine  to  take  on  the  work.  Teala,  recog- 
nizing Carradine  as  the  man  who  was  courting  her  sister, 
becomes  panicky  and  accuses  him  of  being  the  strangler. 
Enraged,  Carradine  strangles  her  with  his  cravat,  one  that 
Jean  had  mended  for  him.  The  cravat  is  found  near  the 
body  and  recognized  by  Jean,  who  visits  Carradine  and 
bluntly  accuses  him  of  the  murder.  Carradine  pleads  with 
Jean  to  understand  him,  explaining  that,  as  a  youth,  he 
had  fallen  in  love  with  a  model,  whom  he  idolized  as  a 
Saint  only  to  discover  that  she  was  a  woman  of  loose 
morals.  As  a  result,  he  had  embarked  on  his  maniacal  career. 
In  her  (Jean),  he  had  found  a  new  love,  and  he  had  to  kill 
Tcala  lest  she  interfere  with  their  happiness.  When  Jean 
rejects  his  pleas,  Carradine  attempts  to  strangle  her,  but 
she  is  saved  by  the  timely  arrival  of  the  police.  In  a  chase 
over  the  Paris  rooftops,  Carradine  plunges  to  his  death. 

Pierre  Gendron  wrote  the  screen  play,  Leon  Fromkess 
produced  it,  and  Edgar  Ulmer  directed  it.  Martin  Mooney 
was  associate  producer. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"The  Princess  and  the  Pirate"  with 
Bob  Hope  and  Virginia  Mayo 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  94  min.) 

Highly  entertaining.  There  is  no  doubt  as  to  the  picture's 
drawing  power  because  of  Bob  Hope's  great  popularity.  It 
is  a  very  lavish  production,  photographed  in  Technicolor,  in 
which  Hope  is  cast  as  an  eighteenth  century  vaudeville 
comedian,  an  admitted  coward,  who,  to  save  his  own  neck, 
helps  rescue  a  princess  from  a  gang  of  cut-throat  pirates.  The 
story  is  a  completely  nonsensical  farce  that  does  not  pretend 
to  be  more  than  that,  and  one  is  kept  in  a  constant  state  of 
laughter  because  of  Hope's  hilarious  gags  and  antics.  The 
finish,  where  Bing  Crosby  makes  an  unexpected  appearance 
as  a  lowly  commoner  and  wins  the  princess,  is  extremely 
comical.  Walter  Brennan,  as  a  half-witted  pirate,  and  Victor 
McLaglen,  as  the  pirate  leader,  add  much  to  the  entertain- 
ment values.  The  action  is  fast-moving  throughout: — 

Bound  for  Jamaica  aboard  the  packet,  Mary  Ann,  Hope 
meets  Virginia  Mayo,  who  was  running  away  from  the  King, 
her  father,  to  avoid  an  undesirable  marriage.  A  band  of 
pirates  led  by  Victor  McLaglen  board  the  ship  and  abduct 
Virginia  for  ransom.  Hope,  disguised  as  a  toothless  old 


gypsy,  is  taken  along.  Walter  Brennan,  one  of  the  pirates, 
offers  to  help  Hope  escape  if  he  would  deliver  to  his  brother 
on  a  distant  island  a  treasure  map  stolen  from  McLaglen. 
Hope  and  Virginia  escape  to  the  island,  but  they  fail  to 
find  Brennan's  brother.  To  get  money  for  food,  they  obtain 
jobs  as  entertainers  in  a  tough  cafe.  There,  Virginia  is 
recognized  by  Walter  Slezak,  governor  of  the  island,  who 
kidnaps  and  imprisons  her  in  his  castle.  When  Hope  tries 
to  rescue  her,  he,  too,  is  imprisoned.  McLaglen  and  his 
buccaneers  arrive  on  the  island  determined  to  find  the 
holder  of  the  stolen  map.  Brennan,  lest  Hope  destroy  the 
map,  knocks  him  unconscious  and  tattoos  it  on  his  chest. 
Meanwhile  McLaglen,  learning  that  Hope  had  masqueraded 
as  the  old  gypsy,  deduces  that  he  had  stolen  the  map,  and 
that  he  was  in  league  with  the  Governor  to  steal  his  buried 
treasure.  He  orders  his  men  to  attack  the  castle.  Brennan 
knocks  out  McLaglen  and  prevails  upon  Hope  to  disguise 
himself  in  the  pirate  chief's  clothes  and  take  command  of 
the  cut-throats.  The  pirates  follow  Hope's  leadership,  but 
he  is  soon  discovered  and  sentenced  to  die.  Hope  is  saved, 
however,  by  the  timely  arrival  of  one  of  the  King's  ships. 
The  pirates  are  subdued,  and  the  King  promises  to  let  Vir- 
ginia marry  whom  she  will.  Hope  prepares  to  embrace  her, 
but  Virgina  walks  by  him  and  throws  her  arm  around  one 
of  the  King's  sailors — Bing  Crosby. 

Don  Hartman,  Melville  Shavelson,  and  Everett  Freeman 
wrote  the  screen  play,  Samuel  Goldwyn  produced  it,  and 
David  Butler  directed  it.  Mr.  Hartman  was  associate  pro- 
duced. The  cast  includes  Marc  Lawrence,  Hugo  Haas  and 
others. 

Suitable  for  all. 


"Shadow  of  Suspicion"  with 
Marjorie  Weaver  and  Peter  Cookson 

(Monogram,  Sept.  23;  time,  68  mm.) 

A  fairly  good  program  crook  melodrama.  It  should  go 
over  with  audiences  who  are  not  too  concerned  about  the 
lack  of  logic  in  a  plot  as  long  as  it  is  fast-moving  and  has 
exciting  action.  In  addition  to  the  melodrama,  the  story 
offers  considerable  comedy  and  a  mildly  pleasant  romance. 
Despite  the  plot's  implausibility,  one's  attention  is  held 
pretty  well,  particularly  in  the  first  half,  because  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  hero  casts  suspicion  upon  himself  in 
order  to  trap  the  real  criminal.  Most  of  the  excitement  occurs 
in  the  second  half,  when  the  heroine  unwittingly  becomes 
involved  with  the  crooks: — 

Peter  Cookson  and  Tim  Ryan,  private  investigators,  are 
sent  to  the  Chicago  branch  of  a  prominent  jewelry  firm  to 
solve  a  series  of  thefts.  Suspicious  of  Pierre  Watkin,  the 
branch  manager,  Cookson  deliberately  makes  it  appear  as 
if  he  himself  is  a  crook  in  order  to  lure  Watkin  into  a  trap. 
Ryan,  to  further  the  ruse,  feigns  cooperation  with  Watkin 
to  trap  Cookson.  Meanwhile  Watkin,  in  league  with  a  gang 
of  jewel  thieves,  plans  to  steal  a  valuable  necklace  and  to 
pin  the  blame  on  Cookson.  He  hides  the  necklace  in  a  pair 
of  bronzed  baby  shoes,  which  he  entrusts  to  Marjorie 
Weaver,  his  unsuspecting  secretary,  to  deliver  to  his 
"mother"  in  New  York.  Cookson,  aware  of  Watkin's  plans, 
removes  the  necklace  before  the  package  is  taken  by  Mar- 
jorie. He  boards  the  same  train  to  New  York,  intending  to 
protect  Marjorie  and  to  follow  her  to  the  gang's  hideout. 
En  route,  Cookson  is  forcibly  removed  from  the  train  by 
two  of  Watkin's  henchmen,  who  feared  that  he  might  steal 
the  necklace  from  Marjorie.  Reaching  New  York,  Marjorie 
goes  to  Watkin's  "mother,"  actually  the  head  of  the  gang, 
who  threatens  her  when  she  discovers  the  necklace  missing. 
Meanwhile  Cookson  escapes  from  the  henchmen  and  trails 
Marjorie  to  the  gang's  headquarters.  There,  he  pretends  to 
make  a  deal  with  the  gang,  allowing  Ryan  and  the  police 
enough  time  to  arrive  and  capture  the  crooks. 

Albert  DeMond  and  Earle  Snell  wrote  the  screen  play, 
A.  W.  Hackel  produced  it,  and  William  Beaudine  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


October  14,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


167 


"The  Conspirators"  with  Paul  Henreid 
and  Hedy  Lamarr 

(Warner  Bros.,  Oct.  21;  time,  102  min.) 

This  melodrama,  revolving  around  espionage  activities 
in  a  neutral  country,  is  fairly  interesting,  but  it  is  doubtful 
if  the  masses  will  enjoy  it,  because  of  the  heavy  atmosphere 
and  its  lack  of  comedy  relief.  Moreover,  the  action  is  slow, 
and  except  for  a  prison  break,  and  for  the  closing  scenes, 
where  the  hero  pursues  and  kills  a  traitor,  there  is  little 
excitement.  War-time  Lisbon  serves  as  the  locale,  giving 
the  picture  an  interesting  international  background,  but  the 
story,  though  it  has  occasional  moments  of  suspense,  is 
somewhat  muddled  and  lacks  conviction;  it  is  too  stagy.  The 
picture  can  boast  of  good  performances  by  the  entire  cast, 
and  of  a  fine  production,  but  these  are  not  enough  to  main- 
tain one's  interest  in  the  proceedings: — 

Arriving  in  Lisbon  to  contact  a  group  of  confederates, 
Paul  Henreid,  a  Dutch  underground  agent,  is  directed  to  a 
cafe  where  he  receives  instructions  from  Peter  Lorre,  a 
fellow-conspirator.  At  the  cafe,  Henreid  meets  Hedy  Lamarr, 
a  mysterious  woman,  who  rushes  in  and  seats  herself  at  his 
table  to  escape  the  police.  Understanding  her  predicament, 
Henreid  does  not  question  her.  But  when  she  disappears 
from  the  cafe  on  a  pretense,  he  follows  her  to  a  gambling 
club.  She  pleads  with  him  to  forget  her.  On  the  following 
day,  Henreid  meets  Sydney  Greenstreet,  head  of  the  Dutch 
conspirators,  who  arranges  for  him  to  accompany  another 
agent  on  a  mission  that  night.  In  the  meantime,  Henreid 
contacts  Hedy  and  induces  her  to  spend  the  day  with  him. 
Both  fall  deeply  in  love,  despite  her  admission  that  she  was 
married  to  Victor  Francen,  a  member  of  the  German 
Legation.  Henreid  returns  to  his  hotel  room  to  meet  the 
agent  only  to  find  the  man  murdered.  At  that  moment,  the 
police  arrive  and  arrest  him  for  the  killing.  Believing  that 
he  had  been  the  victim  of  a  Nazi  plot  engineered  by  Hedy, 
Henreid  escapes  from  prison  and  joins  Greenstreet.  He 
learns  that  both  Hedy  and  her  husband  were  members  of 
their  group.  Greenstreet  announces  that  the  murder  might 
have  been  committed  by  a  traitor  among  their  own  group. 
Unknown  to  the  others,  Greenstreet  and  Henreid  set  a  trap 
to  catch  the  traitor.  Francen  reveals  himself  as  the  guilty 
person.  He  escapes,  closely  pursued  by  Henreid,  who  shoots 
him  down.  In  his  pocket,  the  police  find  evidence  clearing 
Henreid  of  the  co-agent's  murder.  Henreid  leaves  to  per- 
form a  mission,  promising  Hedy  that  he  will  return. 

Vladmir  Pozner  and  Leo  Rosten  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Jack  Chertok  produced  it,  and  Jean  Negulesco  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Joseph  Calleia,  Carol  Thurston,  Vladmir 
Sokoloff,  Edward  Ciannelli,  Steve  Geray  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Strange  Affair"  with  Allyn  Joslyn, 
Evelyn  Keyes  and  Marguerite  Chapman 

(Columbia,  Oct.  5;  time,  78  min.) 

This  sequel  to  "Dangerous  Blondes"  is  only  moderately 
amusing  program  fare.  It  is  a  murder-mystery  melodrama, 
with  the  accent  on  the  comedy,  in  which  Allyn  Joslyn  and 
Evelyn  Keyes  enact  again  the  roles  of  a  young  married 
couple  who  set  out  to  solve  a  murder.  The  chief  fault  with 
the  picture  is  the  excessive  talk;  not  only  does  it  slow  up 
the  action,  but  if  one  should  miss  two  minutes  of  the  dia- 
logue, he  would  not  understand  what  the  story  is  all  about. 
Here  and  there  it  has  a  few  amusing  situations,  but  for  the 
most  part  the  comedy  is  dull,  with  slapstick  often  resorted 
to  for  laughs: — 

Joslyn  and  Evelyn  are  present  at  a  dinner  sponsored  by 
Dr.  Erwin  Kaiser  to  raise  funds  for  refugees  when  Dr.  Ivan 
Triesault,  physician  at  a  nearby  internment  camp,  collapses 
at  the  table,  dead.  Police  Lieutenant  Edgar  Buchanan  de- 
clares that  the  man  had  died  of  heart  failure,  but  Joslyn, 
an  amateur  detective,  deduces  that  it  was  murder.  When 
an  autopsy  reveals  that  the  doctor  had  been  poisoned,  every 


one  present  becomes  a  suspect.  They  include  Dr.  Kaiser; 
Nina  Foch,  his  daughter;  Tonio  Selwart,  an  artist;  Marguer- 
ite Chapman,  a  mysterious  woman;  and  Hugo  Hass,  a 
refugee,  who  was  the  doorman  at  Joslyn's  apartment  hotel. 
With  the  skeptical  assistance  of  his  wife,  Joslyn  manages 
to  uncover  suspicious  evidence  against  each  of  the  suspects. 
He  discovers  that  Marguerite  was  the  dead  man's  widow, 
and  that  Selwart  was  her  lover.  When  Dr.  Kaiser  disappears 
with  $200,000  that  had  been  entrusted  to  him  by  the  dead 
man,  the  police  believe  the  doctor  guilty.  Joslyn,  however, 
rejects  their  theory  and  continues  to  investigate.  He  tracks 
down  a  number  of  clues  only  to  find  himself  trapped  by  a 
gang  of  Nazi  agents.  They  had  murdered  Triesault  because 
he  had  learned  of  their  plan,  and  had  kidnapped  Dr. 
Kaiser  to  divert  suspicion  from  themselves.  Haas,  the  door- 
man, reveals  himself  as  the  head  of  the  gang.  Meanwhile 
Evelyn  had  picked  up  Joslyn's  trail  and,  after  a  series  of 
misadventures  with  the  police,  arrives  with  them  in  time  to 
rescue  Joslyn  and  round  up  the  Nazis. 

Oscar  Saul,  Eve  Greene,  and  Jerome  Odium  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Burt  Kelly  produced  it,  and  Alfred  E.  Green 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Frank  Jenks,  Erik  Rolf,  Shemp 
Howard  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"The  Great  Mike"  with  Stuart  Erwin 
and  Robert  Henry 

(PRC,  Hov.  30;  time,  71  min.) 

A  thoroughly  pleasant  program  entertainment,  suitable 
for  the  entire  family.  There  is  deep  human  interest  in  many 
of  the  situations,  awakened  by  the  love  of  a  young  boy  for 
his  horse  and  his  dog,  and  by  the  kindness  of  his  adult 
friends,  who  understand  his  feelings  and  come  to  his  aid. 
Robert  Henry,  the  eleven-year-old  boy,  steals  the  picture 
with  his  excellent  performance,  winning  the  spectator's 
sympathy  by  his  display  of  fine  traits.  The  story  presents 
nothing  novel,  but  it  has  been  given  a  good  treatment.  It 
has  two  very  exciting  horse  races:- — 

Carefully  saving  his  earnings  from  the  sale  of  newspapers, 
young  Robert  Henry  hopes  one  day  to  own  Mike,  a  thor- 
oughbred horse,  which  had  been  entrusted  to  him  by  his 
uncle.  The  boy  dreamed  of  entering  the  horse  at  the  Santa 
Anita  race  track  to  win  enough  money  to  build  his  news- 
boy chums  a  club  house,  Robert  meets  Colonel  Pierre  Wat- 
kin,  a  famous  Kentucky  horse-breeder,  and  Stuart  Erwin, 
his  trainer,  while  delivering  newspapers  to  them.  Both  men 
are  amazed  at  the  boy's  knowledge  of  horses,  and  the  Colonel 
sportingly  accepts  the  boy's  challenge  to  race  Mike  against 
one  of  his  horses.  Mike  loses  the  race,  but  the  two  men  are 
impressed  with  his  running.  Robert  is  saddened  when  word 
comes  that  his  uncle  had  sold  Mike  to  Marion  Martin,  a 
movie  star.  Mike,  brooding  for  the  companionship  of  Rob- 
ert and  of  Corky,  the  youngster's  dog,  refuses  to  eat  or  run 
at  the  new  stables.  Miss  Martin,  annoyed,  offers  to  sell 
Mike  back  to  the  boy.  The  youngster  offers  Erwin  a  half- 
interest  in  the  horse  if  he  would  put  up  the  money.  Erwin 
accepts  and  begins  training  Mike.  The  horse  wins  his  first 
race,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  a  gambling  ring,  who  had 
considered  him  a  rank  outsider.  To  prevent  Mike  from 
winning  a  second  time,  the  gamblers  try  to  dope  the  horse 
on  the  eve  of  the  race.  Corky  scares  off  the  culprits,  who 
kill  him  for  interfering.  Mike  broods  over  the  death  of  his 
little  friend,  and  refuses  to  run.  Robert,  however,  obtains 
another  dog,  Corky's  brother,  and  the  horse  becomes  his 
old  self.  The  Colonel  permits  Robert  and  Erwin  to  enter 
Mike  in  a  big  race  against  his  own  horse,  and  gracefully 
accepts  defeat  when  Mike  romps  home  a  winner  at  tre- 
mendous odds. 

Raymond  L.  Schrock  wrote  the  screen  play,  Leon  From- 
kess  produced  it,  and  Wallace  W.  Fox  directed  it.  Martin 
Mooney  was  associate  producer.  The  cast  includes  Carl 
(Alfalfa)  Switzcr,  Gwen  Kenyon  and  others. 


168 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  14,  1944 


"To  Have  and  Have  Not"  with 
Humphrey  Bogart  and  Lauren  Bacall 

(Warner  Bros.,  Jan.  21;  time,  100  min.) 

Good.  Fashioned  along  the  lines  of  "Casablanca,"  this 
melodrama  has  pretty  good  box-office  possibilities  because 
of  Humphrey  Bogart's  popularity.  The  story,  which  is  set 
against  the  Vichy  collaborationist  background  of  Marti- 
nique, prior  to  its  capitulation  to  the  Allies,  is  a  diffused 
mixture  of  international  political  intrigue,  virile  action,  and 
romance,  obviously  tailored  to  fit  the  well  known  "tough 
guy"  talents  of  Bogart.  As  such,  it  will  undoubtedly  please 
his  fans.  The  surprise  of  the  picture  is  Lauren  Bacall,  a  new- 
comer, who  makes  quite  an  impression  as  a  woman  of  loose 
morals,  with  whom  Bogart  falls  in  love.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
her  actions  are  so  brazenly  suggestive  that  they  make  the 
picture  unsuitable  for  children.  Although  the  story  is  rather 
inadequate,  the  characterizations  are  highly  interesting: — 

Bogart,  an  American,  makes  his  living  on  Martinique  by 
hiring  out  his  fast  cabin  cruiser  to  fishermen.  He  is  ap- 
proached by  Marcel  Dalio,  his  hotel  keeper,  who  asks  him 
to  undertake  a  dangerous  mission  for  a  group  of  De  Gaullists. 
Bogart  refuses  to  become  involved  in  the  island's  politics. 
While  dining  with  Walter  Sande,  a  client,  and  Lauren 
Bacall,  an  American  girl  stranded  on  the  island,  Bogart  is 
caught  in  a  Vichy  police  raid,  aimed  at  capturing  the  Dc 
Gaullists.  Sande  is  killed  by  a  stray  bullet,  and  Lauren  and 
Bogart  are  questioned  by  Captain  Dan  Seymour,  head  of 
the  Vichy  police.  Aroused  when  Lauren  is  slapped,  Bogart 
determines  to  send  her  back  to  the  States.  He  agrees  to  go 
on  the  mission  for  the  De  Gaullists,  and  spends  the  money 
to  buy  a  plane  ticket  for  Lauren.  Accompanied  by  Walter 
Brennan,  a  drunken  derelict,  whom  he  had  befriended, 
Bogart  goes  to  a  nearby  islet  where  he  picks  up  Walter 
Molnar,  a  leading  De  Gaullist,  and  his  wife,  Dolores  Moran. 
On  the  way  back,  Bogart  has  a  brush  with  a  Vichy  patrol 
boat,  during  which  Molnar  is  wounded.  Returning  to  the 
hotel,  Bogart  finds  that  Lauren  had  not  used  the  plane 
ticket,  electing  to  remain  with  him.  The  police,  aware  that 
Bogart's  boat  had  been  used  to  smuggle  in  Molnar,  arrest 
Brennan  in  the  hope  that  he  will  reveal  Molnar's  where- 
abouts. Roused  by  the  Vichyites  insidious  methods,  Bogart 
traps  Seymour  and  his  lieutenants  when  they  come  to  his 
room  to  question  him.  He  subdues  Seymour  and  forces  him 
to  telephone  for  the  release  of  Brennan.  Leaving  Seymour 
in  the  hands  of  the  local  Free  French.  Bogart  picks  up 
Molnar  and  his  wife,  and  together  with  Brennan  and 
Lauren,  departs  from  Martinique  in  his  little  craft. 

Jules  Furthman  and  William  Faulkner  wrote  the  screen 
play  from  the  novel  by  Ernest  Hemingway,  and  Howard 
Hawks  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Hoagy 
Carmichael,  Sheldon  Leonard  and  others. 

"The  Woman  in  the  Window"  with 
Edward  G.  Robinson,  Joan  Bennett 
and  Raymond  Massey 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  99  min.) 

This  second  of  International  Pictures'  four  productions 
to  be  released  through  RKO  is  a  superior  murder  thriller, 
well  directed  and  expertly  acted  by  a  capable  cast.  The  story 
is  not  a  mystery,  yet  it  grip's  one's  attention  from  the  open- 
ing to  the  closing  scenes.  Suspense  is  sustained  all  the  way 
through  because  of  the  danger  to  Edward  G.  Robinson, 
shown  as  a  mild-mannered  college  professor,  who  tries  to 
cover  up  a  murder  he  had  committed  in  self  defense.  Some 
of  the  situations,  particularly  those  in  which  Robinson  has 
narrow  brushes  with  the  law,  will  make  your  patrons  gasp. 
To  most  people,  the  ending,  which  reveals  that  Robinson's 
terrifying  experiences  had  been  a  dream,  will  come  as  a 
surprise.  For  this  reason,  exhibitors  should  urge  their  patrons 
to  see  the  picture  from  the  beginning: — 

Robinson,  whose  family  was  on  vacation,  dines  at  his 
club  with  two  close  friends,  Raymond  Massey,  a  district 
attorney,  and  Edmund  Breon,  a  physician.  After  a  discus- 
sion of  how  easily  one  can  become  involved  in  a  criminal 
action,  Robinson's  friends  leave  him.  He  settles  down  to 


read  a  book  and  asks  the  steward  to  call  him  at  ten-thirty. 
Leaving  the  club,  Robinson  stops  to  admire  a  portrait  of  a 
beautiful  woman  in  an  art  gallery  window,  and  is  surprised 
no  end  to  find  the  model,  Joan  Bennett,  standing  beside 
him.  He  accepts  her  invitation  to  go  to  her  apartment  to 
see  other  sketches  of  herself.  As  they  have  a  quiet  drink, 
Arthur  Loft,  a  prominent  financier,  bursts  into  the  apart- 
ment and  jealously  attacks  Robinson,  who  stab6  him  in  6elf 
defense.  Learning  from  Joan  that  Loft  had  visited  her 
secretly  for  years,  and  convinced  that  there  was  nothing 
to  link  the  dead  man  with  either  Joan  or  himself,  Robinson 
connives  with  her  to  dispose  of  the  body  and  to  keep  the 
killing  a  secret  between  them.  The  body  is  found  in  a  thicket 
on  the  following  day,  and  the  police  begin  a  search  for  the 
killer.  Robinson  keeps  in  touch  with  the  developments 
through  Massey,  who  tells  him  of  the  clues  that  had  been 
found.  Complications  arise  when  Dan  Duryea,  Loft's  body- 
guard, who  knew  about  Loft's  affair  with  Joan,  calls  on  her 
and  demands  $5000  as  his  price  for  silence.  Joan  confers 
with  Robinson,  who  decides  that  Duryea,  too,  must  be 
killed  lest  their  secret  be  found  out.  When  the  attempt  to 
kill  Duryea  fails,  Robinson  decides  to  swallow  poison  as 
the  only  way  out  of  his  predicament.  As  his  life  fades  away, 
Robinson  is  awakened  by  the  club's  steward — he  had  been 
having  a  vicious  dream. 

Nunnally  Johnson  wrote  the  screen  play  and  produced 
it,  and  Fritz  Lang  directed  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"Laura"  with  Dana  Andrews,  Gene  Tierney 
and  Clifton  Webb 

(20th  Century-Fox,  time,  88  mm.) 

A  well  produced,  intelligently  directed,  murder  mystery 
melodrama,  set  against  a  smart  society  background.  The 
story  is  so  cleverly  contrived,  and  so  many  persons  are  under 
suspicion,  that  one  cannot  be  certain  at  any  time  as  to  the 
identity  of  the  murderer.  There  is  no  foolish  type  of  comedy, 
caused  by  a  stupid  detective  bungling  matters  up;  instead, 
the  mystery  is  worked  out  in  a  logical  manner  and  is  certain 
to  please  followers  of  this  type  of  melodrama.  Dana 
Andrews  makes  a  convincing  detective,  and  Clifton  Webb, 
as  a  debonair,  egotistic  critic-columnist,  who  eventually  re- 
veals himself  as  the  murderer,  gives  a  polished  performance. 
The  dialogue  is  exceptionally  good: — 

The  brutal  murder  of  Gene  Tierney,  a  glamorous  adver- 
tising executive,  sets  detective  Dana  Andrews  on  the  trail 
of  the  murderer.  Investigating  her  acquaintances,  Andrews 
learns  that  Gene  had  gained  prominence  in  her  field 
through  the  aid  of  Clifton  Webb,  who  had  been  madly  in 
love  with  her,  and  that  she  had  been  engaged  to  Vincent 
Price,  a  charming  but  worthless  fellow,  who  had  been 
having  an  affair  with  Judith  Anderson,  an  extremely  jealous 
woman.  Inconclusive  bits  of  evidence  lead  Andrews  to  sus- 
pect all  three.  While  searching  Gene's  apartment  for  addi- 
tional clues,  Andrews  falls  aleep  in  a  chair.  He  is  astonished 
when  awakened  by  Gene,  who  demands  an  explanation  of 
his  presence.  Questioning  her,  Andrews  learns  that  she  had 
been  at  her  country  home,  out  of  contact  with  the  news- 
papers and  radio  since  the  night  of  her  supposed  murder. 
Gene  examines  the  dress  of  the  murdered  girl  and  identifies 
it  as  that  of  a  model,  with  whom  Price  had  been  friendly.  A 
charge  of  buckshot  had  all  but  blown  the  dead  girl's  head 
off,  and  she  had  been  mistakenly  identified  as  Gene.  Gaps 
in  Gene's  story  lead  Andrews  to  suspect  her,  too.  Carefully 
shifting  his  clues,  Andrews  visits  Webb's  apartment  and 
finds  conclusive  evidence  linking  him  with  the  crime.  Mean- 
while Webb,  noticing  the  warmth  that  had  sprung  up  be- 
tween Andrews  and  Gene,  visits  her  apartment  and  con- 
fesses to  her  that  he  had  meant  to  kill  her,  not  the  model, 
so  that  no  other  man  would  have  her.  He  attempts  to  kill 
her,  but  the  timely  arrival  of  Andrews  and  the  police  save 
Gene. 

Jay  Dratler,  Samuel  Hoffenstein,  and  Betty  Reinhardt 
wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Otto  Preminger  produced  and 
directed  it. 

Morally  unobjectionable. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  21,  1944  No.  43 


THE  SOLUTION  IS  GOOD  PICTURES 

Recently  it  was  suggested  in  these  columns  that  the 
only  way  for  the  American  producers  to  beat  the  game 
of  the  foreign  governments  seeking  to  place  restric 
tions  on  American  pictures  was  to  send  to  those  coun' 
tries  nothing  but  choice  pictures  so  that  their  picture- 
going  publics,  by  comparing  the  quality  of  the  native 
pictures,  imposed  on  them  by  government  decree,  with 
the  quality  of  the  pictures  we  export  to  them,  will  rec- 
ognise the  superiority  of  our  pictures  and  will  either 
compel  their  governments  to  ease  the  restrictions  or 
wait  until  an  American  picture  is  shown  before  going 
to  a  picture-show. 

Last  week  the  United  States  Department  of  Com- 
merce made  a  similar  suggestion  in  a  comprehensive 
report  titled,  "Motion  Picture  Markets  of  Latin 
America."  This  report,  consisting  of  201  pages,  was 
compiled  by  Nathan  D.  Golden,  Chief  of  the  Motion 
Picture  Unit  of  the  Department's  Bureau  of  Foreign 
and  Domestic  Commerce.  It  warns  the  American  pro- 
ducers that  "films  produced  in  the  studios  of  Mexico 
and  Argentina  are  coming  to  constitute,  today,  rather 
potent  competition/ '  and  it  points  out  that  "the  im- 
portance to  the  American  industry  of  maintaining  this 
Latin  American  market  as  an  outlet  for  its  product 
cannot  be  over-emphasized,  especially  when  one  notes 
that  80  per  cent  of  the  films  shown  in  that  great  area 
are  of  American  make.  A  continuance  of  this  high  per- 
centage is  obviously  vital  to  the  economics  of  the 
American  motion  picture  industry  in  the  post-war 
era. 

In  its  analysis  of  the  conditions  that  the  American 
producer-distributors  face  in  the  Brazilian  motion  pic- 
ture market,  the  report,  under  the  heading  "Sugges- 
tions for  Improving  the  Effectiveness  of  American 
Films,"  states  the  following: 

"A  fair  number  of  American  films  shown  here  are 
masterpieces  of  art — the  photographic  technique,  ac- 
tion, thematic  development,  and  continuity  being 
carried  to  approximately  the  maximum. 

"Good  films  are  highly  effective  and  desirable  and 
though  there  has  been  a  noticeable  improvement  in 
the  quality  of  American  films  released  during  the  past 
years,  only  a  small  proportion  of  the  American  films 
sent  to  Brazil  are  of  the  highest  quality.  In  fact,  the 
majority  scale  downward  towards  mediocrity.  Local 
audiences,  the  theatre  owners,  and  the  distributors 
view  with  dissatisfaction  the  disproportionate  number 
of  mediocre  films,  termed  'screen  time  fillers'  by  the 
trade. 

"An  obvious  conclusion  and  seemingly  warranted 
suggestion  for  improving  the  effectiveness  of  Amer- 
ican films  is  that  more  good  quality  films  and  less 
mediocre  ones  be  sent  to  this  country.  It  is  believed 
that  the  American  producers  turn  out  more  produc- 


tions than  can  be  adequately  absorbed  by  the  Brazilian 
market  and  the  above-mentioned  suggestion  could  pos- 
sibly be  partially  accomplished  under  present  produc- 
tion status  if  the  producers  will  exercise  discrimination 
in  their  choice  of  films  which  are  sent  to  Brazil  instead 
of  sending  out  all  productions  indiscriminately." 

As  it  has  already  been  said  in  these  columns,  the 
producer- distributors  should  appoint  an  impartial 
committee  that  will  have  the  final  say  in  the  selection 
of  pictures  that  should  be  sent  to  foreign  countries, 
with  a  view  towards  maintaining,  and  perhaps  even 
enlarging,  the  domination  of  the  world  markets  by 
American  pictures.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Amer- 
ican companies  produce  more  pictures  than  can  be 
adequately  absorbed  by  any  foreign  country,  with  the 
exception,  of  course,  of  Great  Britain,  it  would  indeed 
be  wise  to  withdraw  from  export  the  mediocre  pic- 
tures and  send  abroad  only  the  good  product.  The 
adoption  of  such  a  policy  will  eventually  gain  for  the 
American  companies  greater  revenues  than  they  can 
hope  for  under  a  policy  of  indiscriminate  selection. 

Home  production  in  the  Latin  American  countries 
is  beginning  to  offer  a  substantial  challenge  to  the 
American  producers,  and  it  can  be  expected  that  the 
British  and  French  picture  industries,  in  the  coming 
post-war  era,  will  do  their  utmost  to  make  inroads  on 
our  industry's  domination,  not  only  of  the  Latin 
American  market,  but  also  of  the  other  foreign 
markets.  And  unless  the  American  companies  adopt  a 
far-sighted  policy  of  exporting  only  the  best  pictures 
they  make,  their  domination  of  these  world  markets 
will  surely  fade. 

The  trade  papers  report  that  representatives  of  the 
different  American  motion  picture  companies  met  last 
week  for  the  purpose  of  setting  up  a  foreign  trade  asso- 
ciation so  that  they  could  put  up  a  united  front  against 
any  unwarranted  discrimination  against  American  pic- 
tures in  foreign  markets.  Such  an  association  should, 
of  course,  have  its  advantages  in  helping  the  American 
producers  sell  their  pictures,  but,  in  the  final  analysis, 
the  success  of  American  product  in  the  foreign 
markets  will  be  measured  by  the  attractiveness  of  this 
product  to  the  foreign  picture-going  publics.  Hence, 
the  producers  will  have  to  do  more  than  just  agitate; 
they  will  have  to  learn  to  discriminate- — to  choose  the 
good  pictures  from  the  general  run  of  product. 

And  after  they  have  practiced  discrimination  for 
awhile,  who  can  tell  what  may  happen?  They  may 
develop  their  sense  of  discrimination  to  such  an  extent 
that  they  will  apply  it  to  the  domestic  market,  with  the 
result  that  the  American  public,  too,  will  get  better 
pictures. 

There  is  yet  a  chance  that,  out  of  the  troubles  with 
the  foreign  markets,  the  exhibitors  in  this  country  may 
derive  some  benefit. 


170 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  21,  1944 


"Moonlight  and  Cactus"  with  Leo  Carillo 
and  the  Andrew  Sisters 

(Universal,  Sept.  8;  time,  60  mm.) 

An  entertaining  program  comedy,  with  tuneful 
popular  music.  Though  the  story  and  treatment  are 
typical  of  the  usual  run  of  program  musicals  ground 
out  by  Universal,  the  comedy  situations  and  the  dia- 
logue are  considerably  funnier.  The  Andrew  Sisters 
are  as  peppy  as  ever,  and  their  singing  of  a  number 
of  popular  songs  is  pleasant  to  the  ear.  Leo  Carrillo 
and  Shemp  Howard  carry  the  burden  of  the  comedy 
effectively,  and  Mitch  Ayres  and  his  orchestra  furnish 
the  music: — 

Petty  Officer  Tom  Seidel  of  the  Merchant  Marine 
returns  on  shore  leave  to  his  San  Diego  cattle  ranch, 
bringing  with  him  a  number  of  his  shipmates,  includ- 
ing Eddie  Quillan,  Murray  Alper,  Shemp  Howard, 
and  Tom  Kennedy,  as  well  as  the  ship's  band  (Mitch 
Ayres  and  his  orchestra) .  Arriving  at  the  ranch,  Seidel 
is  at  first  disconcerted  to  find  that  it  was  being  man- 
aged entirely  by  women,  due  to  the  manpower  short- 
age. Elyse  Knox,  the  foreman,  headed  the  feminine 
cowhands,  assisted  by  the  Andrew  Sisters  and  by 
Minerva  Urecal,  the  housekeeper.  Seidel  congratulates 
Elyse  on  her  management  of  the  ranch,  but  she  con- 
fesses to  him  that  large  numbers  of  his  cattle  had  been 
disappearing  mysteriously.  Seidel  decides  to  employ 
Leo  Carrillo,  a  neighboring  rancher,  who  made  fabu- 
lous claims  about  being  a  detective,  to  track  down  the 
cattle  thieves.  Unknown  to  Seidel,  Carrillo  himself 
was  the  thief.  At  a  gay  fiesta  given  by  Carrillo  at  his 
hacienda,  Seidel  and  Elyse  discover  a  number  of  their 
cattle.  Carrillo,  accused,  covers  up  his  stealing  by  tell- 
ing Seidel  that  he  had  merely  spirited  the  cattle  away 
for  safekeeping  while  he  was  away  at  war.  His  prop- 
erty restored,  Seidel  makes  sure  of  keeping  his  lady 
foreman  by  marrying  her  before  returning  to  duty. 

Eugene  Conrad  and  Paul  Gerard  Smith  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Frank  Gross  produced  it,  and  Eddie  Cline 
directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Faces  in  the  Fog"  with  Jane  Withers, 
Paul  Kelly  and  John  Litel 

(Republic,  no  release  date  set;  time,  71  min.) 
An  interesting  program  drama,  based  on  the  juvenile 
delinquency  theme.  As  compared  with  the  numerous 
pictures  produced  recently,  based  on  a  similar  theme, 
this  is  by  far  a  better  one,  for  it  handles  the  problem 
in  a  restrained  and  intelligent  manner,  without  resort- 
ing to  sensationalism.  This  picture,  too,  place  the 
blame  on  irresponsible  parents,  but  it  does  this  with  a 
minimum  of  preachment,  putting  over  its  message 
through  the  actions  of  the  players.  Though  the  story 
presents  little  that  is  novel,  it  has  considerable  heart 
interest,  and  one  feels  sympathetic  towards  Jane 
Withers  and  Eric  Sinclair,  the  juvenile  leads,  because 
of  their  display  of  fine  traits: — 

Seventeen-year-old  Jane  Withers,  whose  parents 
(Lee  Patrick  and  Paul  Kelly)  were  self  centered  and 
pleasure-loving,  falls  in  love  with  eighteen-year-old 
Eric  Sinclair,  whose  parents  (Dorothy  Peterson  and 
John  Litel)  were  devoted  and  understanding.  When 
Bob  Stebbins,  Jane's  younger  brother,  is  scratched  by 
a  bullet  in  a  mixup  with  a  group  of  rowdy  boys,  Litel, 
a  physician,  treats  the  wound  but  does  not  report  it  to 
the  police  in  deference  to  Jane's  pleas.  The  police, 
however,  learn  of  the  incident  from  another  source, 


and  admonish  Kelly  to  take  better  care  of  his  children. 
Kelly,  assuming  that  Litel  was  responsible,  forbids 
Jane  to  see  Eric  again.  Jane  attends  a  school  dance 
with  Richard  Byron,  a  young  hoodlum,  who  provokes 
a  fight  with  Eric  when  he  tries  to  speak  to  Jane.  Hear- 
ing the  school  principal  approaching,  Byron  drives  off 
in  his  car  with  Jane.  Eric  follows  in  his  own  car.  Speed- 
ing, Byron  hits  a  pedestrian.  Eric  offers  to  take  the 
victim  to  the  hospital  while  Byron  reports  the  accident 
to  the  police.  Byron  deliberately  fails  to  report,  and 
blackmails  Jane  into  silence  by  threatening  to  reveal 
that  Litel  did  not  report  her  brother's  bullet  wound. 
Eric,  charged  with  the  accident,  maintains  silence  to 
protect  Jane  from  her  father's  wrath.  He  is  expelled 
from  school,  and  enlists  in  the  Army.  Faced  with  their 
impending  separation,  Jane  and  Eric  elope  secretly. 
After  the  ceremony,  they  go  to  a  motel,  where  Eric's 
car  is  seen  by  Byron,  who  misunderstands.  Byron  tele- 
phones Jane's  father.  The  infuriated  man  rushes  to 
the  motel  and,  without  waiting  for  an  explanation, 
shoots  and  wounds  Eric.  Kelly  is  arrested  and  charged 
with  attempted  murder.  Jane,  to  win  sympathy  for  her 
father,  persuades  Eric  to  conceal  their  marriage,  and 
even  perjures  herself  to  gain  his  acquittal.  After  the 
trial,  Jane  returns  home  only  to  find  her  parents  still 
critical  of  her.  Disillusioned  and  unhappy,  she  abruptly 
tells  them  of  her  marriage  and  leaves  to  spend  a  short 
honeymoon  with  Eric  before  his  departure  overseas. 
By  the  time  she  returns  home,  her  parents  realize  their 
faults  and  determine  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf. 

Jack  Townley  wrote  the  screen  play,  Herman  Mil- 
lakowsky  produced  it,  and  John  English  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  H.  B.  Warner,  Gertrude  Michael 
and  others.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Man  in  Half  Moon  Street"  with 
Nils  Asther  and  Helen  Walker 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  92  min.) 

A  tense  "suspense"  melodrama,  of  better  than  pro- 
gram grade;  its  lack  of  marquee  names,  however,  make 
it  best  suitable  for  the  top  half  of  a  double-bill.  The 
story,  which  revolves  around  a  charming,  youthful- 
looking  scientist,  who  had  discovered  a  means  of  per- 
petuating his  youth,  is  essentially  a  murder  melo- 
drama, but  it  has  been  handled  so  well  that  it  has  not 
been  made  gruesome.  There  is  no  real  mystery  in- 
volved  since  early  in  the  story  the  spectator  is  made 
aware  of  the  scientist's  machinations.  Nevertheless,  it 
grips  one's  attention  due  to  the  interesting  manner  in 
which  the  police  learn  of  his  secret,  thus  bringing  a 
halt  to  his  sinister  killings,  and  saving  the  heroine  from 
marrying  a  man  who  more  than  one  hundred  years 
her  senior,  although  he  appeared  to  be  a  young  man. 
The  closing  scenes,  where  the  scientist  turns  into  a 
very  old  man,  are  dramatic  and  exciting: — 

Nils  Asther,  a  scientist  and  painter,  keeps  secret 
from  Helen  Walker,  his  fiancee,  the  fact  that  he  was 
actually  more  than  one  hundred-years-old,  having 
kept  his  youthful  appearance  through  a  series  of  gland 
operations  performed  by  Reinhold  Schunzel,  an  aged 
scientist,  was  to  perfect  a  glandular  treatment  that 
would  perpetuate  one's  youth.  With  Asther,  surgery 
was  required  every  ten  years,  and  each  time  a  young 
man  had  been  murdered  in  order  that  his  glands  be 
transferred  to  Asther's  body.  Helen's  father  (Edmond 
Breon)  and  her  family  doctor  (Paul  Cavanagh)  be- 
come suspicious  of  Asther's  secret  experiments  and 
decide  to  investigate  his  past.  On  the  eve  of  his  mar- 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


171 


riage  to  Helen,  Asther,  in  need  of  another  operation, 
becomes  frantic  when  he  learns  that  Schunzel  was 
paralyzed  and  could  not  operate.  His  search  for  an 
unscrupulous  doctor  to  perform  the  operation  proves 
futile.  Desperate,  he  persuades  Helen  to  elope  with 
him  to  Paris,  hoping  to  find  a  doctor  there.  Meanwhile 
in  Scotland  Yard,  checking  on  information  furnished 
by  Cavanagh,  is  amazed  to  find  evidence  linking 
Asther  with  murders  that  had  been  committed  for  the 
past  hundred  years.  Asther,  aware  that  his  secret  had 
been  found  out,  manages  to  elude  the  detectives  and 
to  board  a  channel  train  with  Helen.  En  route,  he  be- 
comes very  ill  and  realizes  that  his  glandular  operation 
had  been  postponed  too  long.  As  he  feels  his  skin 
wrinkling  with  age,  Asther  makes  a  full  confession 
to  Helen.  He  becomes  a  very  old  man  within  a  few 
minutes  and,  while  trying  to  escape  the  detectives  at 
the  first  train  stop,  collapses  and  dies  on  the  platform. 
Helen,  admiring  him  for  the  daring  of  his  attempt  to 
outwit  nature,  returns  to  London  feeling  that  their 
love  will  never  die. 

Charles  Kenyon  wrote  the  screen  play,  Walter  Mac- 
Ewen  produced  it,  and  Ralph  Murphy  directed  it. 
Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Very  Thought  of  You"  with 
Dennis  Morgan  and  Eleanor  Parker 

(Warner  Brothers,  7^_ov.  1 ;  time,  99  min.) 

A  good  topical  romantic  drama,  with  a  particular 
appeal  for  women  because  it  deals  with  the  brief  ro- 
mance and  hasty  marriage  of  a  soldier  on  a  furlough 
to  a  young  lady,  despite  the  opposition  of  certain  mem- 
bers of  her  family  who  opposed  hasty  war  marriages. 
One's  interest  lags  occasionally  because  of  the  inclu- 
sion of  extraneous  episodes,  but  on  the  whole  it  holds 
one's  attention  well.  The  story  should  have  mass  ap- 
peal, because  the  plight  of  the  young  lovers  will  be 
understood  by  the  rank  and  file;  they  will  feel  sympa- 
thy for  them  throughout.  Eleanor  Parker,  a  new- 
comer, is  warmly  appealing  as  the  heroine,  playing  her 
role  with  tenderness  and  understanding;  there  is  no 
doubt  that  she  is  star  material.  It  has  considerable 
comedy,  provoked  by  the  gay  antics  of  Dane  Clark, 
Dennis  Morgan's  buddy: — 

Returning  to  Pasadena  after  many  lonely  months 
in  the  Aleutians,  Sergeants  Dennis  Morgan  and  Dane 
Clark  strike  up  an  acquaintance  with  Eleanor  Parker 
and  Faye  Emerson,  workers  in  a  parachute  factory. 
Eleanor  invites  Morgan  to  dinner  at  her  home,  while 
Faye  and  Clark  go  off  on  a  date.  At  Eleanor's  home, 
Morgan  meets  her  mother  (Beulah  Bondi) ,  a  cranky 
woman;  her  older  sister  (Andrea  King),  unhappily 
married  to  a  sailor  overseas;  her  brother  (John  Alvin) , 
a  cynical  sort;  her  younger  sister  (Georgia  Lee  Settle) , 
a  friendly  adolescent;  and  her  father  (Henry  Trav- 
ers) ,  a  mild-mannered,  likeable  man.  The  bickering  of 
the  family  embarrasses  both  Eleanor  and  Morgan,  but 
it  does  not  prevent  their  romance  from  blossoming. 
Despite  the  family's  atempt  to  discourage  the  romance, 
Eleanor  and  Morgan  marry,  one  day  before  the  end 
of  his  furlough.  Eleanor's  mother  and  Andrea,  de- 
termined to  break  up  the  marriage,  intercept  Morgan's 
letters  to  her;  they  sought  to  convince  her  that  hasty 
war  marriages,  such  as  Andrea's,  end  in  grief.  A  tele- 
phone call  from  Morgan,  asking  her  to  meet  him  in 
San  Diego  for  a  few  brief  hours  before  his  departure 
overseas,  dispells  any  doubts  that  Eleanor  may  have 
had  because  of  her  failure  to  hear  from  him.  Eleanor 


berates  her  mother  and  sister  for  withholding  Mor- 
gan's letters,  and,  upon  her  reurn  from  San  Diego, 
goes  to  live  with  Faye.  With  the  birth  of  her  baby, 
Eleanor  becomes  reconciled  with  her  family,  who  by 
now  realized  her  deep  love  for  Morgan.  Meanwhile 
Andrea's  husband  (William  Prince)  returns  from 
overseas  wounded.  Andrea,  deeply  touched  by  his  de- 
votion, confesses  her  unfaithfulness  during  his  absence 
and  begs  his  forgiveness;  Eleanor  had  taught  her  the 
value  of  true  love.  Homeward  bound  after  recovering 
from  wounds  received  in  battle,  both  Morgan  and 
Clark  are  joyfully  met  at  the  station  by  Eleanor,  Faye, 
and  the  family,  and  by  Morgan's  little  son. 

Alvah  Besie  and  Delmer  Daves  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  Jerry  Wald  produced  it.  Mr.  Daves  directed 
it. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 

"The  Girl  Rush"  with  Alan  Carney, 
Wally  Brown  and  Frances  Langford 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  66  min.) 

An  ordinary  program  comedy.  The  musical  num- 
bers are  enjoyable,  and  Frances  Langford's  singing  is 
pleasant  to  the  ear,  but  the  story  is  so  inane  that  it 
barely  holds  one's  interest.  Slapstick  is  the  main  source 
of  the  comedy,  but  little  of  it  is  effective.  Allan  Car- 
ney, Wally  Brown  and  Vera  Vague,  work  hard  to 
put  freshness  into  trite  situations,  but  their  efforts 
fall  mostly  flat,  for  the  material  is  poor;  in  only  a  few 
situations  does  the  comedy  provoke  laughter.  The  clos- 
ing scenes,  in  which  a  group  of  miners  disguise  them- 
selves as  women  and  beat  up  a  gang  of  outlaws  in  a 
free-for-all  barroom  brawl,  should  provoke  uproarious 
laughter;  it  is  the  best  sequence  in  the  picture : — 

Carney  and  Brown  operate  a  successsful  cabaret 
show  in  San  Francisco  until  the  discovery  of  gold  at 
Sutter's  Mill  leaves  them  without  customers.  To  raise 
money  to  take  the  show  to  New  York,  the  boys  per- 
suade Frances  Langford,  their  leading  lady,  to  hold 
the  troupe  together  while  they  go  prospecting  for  gold. 
The  boys  are  unsuccessful  and,  hungry  and  broke, 
they  make  their  way  to  the  boom  town  of  Red  Creek, 
where  they  get  themselves  in  trouble  trying  to  work  a 
crooked  shell  game  in  a  crooked  gambling  palace. 
Learning  that  the  boys  had  a  girl  show  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, the  miners,  hungry  for  the  sight  of  women,  raise 
the  money  to  bring  the  troupe  to  Red  Creek,  and  put 
the  boys  on  a  stage  coach  driven  by  Robert  Mitchum 
and  Paul  Hurst,  two  of  the  miners.  En  route,  outlaws 
headed  by  Cy  Kendall  try  to  hold  up  the  coach,  but 
they  are  driven  off  by  the  two  miners  who  instruct  the 
boys  to  proceed  to  San  Francisco.  There,  Carney  and 
Brown  inform  the  troupe  that  they  struck  it  rich,  and 
prepare  to  take  them  to  New  York.  But  their  decep- 
ion  is  exposed  when  Mitchum  and  Hurst  arrive.  The 
girls  become  furious  upon  learning  the  truth,  but 
Frances,  attracted  to  Mitchum,  persuades  them  to 
travel  to  Red  Creek.  As  the  troupe's  caravan  nears 
the  town,  Mitchum  is  warned  that  the  outlaws  in- 
tended to  kill  every  man  in  the  caravan  and  to  kidnap 
the  girls.  The  men  disguise  themselves  as  women,  and 
best  the  outlaws  in  a  furious  fight.  That  evening,  the 
boys  stage  their  show  to  a  packed  house,  but  they  soon 
find  themselves  without  customers  when  a  new  gold 
strike  is  announced. 

Robert  E.  Kent  wrote  the  screen  play,  John  Auer 
produced  it,  and  Gordon  Douglas  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


172 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  21,  1944 


"And  Now  Tomorrow"  with  Alan  Ladd 
and  Loretta  Young 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  85  min.) 

Despite  its  rather  routine  story,  this  romantic  drama  is  a 
fairly  good  entertainment,  with  a  particular  appeal  to  women. 
Unlike  his  previous  pictures,  in  which  he  has  been  cast  in 
"tough  guy"  roles,  this  time  Alan  Ladd  plays  the  part  of  a 
rising  young  doctor,  an  ear  specialist,  who,  not  only  effects 
a  cure  for  the  deaf  heroine,  but  also  clears  up  the  romantic 
complications  in  her  life,  caused  by  her  affliction.  As  a  doctor, 
Ladd  is  hardly  believable,  but  he  does  make  his  characteriza' 
tion  a  likeable  one,  as  does  Loretta  Young,  as  the  deaf  heiress. 
The  story  lacks  action,  but  this  is  made  up  for  by  its  emo- 
tional qualities.  It  has  been  given  a  good  production: — 

Loretta  Young,  whose  wealthy  New  England  family 
owned  all  the  textile  mills  in  Blairstown,  is  stricken  with 
meningitis  while  celebrating  her  engagement  to  Barry  Sulli- 
van. As  a  result  of  her  illness,  Loretta  becomes  deaf.  Dr. 
Cecil  Kellaway,  family  physician  and  friend,  sends  her  to 
many  specialists,  all  of  whom  consider  her  affliction  incur- 
able. Meanwhile  Susan  Hayward,  her  sister,  falls  in  love 
with  Sullivan,  but  both  keep  their  attachment  secret  because 
of  a  guilty  sense  of  loyalty  to  Loretta.  Kellaway,  determined 
to  cure  Loretta,  asks  Alan  Ladd,  a  promising  young  surgeon, 
who  had  been  brought  up  in  the  poor  section  of  town,  to 
study  her  case.  Though  bitter  against  her  family  because  of 
wrongs  that  had  been  done  to  his  father,  Ladd  agrees  to 
treat  her.  Friction  springs  up  between  the  two;  he  consid- 
ered her  a  hopeless  snob,  and  she  looked  upon  him  as  an 
upstart.  But  both  are  drawn  closer  together  when  she  aids 
him  while  he  performs  an  emergency  mastoidectomy  on  a 
poor  mill  worker's  child.  Meanwhile  Ladd  learns  of  the  secret 
love  between  Susan  and  Sullivan.  He  tries  subtly  to  get 
Loretta  to  break  her  engagement  to  Sullivan,  but  she  resents 
his  interference  and  sets  a  date  for  her  marriage.  On  the 
eve  of  her  wedding,  Loretta  learns  that  Ladd  had  developed 
a  scrum  that  had  been  tried  successfully  on  deaf  rabbits.  She 
pleads  with  him  to  use  the  serum  treatment  on  her,  but  he 
hesitates  lest  it  prove  fatal  to  a  human.  He  finally  consents 
and,  though  she  almost  dies,  the  treatment  proves  successful. 
Before  she  can  appraise  the  family  of  her  cure,  she  overhears 
Susan  and  Sullivan  reveal  their  love  for  each  other,  a  love 
both  had  agreed  to  sacrifice  for  her  sake.  Loretta  gives  them 
her  blessing  and,  realizing  her  own  love  for  Ladd,  rushes 
to  him. 

Frank  Partos  and  Raymond  Chandler  wrote  the  screen 
play  from  the  novel  by  Rachel  Field.  Fred  Kohlmar  pro- 
duced it,  and  Irving  Pichel  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Beulah  Bondi,  Grant  Mitchell,  Helen  Mack  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Ministry  of  Fear"  with  Ray  Milland 
and  Marjorie  Reynolds 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time  84  min.) 

A  thrilling  spy  melodrama.  It  holds  one's  attention 
throughout  because  of  the  mystery  surrounding  the  identi- 
ties of  the  spies,  and  because  of  the  danger  to  Ray  Milland, 
who,  following  his  release  from  an  insane  asylum,  where  he 
had  been  confined  for  the  mercy  killing  of  his  incurable 
wife,  becomes  innocently  involved  in  a  series  of  strange 
events  that  set  him  on  the  trail  of  the  spies.  The  story  is  so 
cleverly  contrived  that  one  does  not  guess  the  head  spy's 
identity  until  the  closing  scenes.  And  his  identity  comes  as 
a  surprise,  for  he  is  the  one  least  suspected.  The  fact  that 
Milland,  in  trailing  the  spies,  is  compelled  to  dodge  Scot- 
land Yard  because  of  his  past  record,  adds  considerably  to 
the  suspense.  The  action  takes  place  in  England : — 

Waiting  for  a  train  to  take  him  to  London,  Milland 
visits  a  charity  bazaar,  sponsored  by  the  Mothers  of  Free 
Nations,  where  he  wins  a  cake  in  a  raffle.  He  is  followed 
into  his  train  compartment  by  an  apparently  blind  man,  who 
knocks  him  unconscious  and  flees  with  the  cake.  Milland 
chases  the  "blind"  man  to  a  deserted  shack,  but  before  he 
can  reach  him  a  bomb  from  a  Nazi  plane  demolishes  the 
building.  Convinced  that  the  man  was  a  spy,  Milland  de- 


termines to  get  to  the  bottom  of  the  mystery.  He  visits  the 
London  office  of  the  Mothers  of  Free  Nations,  where  he 
meets  Carl  Esmond,  and  his  6ister,  Marjorie  Reynolds, 
Austrian  refugees,  who  headed  the  organization.  They  offer 
to  help  him.  With  Esmond's  aid,  Milland  traces  the  spies 
to  the  apartment  of  Hillary  Brooke,  a  spiritualist,  where  he 
becomes  involved  in  a  mysterious  murder  during  a  seance. 
Circumstances  point  to  him  as  the  murderer,  and  Esmond 
helps  him  to  escape  before  the  police  arrive.  Dodging  the 
police  because  of  his  past  record,  Milland  continues  his 
hunt  for  the  spies.  The  spies  trick  him  into  carrying  a  pack- 
age containing  a  bomb,  and  he  barely  escapes  with  his  life 
when  it  explodes.  Questioned  in  the  hospital  by  Inspector 
Percy  Waram  of  Scotland  Yard,  Milland  informs  him  of 
the  strange  happenings  since  his  release  from  the  asylum. 
The  inspector  joins  him  on  the  hunt  and,  together,  they 
discover  that  the  spies  had  hidden  in  the  cake  a  roll  of  micro- 
film on  which  had  been  photographed  vital  British  defense 
plans.  They  discover  also  that  the  spies  had  staged  the 
murder  at  the  seance  to  terrorize  Milland  and  frighten  him 
off.  Milland  eventually  tracks  down  the  ring  and  uncovers 
Esmond  as  its  chief.  Esmond  tries  to  shoot  Milland,  but  he 
is  himself  killed  by  Marjorie,  who  had  been  completely 
ignorant  of  his  activities. 

Seton  I.  Miller  wrote  the  screen  play  and  produced  it. 
Fritz  Lang  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Dan  Duryea,  Alan 
Napier  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"One  Body  Too  Many"  with  Jack  Haley, 
Jean  Parker  and  Bela  Lugosi 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  75  min.) 
Mildly  amusing  program  fare.  It  is  a  ridiculous  conglom- 
eration of  comedy,  romance  and  murder-rnystery  melo- 
drama, which  may  get  by  with  undiscriminating  audiences; 
others  will  certainly  be  bored.  For  laughs,  it  depends  with 
little  success  on  all  the  stock  tricks  to  create  an  eerie 
atmosphere — an  isolated  mansion,  hidden  passages,  a  storm, 
a  leering  butler,  shadows,  and  several  mysterious  murders. 
Despite  reasonably  fair  performances,  the  actors  are  handi- 
capped by  the  mediocre  material;  for  that  reason  they  fail 
to  make  their  respective  roles  impressive.  Its  seventy-five 
minutes  running  time  is  much  too  long  for  a  picture  of  its 
type:— 

Jack  Haley,  an  insurance  salesman,  leaves  for  the  home 
of  an  eccentric  millionaire  to  close  a  deal  for  a  large  insur- 
ance policy.  Unknown  to  Haley,  the  millionaire  had  died 
on  the  previous  day,  and  his  will  stipulated  that  his  heirs 
were  not  to  leave  his  isolated  mansion  until  after  his  body 
had  been  entombed  in  a  glass-domed  vault,  which  had  not 
yet  been  built.  Those  who  left  the  estate  would  automatically 
lose  their  share  of  the  inheritance,  and  in  the  event  the 
body  was  buried  underground,  instead  of  in  the  tomb,  the 
heir  granted  the  largest  bequest  would  receive  the  smallest 
share,  and  the  heir  with  the  smallest  bequest  would  receive 
the  larger  share.  The  heirs,  having  no  trust  in  one  another, 
telephone  a  detective  agency  to  guard  the  body.  Haley, 
arriving  at  the  mansion,  is  mistaken  for  a  detective  and  put 
on  guard.  Frightened,  he  tries  to  leave,  but  he  agrees  to 
remain  when  Jean  Parker,  one  of  the  heirs,  informs  him 
that  her  life  was  in  danger.  After  a  succession  of  events, 
in  which  he  is  knocked  unconscious,  and  the  millionaire's 
body  is  stolen,  Haley  determines  to  find  the  body  and  expose 
the  guilty  heir.  He  gets  himself  into  all  sorts  of  complications 
as  he  wanders  through  secret  passages  that  lead  to  the  dif- 
ferent rooms,  and  is  even  suspected  of  murder  when  a  few 
of  the  heirs  mysteriously  lose  their  lives.  He  eventually 
proves  his  innocence,  locates  the  missing  body,  and  exposes 
the  murderer,  winning  Jean's  love  as  a  reward. 

Winston  Miller  and  Maxwell  Shane  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  Frank  McDonald  directed  it.  It  is  a  Pine-Thomas 
production.  The  cast  includes  Bernard  Bedell,  Blanche 
Yurka,  Douglas  Fowley,  Lyle  Talbot,  Lucien  Littlefield  and 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  28,  1944  No.  44 


The  Screen  Directors'  Guild  Takes  Exception 


Hollywood,  Cal. 
October  21,  1944 

P.  S.  Harrison,  Editor 
Harrison's  Reports 
1270  Sixth  Ave. 
New  York  20,  N.  Y. 
Dear  Mr.  Harrison: 

The  Directors'  Guild  wishes  to  answer  your  three-issue 
series  entitled  "Wanton  Waste  in  Production"  in  which  the 
Director  was  continuously  labeled  the  "Wanton  Waster." 
The  quotations  you  used  were  so  grossly  misleading  that  the 
matter  might  have  been  laughable  were  it  not  for  the  fact 
that  thousands  of  exhibitors  read  your  paper  and  consider 
your  Reports  somewhat  Biblical  in  reliability. 

May  we  remind  you  of  the  old  saw  in  Logic:  "Joe  is  a 
fool.  Joe  is  a  man.  Therefore,  all  men  are  fools."  The  quo- 
tations you  have  seen  fit  to  print  seem  to  be  governed  by 
that  kind  of  logic.  Your  first  executive  interviewed  said :  "I 
have  seen  Directors  shoot  as  many  as  sixty  takes  of  the  same 
scene — a  cruel  waste."  That,  Mr.  Harrison,  is  like  saying: 
"I  have  seen  an  actor  under  the  influence  of  narcotics  .  .  ." 
— perhaps  true,  but  so  rare  as  to  be  ludicrous  as  an  example 
of  either  directors,  in  the  first  instance,  or  actors  in  the  sec- 
ond! Your  executive's  next  attack  is  on  a  director  who 
ordered  twenty-three  takes  printed  on  one  scene!  The  crafty 
executive  ordered  five  of  the  takes  printed  into  twenty-three 
positives;  he  said  the  director  "did  not  know  the  difference." 
This  ancient  practical  joke  has  been  kicked  around  Holly- 
wood for  many  years.  There  is  not  a  studio  in  Hollywood 
that  would  permit  a  director  to  print  twenty-three  takes  of 
one  scene  today.  This  is  1944,  Mr.  Harrison.  Pictures  have 
sound  now.  We  are  at  war. 

You  pick  up  the  attack  yourself  next:  "Shooting  should 
be  merely  routine  work,  for  after  all  the  director  is  merely 
the  interpreter  of  the  action  that  is  in  the  script."  The  "Wan- 
ton Waster"  now  becomes  a  different  kind  of  target.  If 
directing  is  merely  routine  work,  why  will  executives  pay 
one  director  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  direct  a  picture 
yet  pay  another  but  one  thousand??  Could  it  be  because  the 
executive  has  found  that  the  first  director  does  not  do 
"merely  routine  work,"  but  delivers  him  pictures  that  sub- 
stantiate the  higher  salary  in  profits  to  the  company? 

Your  first  executive  announces  that  his  studio  is  de- 
termined to  free  themselves  of  "the  director  bondage,"  what- 
ever that  means,  and  that  he  kicked  out  a  director  who  re- 
fused to  cut  down  certain  scenes.  There  is  another  side  to 
this  picture — the  long  list  of  directors  who  have  been 
"kicked  out"  because  they  refused  to  shoot  a  bad  script 
given  them  by  executives;  then  there  is  the  sadder  list  of 
directors  who,  through  economic  necessity,  have  been  forced 
to  shoot  bad  scripts  in  spite  of  their  protests,  because  some 
executive  wanted  to  fulfill  a  committment.  The  "grateful" 
executive  has  then  "kicked  out"  the  director  in  expiation  of 
his  sins. 


This  same  executive  said:  "I  have  known  cases  where,  in 
a  two-hour  picture,  the  first  rough  assembly  was  150,000 

feet  "  Mr.  Harrison,  he  means  ONE  HUNDRED  AND 

FIFTY  REELS  OF  FILM!  Thousand  foot  reels.  Many,  many 
years  ago  Von  Stroheim  made  a  picture  called  "Greed" 
which  was  supposed  to  have  run  over  a  hundred  reels.  We 
challenge  your  executive  to  name  one  picture  since  the  ad- 
vent of  talking  pictures  that  has  run  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  feet  in  rough  assembly.  He  knows  "cases"  (plural) 
— ask  him  to  prove  it! 

The  next  attack  reads:  "Many  directors  still  go  under  the 
theory  that,  unless  they  WASTE  MONEY  for  'perfection,' 
they  will  not  be  considered  good  directors."  Throw  out  the 
words  "waste  money  for"  and  substitute  "strive  for"  and 
your  sentence  makes  sense.  Why  label  a  director's  efforts  to 
get  a  memorable  scene  on  the  screen  a  waste  of  money?  Leo 
McCarey  is  a  "perfectionist" — would  you  prefer  that  he 
didn't  "waste  money"  to  achieve  pictures  like  "Going  My 
Way?" 

Your  first  executive  then  outdoes  himself  in  pontifical 
wisdom  by  asserting:  "The  actors  should  study  their  lines 
before  appearing  before  the  camera;  and  they  should  be  re- 
hearsed on  the  set  before  shooting  starts."  He  certainly 
knows  the  answers,  or  had  you  gotten  around  to  the  door- 
man's opinion  of  directors  at  this  time,  along  with  the  grips, 
etc.? 

"So  sensational  were  this  executive's  disclosures,"  you 
state,  that  you  interviewed  the  heads  of  other  studios.  It  is 
astonishing  to  read,  in  this  general  effort  to  prove  that  di- 
rectors are  wanton  wasters,  that  one  executive  stated :  "Those 
responsible  for  the  waste  of  directors  are  the  heads  of  the 
companies  more  than  the  directors  themselves."  However, 
this  studio  head  made  his  attack  in  a  new  direction:  "Every 
director  feels  that  the  picture  he  is  producing  (sic)  should 
win  him  the  Academy  Award,"  a  pleasant  thought,  but  not 
quite  true.  "He  wants  to  dazzle  the  industry,  not  with  the 
profits  that  the  picture  will  bring,  but  with  his  direction." 
You  note  that  this  statement  is  linked  o  "every  director."  Be- 
lieve us,  Mr.  Harrison,  if  any,  not  every,  director  merely 
"dazzles  the  industry"  and  brings  in  no  profit,  he  will  very 
soon,  to  use  your  earlier  executive's  pretty  phrase,  be  "kicked 
out."  If  an  executive  signs  an  "industry-dazzler"  to  direct  a 
picture,  who  is  the  fool,  the  director  or  the  executive??  A 
director's  record  is  no  secret,  he  is  chosen  because  of  that 
record,  the  films  he  has  directed. 

In  spite  of  these  executives'  charges  of  "wanton  waste" 
on  the  part  of  the  directors,  your  first  executive  confesses: 
"most  scripts  are  over-written  .  .  ."  and  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  dollars  are  lost  "just  because  the  screen  play  was 
not  prepared  with  patience  and  judgment  so  as  to  eliminate 
the  unnecessary  shooting."  For  the  edification  of  your 
readers,  the  screen  play  the  executive  mentions  is  the  script 
the  EXECUTIVE  has  given  the  director  to  shoot,  a  script 
prepared  under  the  supervision  of  an  executive.  Wanton 
waste?  And  your  last  executive  has  this  confession  to  make: 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


174 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  28,  1944 


"Murder  in  the  Blue  Room"  with 
Donald  Cook,  Anne  Gwynne  and  John  Litel 

(Universal,  Dec.  1;  time,  61  min.) 

This  combination  of  murder  mystery  melodrama, 
comedy,  and  music,  is  a  mediocre  program  entertain- 
ment. There  is  mystery  surrounding  the  murder,  but 
the  story  is  so  inane  that  it  fails  to  hold  the  spectator's 
attention.  Moreover,  the  comedy  situations  fall  flat 
because  they  are  forced.  The  musical  interpolations 
are  dragged  in  by  the  ear,  but  even  so  they  are  a  web 
come  relief  from  the  rest  of  the  proceedings.  Although 
everyone  in  the  cast  tries  to  make  something  of  his  or 
her  role,  they  are  helpless;  hampered  by  the  ridiculous 
story;  the  general  effect  is  boredom: — 

Shortly  after  his  marriage  to  Nella  Walker,  a 
widow,  John  Litel  persuades  her  to  re-open  her  old 
mansion,  which  had  been  closed  for  twenty  years 
following  the  mysterious  murder  of  her  former  hus- 
band. The  murder  had  been  committed  in  the  man- 
sion's blue  room,  which  was  kept  under  lock  and  key. 
At  a  reception  celebrating  the  re-opening  of  the  house, 
Anne  Gwynne,  Litel's  stepdaughter,  invites  Grace 
McDonald,  Betty  Kean,  and  June  Preisser,  night  club 
entertainers,  to  sing  for  the  guests.  Among  those  pres- 
ent were  Andrew  Tombes,  the  family  doctor,  Donald 
Cook,  a  mystery  story  writer,  and  Bill  Mac  Williams. 
Both  Cook  and  MacWilliams  were  rivals  for  Anne's 
affections,  and  each  was  interested  in  solving  the 
mystery  of  her  father's  death.  That  night,  both  Cook 
and  MacWilliams  insist  upon  sleeping  in  the  blue 
room,  with  MacWilliams  winning  the  honor.  The 
following  morning,  MacWilliams  is  found  murdered. 
Police  Inspector  Regis  Toomey  takes  charge  of  the 
case,  ordering  all  the  guests  to  remain  in  the  house. 
The  three  girl  entertainers,  who  had  left  the  estate, 
are  brought  back  by  the  police.  The  mystery  deepens 
when  Cook,  spending  the  night  in  the  blue  room,  dis- 
appears. In  tracing  the  killer,  Toomey  finds  the  house 
honeycombed  with  many  secret  underground  pas- 
sages. Meanwhile  Cook,  too,  had  found  the  secret 
passages  and  was  stalking  the  killer.  An  underground 
chase  ensues,  in  which  the  three  girl  entertainers  be- 
come involved,  and  a  gun  fight  finally  reveals  the 
murderer  as  Tombes,  the  doctor. 

I.  A.  L.  Diamond  and  Stanley  Davis  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Frank  Gross  produced  it,  and  Leslie 
Goodwins  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Bowery  to  Broadway"  with  Jack  Oakie 
and  Donald  Cook 

(Universal,  7s[ov.  3;  time,  95  min.) 
In  spite  of  the  fact  that  this  musical  offers  little 
that  is  novel,  it  is  a  thoroughly  pleasing  entertainment, 
effectively  combining  music,  comedy,  and  romance  in 
a  manner  that  should  suit  popular  taste.  The  story, 
which  is  set  in  the  period  from  1895  to  about  1920, 
is  of  the  typical  "backstage"  variety,  revolving  around 
the  ups  and  downs  of  two  rival  cabaret  owners,  whose 
efforts  to  outdo  each  other  leads  them  from  the  Bowery 
to  Broadway  and  eventual  success  as  partners.  Al- 
though lightweight,  the  story  has  some  good  comedy 
situations,  and  it  serves  adequately  to  tie  in  the  numer- 
ous song  and  dance  numbers,  most  of  which  were 
popular  in  the  period  depicted,  and  all  of  which  are 
enjoyable.  The  cast,  headed  by  Jack  Oakie  and  Don- 


ald Cook,  includes  most  of  the  players  on  the  Uni- 
versal lot.  Peggy  Ryan  and  Donald  O'Connor  do  a 
song  and  dance  specialty;  Susanna  Foster,  Ann 
Blythe,  Maria  Montez,  and  Louise  Allbritton  sing  and 
take  part  in  the  story;  and  Frank  McHugh,  Andy 
Devine,  Turhan  Bey,  George  Dolenz,  Rosemary  De- 
Camp,  Thomas  Gomez,  Leo  Carrillo,  Evelyn  Ankers, 
Maude  Eburn,  Manton  Moreland,  Ben  Carter  and 
Richard  Lane  are  among  the  others  who  are  fea- 
tured:— 

Oakie  and  Cook,  rival  cabaret  owners  on  the 
Bowery,  constantly  scheme  against  each  other  in  an 
effort  to  put  on  the  better  show.  Determined  to  do 
bigger  things,  Cook  leaves  the  Bowery  and  opens  a 
theatre  on  14th  Street.  Oakie,  not  to  be  outdone,  fol- 
lows him  and  opens  another  theatre  across  the  street. 
Their  rivalry  continues,  with  Cook  becoming  the 
more  successful  one  as  a  result  of  his  making  a  sensa- 
tional singing  star  out  of  Susanna  Foster.  When 
Susanna,  upset  because  of  a  quarrel  with  Turhan 
Bey,  her  fiance,  falls  and  injures  herself  during  a  per- 
formance, Cook  is  compelled  to  close  the  show.  Mean- 
while Oakie,  too,  finds  luck  running  against  him. 
Urged  by  Father  Andy  Devine  to  forget  their  feud, 
Cook  and  Oakie  form  a  partnership  and  open  a 
theatre  on  42nd  Street.  They  stage  one  musical  suc- 
cess after  another,  reaching  their  greatest  triumph 
when  they  sign  Maria  Montez,  a  European  musical 
comedy  star.  Cook  falls  in  love  with  Maria,  and  agrees 
to  star  her  in  dramas  instead  of  musical  shows.  Oakie 
disagrees  with  the  plan  and  breaks  the  partnership. 
Cook  presents  Maria  in  a  number  of  dramatic  "flops," 
and  soon  finds  himself  hopelessly  in  debt.  Oakie  ap- 
peals to  Maria  to  leave  Cook,  and  induces  her  to 
secretly  finance  a  new  musical  show  to  be  produced 
in  partnership  with  Cook.  The  show  proves  to  be  their 
greatest  musical  hit,  and  when  Cook  demands  to  know 
"the  angel's"  identity,  Oakie  takes  him  to  Maria. 

Edmund  Joseph,  Bart  Lytton,  and  Arthur  T.  Hor- 
man  wrote  the  screen  play,  John  Grant  produced 
it,  and  Charles  Lamont  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Bowery  Champs"  with  the  East  Side  Kids 

(Monogram,  Dec.  9;  time,  62  min.) 
A  fairly  entertaining  "East  Side  Kids"  program 
comedy-melodrama,  typical  in  action  and  in  comedy 
of  the  other  pictures  in  the  series.  It  relies  for  its  en- 
tertainment on  the  rowdy  antics  of  the  "Kids"  rather 
than  on  the  story,  which  is  thin.  This  time  the  boys, 
working  for  a  newspaper,  become  self-appointed  in- 
vestigators in  the  solving  of  a  murder  mystery,  which 
they  proceed  to  clear  up  in  their  usual  "high  jinks" 
fashion,  provoking  considerable  laughter  by  the  mis- 
haps that  befall  them.  Athough  little  originality  has 
gone  into  the  treatment  of  the  story,  it  moves  along 
at  a  fast  pace,  with  most  of  the  excitement  occuring 
in  the  closing  scenes,  where  the  "Kids"  trap  the 
criminals: — 

In  the  absence  of  Gabriel  Dell,  the  Evening  Express' 
police  reporter,  Leo  Gorcey,  a  copy  boy,  and  his  pals, 
who  operated  the  newspaper's  delivery  truck,  decide 
to  investigate  a  murder,  for  which  Evelyn  Brent,  the 
ex-wife  of  the  victim,  was  sought  by  the  police.  The 
boys  trace  Evelyn  to  her  apartment,  where  they  be- 
come convinced  of  her  innocence  and  spirit  her  away 
to  their  clubhouse  before  the  police  can  get  to  her.  A 


October  28,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


175 


clue  leads  the  "Kids"  to  a  cafe  operated  by  Ian  Keith, 
the  victim's  former  partner,  where  they  learn  con- 
clusively  that  he  and  Thelma  White,  an  entertainer, 
with  whom  the  dead  man  had  been  friendly,  were 
responsible  for  the  murder,  and  that  they  were  trying 
to  steal  from  Evelyn  a  fortune  in  bonds,  which  she 
had  entrusted  to  her  dead  ex-husband.  Meanwhile 
Dell,  the  police  reporter,  together  with  a  police  officer, 
visits  the  scene  of  the  crime  and  discovers  a  button 
that  links  the  murder  with  his  own  editor,  not  know 
ing  that  Hunts  Hall,  one  of  the  "Kids,"  had  dropped 
it  there  after  finding  it  in  the  newspaper's  office.  The 
police  clear  the  editor  of  suspicion  just  as  word  comes 
that  Keith  and  his  henchmen  had  trapped  the  "Kids" 
in  the  cabaret,  where  a  furious  fight  was  in  progress. 
The  police  rush  to  the  cabaret,  arriving  in  time  to 
rescue  the  "Kids"  and  capture  the  criminals. 

Earle  Snell  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sam  Katzman 
and  Jack  Diets  produced  it,  and  William  Beaudine 
directed  it.  Barney  Sarecky  was  the  associate  pro- 
ducer. The  cast  includes  Billy  Benedict,  Bobby  Jordan, 
and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Brazil"  with  Tito  Guizar, 
Edward  Everett  Horton  and  Virginia  Bruce 

(Republic,  no  release  date  set;  time,  91  mm.) 

Produced  on  a  lavish  scale,  this  is  a  delightful  com- 
bination of  romantic  farce  and  music,  different  from 
the  usual  run  of  stories  generally  found  in  musical 
entertainments.  Its  Brazilian  background  is  colorful 
and  interesting,  the  comedy  situations  good,  the  dia- 
logue witty,  and  the  music  by  Ary  Barrosa,  celebrated 
Latin- American  composer,  is  so  tuneful  that  one  finds 
himself  humming  the  songs  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
picture.  Tito  Guizar,  well-known  radio  singer,  plays 
the  male  romantic  lead.  He  has  a  charming  personality, 
an  accent  that  adds  to  his  charm,  and  a  good  flair  for 
comedy.  In  addition,  his  singing  is  pleasurable.  Ed- 
ward Everett  Horton,  as  Guizar's  American  agent, 
does  excellent  work,  provoking  considerable  laughter 
by  his  fretful  antics.  The  introduction  of  a  new  South 
American  dance  by  Veloz  and  Yolanda  is  an  out- 
standing highlight.  Towards  the  finish,  Roy  Rogers 
appears  as  a  guest  star  at  a  Rio  carnival,  where  he 
sings  one  song.  His  introduction,  however,  is  so  obvi- 
ously commercial  that  it  detracts,  rather  than  adds, 
from  an  otherwise  enjoyable  picture: — 

Virginia  Bruce,  an  authoress,  whose  best-seller, 
"Why  Marry  a  Latin?"  had  antagonized  many  Latin 
Americans,  visits  Rio  de  Janeiro  to  gather  material 
for  a  new  book.  She  meets  Tito  Guizar,  popular 
Brazilian  composer  and  singer,  who  poses  as  a  guide 
in  order  to  be  near  her.  Learning  from  Edward  Everett 
Horton,  his  best  friend  and  agent,  about  Virginia's 
disparaging  book,  Guizar  determines  to  punish  her 
by  winning  her  heart,  then  leaving  her.  He  appears 
at  a  week-end  party  attended  by  Virginia,  where  he 
masquerades  as  his  own  twin  brother,  winning  her 
love  with  his  romancing,  but  falling  in  love  himself. 
Guizar  becomes  so  preoccupied  with  duping  Virginia 
that  he  finds  it  difficult  to  concentrate  on  the  creation 
of  a  new  song,  for  which  Richard  Lane,  an  American 
song  publisher,  had  already  advanced  Horton  money. 
Lane  had  been  pressing  Horton  for  the  song.  Lane's 
arrival  in  Brazil  complicates  matters  considerably  as 


Horton  and  Guizar  resort  to  devious  tricks  in  an  ef- 
fort to  placate  him.  Virginia  inspires  Guizar  to  write 
the  song,  and  he  invites  her  to  spend  the  weekend  at 
his  wealthy  uncle's  (Fortunio  Bonanova)  coffee  plan- 
tation, where  he  intended  to  reveal  his  true  identity 
to  her.  Horton,  unaware  that  Guizar  had  fallen  in 
love  with  Virginia,  informs  her  of  Guizar 's  duplicity 
and  of  his  intention  to  punish  her  because  of  her  book. 
Disillusioned,  Virginia  leaves  the  estate  and  plans  to 
return  home.  Guizar  desperately  searches  for  her, 
finally  locating  her  at  a  gay  Rio  carnival,  where  he 
convinces  her  of  his  love. 

Frank  Gill,  Jr.  and  Laura  Kerr  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Robert  North  produced  it,  and  Joseph  Santley 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Robert  Livingston, 
Frank  Puglia  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


AN  INTELLIGENT  WAY  TO  HANDLE 
THE  BOOKING  OF  ADVANCED 
ADMISSION  PRICE  PICTURES 

In  its  handling  of  advanced  admission  price  pic- 
tures, the  RKO  theatre  circuit  in  New  York  City  is 
following  a  policy  that  should  be  of  interest  to  every 
exhibitor,  for  it  not  only  affects  the  fewest  regular 
patrons  who  might  object  to  a  higher  scale,  but  it 
also  allows  the  exhibitor  to  retain  his  preferred  week- 
end business. 

RKO's  policy  has  been  tried  successfully  with  both 
"Song  of  Bernadette"  and  "Wilson."  These  pictures 
were  shown,  not  during  the  week-end,  but  during  the 
first  half  of  the  week,  when  business  is  normally  slow. 
Notwithstanding,  the  box-office  results  were  excep- 
tionally good.  The  circuit's  officials  attribute  this, 
first  to  the  fact  that  regular  patrons,  who  normal- 
ly attended  their  theatres  on  week-ends,  did  not  ob- 
ject to  paying  a  higher  price  scale  for  a  special  mid- 
week performance,  and  secondly,  to  the  fact  that  the 
audiences  included  many  persons  who  do  not  attend 
the  theatres  except  for  the  outstanding  pictures. 

According  to  a  report  in  Motion  Picture  Daily, 
officials  of  the  RKO  circuit  and  of  20th  Century-Fox, 
the  distributors  of  the  aforementioned  pictures,  ad- 
vance the  theory  that  "this  method  takes  cognizance 
of  the  opposition  that  exists  on  the  part  of  regular 
patrons  to  advanced  admission  price  films.  In  playing 
the  film  on  a  Monday  through  Wednesday  period  .  .  . 
all  patrons  who  wish  to  see  the  film  are  enabled  to  do 
so  without  interfering  with  the  attendance  of  regular 
patrons  who  customarily  concentrate  their  attendance 
at  the  weekend  and  would  ordinarily  be  kept  away 
from  the  house  if  they  did  not  care  for  advanced 
prices  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays." 

The  plan  followed  by  the  RKO  circuit  is  worthy  of 
study  by  the  exhibitors,  for  it  not  only  does  away  with 
the  distributors'  demands  for  preferred  playing  time 
on  advanced  price  pictures,  but  it  also  allows  for  the 
showing  of  the  picture  on  a  basis  satisfactory  to  both 
the  distributor  and  the  exhibitor,  without  interfering 
with  the  exhibitor's  normal  week-end  trade.  And  no 
distributor  should  object  to  having  his  "special"  shown 
during  the  early  part  of  the  week  for  it  can  rightfully 
be  assumed  that  any  picture  entitled  to  advanced  ad- 
mission prices  is  strong  enough  to  attract  people  from 
their  homes  no  matter  what  day  of  the  week  it  is 
shown. 


176 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


October  28,  1944 


"If  the  scripts  are  over-written,  causing  the  negative  cost 
to  run  high;  if  all  the  values  in  the  story  are  not  brought 
out,  the  fault  lies  in  the  neglect  of  the  studio  executives,  or 
even  with  their  own  laziness  .  .  .  they  should  not  pass  the 
buck."  Perhaps  a  better  title  for  your  series,  Mr.  Harrison, 
should  have  been:  "They  Should  Not  Pass  The  Buck!" 

We  make  no  claim  that  every  director  is  a  paragon  of 
efficiency,  we  make  no  claim  that  some  directors  have  not 
been  guilty  of  waste,  but  we  do  attack  the  many  isolated  and 
sometimes  untrue  statements  that  you  have  presented  as  in- 
dicative  that  directors  are  responsible  for  wanton  waste  in 
production.  To  prove  your  point  you  sought  out  the  film 
editor  next  who  "knows  more  about  the  wastefulness  of  the 
directors  than  the  member  of  any  of  the  other  crafts." 

This  film  editor's  first  statement,  like  some  of  the  ex- 
ecutives' statements,  reaches  into  the  realm  of  the  fantastic. 
The  film  editor  said:  "In  one  case  I  know,  a  director  shot 
fifty  takes  of  one  scene.  When  I  was  making  the  first 
assembly,  I  asked  him  which  take  to  use.  'Oh'  he  said  to  me, 
— 'any  one  of  them  will  do!  Use  take  One!'  "  Again,  Mr. 
Harrison,  no  studio  in  town  would  permit  the  printing  of 
fifty  takes  of  one  scene,  so  this  is  either  a  lie  or  ancient  his- 
tory, and  we  presume  you  are  talking  of  the  industry  as  it 
functions  today! 

The  film  editor  goes  on  with  perhaps  a  forgivable  bolster- 
ing of  his  ego  to  state  that  a  wise  director  has  his  film 
editor  on  the  set,  watching  every  scene,  to  warn  the  director 
against  making  scenes  that  will  not  cut.  He  adds  that  many 
directors  lack  the  power  of  visualization.  He  6tates  "most 
directors  keep  on  shooting  a  scene  over  and  over  again  be- 
cause raw  stock  is,  in  their  opinion,  cheap."  Your  film 
editor  doesn't  even  have  the  honesty  to  imply,  as  an  execu- 
tive did,  that  the  director  might  shoot  a  scene  over  and 
over  to  achieve  cither  perfection,  or  to  "dazzle  the  industry," 
but  just  because  raw  stock  is  cheap.  It  is  interesting,  how- 
ever, that  he  uses  the  identical  words  of  the  first  executive: 
"cruel  waste." 

Not  content  with  the  executives'  and  the  film  editor's 
"expert  opinion"  on  the  qualification  of  directors,  you 
sought  out  that  "jack-of-all  trades,"  the  expert  carpenter 
and  muscle  man,  the  Grip,  for  his  opinion  of  directors. 
Putting  aside  his  hammer  and  nails,  he  said  to  you:  "I 
have  seen  directors  shoot  take  after  take  without  any  rhyme 
or  reason."  (Was  this  particular  grip  a  mind  reader  as  well?) 
"Their  only  excuse  was  that  they  were  trying  to  attain  per- 
fection." (NOTE:  It  isn't  yet  customary  for  directors  to 
offer  excuses  to  grips  for  shooting  a  scene  over  to  attain 
perfection).  The  grip  goes  on  to  protest  against  directors 
giving  orders  to  actors  during  shooting  and  ruining  "virgin" 
sound  track.  Really,  Mr.  Harrison,  in  the  name  of  common 
sense  and  the  paper  shortage,  did  your  attack  on  the  di- 
rectors have  to  go  this  far?  The  grip  went  on  to  say  of 
directors:  "Why  do  they  do  it?  First,  because  they  do  not 
know  any  better;  secondly,  because  they  want  to  impress 
the  studio  head  with  the  fact  that  they  are  hard  workers, 
and  that  they  have  great  knowledge."  By  now  your  grip 
gives  us  the  benefit  of  his  knowledge  by  saying:  "The  studio 
executive  who  does  not  know  says  to  himself :  'What  a  hard 
working  director!'  He  never  stops  to  figure  out  what  this 
director  is  costing  the  company.  If  he  knew,  he  would  have 
taken  the  director  off  the  picture  at  once,"  but,  "he  is 
usually  impressed  when  he  hears  the  director  give  orders  to 
the  cameraman  to  change  lenses.  .  .  ."  Mr.  Harrison,  if  ever 
a  director  ordered  a  cameraman  to  change  lenses  during  a 
scene,  or  for  the  sound  track,  Joe  is  a  fool,  Joe  is  a  man, 
therefore,  all  men  are  fools.  Including  some  grips! 

We  conclude  with  your  own  words:  "Anyway,  I  have 
presented  to  the  industry  THESE  FACTS  with  the  hope 
that  some  attempt  will  be  made  to  curb  the  wastefulness  of 
the  directors,  etc."  We  are  presenting  this  answer  to  your 
articles  in  the  hope  that  your  readers  will  consider  a  different 
kind  of  logic  than  that  indicated  by  some  of  the  fantastic 


quotations  you  have  used  against  directors,  that  different 
logic  being:  All  directors  want  to  make  good  pictures.  Joe 
is  a  director.  Joe  wants  to  make  good  pictures.  And,  in 
simple  conclusion,  Mr.  Harrison,  if  Joe  doesn't  make  good 
pictures,  if  Joe  wantonly  wastes  money,  if  Joe  merely  dazzles 
the  industry,  if  Joe  doesn't  bring  profits  to  his  company, — 
Joe  doesn't  work  here  any  more. 

The  Board  of  Directors 
Screen  Directors  Guild 
John  Cromwell,  President 


ANOTHER  PROTEST  FROM 
A  DIRECTOR 

TWENTIETH  CENTURY-FOX  FILM  CORPORATION 
Studios 
Beverly  Hills,  California 

October  16,  1944 

Mr.  P.  S.  Harrison 

1270  Sixth  Ave.— Room  1812 

New  York  20,  N.  Y. 

Dear  Mr.  Harrison: 

I  have  always  had  high  regard  for  the  impartiality  of  the 
reviews  in  Harrison's  Reports  and  I  have  known,  of 
course,  of  its  influence  with  exhibitors.  I  have  heard  you 
credited,  moreover,  with  utter  sincerity.  I  cannot,  therefore, 
refrain  from  expressing  a  sense  of  bewilderment  and  shock 
at  the  uninformed  attack  on  directors  in  the  three  articles  on 
Waste  in  Production. 

Even  if  I  were  prepared,  as  a  director,  to  admit  that  a 
portion  of  the  waste  you  cite  is  due  to  directorial  extrava- 
gance or  were  due  to  the  director  part  of  the  time  or  in 
particular  instances,  I  would  still  resent  a  series  of  articles 
so  preposterously  documented. 

That  an  indictment  so  thorough-going  has  been  published 
with,  it  is  evident,  no  attempt  to  check  the  facts  statistically 
and  without  giving  the  accused  an  opportunity  for  defense 
leaves  me  aghast.  At  the  very  least,  it  makes  me  wonder  why 
you  think  I  would  have  any  interest  in  subscribing  to 
Harrison's  Reports. 

Yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)  Irving  Pichel 

The  following  is  my  reply  to  Mr.  Pichel: 
Dear  Mr.  Pichel: 

The  information  on  which  I  based  my  editorials  entitled, 
"Wanton  Waste  in  Production,"  was  given  to  me  by  some 
of  the  highest  studio  executives  in  Hollywood. 

It  was  not  my  intention  to  make  a  blanket  indictment  of 
directors,  but  only  to  criticize  such  directors  as  are  wasteful 
with  the  hope  that  these  would  exercise  some  care.  If  I 
was  misunderstood,  I  am  sorry  and  will  be  glad  to  make 
the  matter  clear  in  the  editorial  columns  of  Harrison's 
Reports. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  always  ready  and  willing  to  pub- 
lish the  other  side  of  any  question  that  is  treated  editorially, 
or  to  present  any  question  with  a  constructive  motive. 

Assuring  you  of  my  highest  regard  for  your  contribution 
to  the  welfare  of  the  motion  picture  business  as  a  director,  I 
am, 

Most  sincerely  yours, 

(Signed)  P.  S.  Harrison 

Mr.  Irving  Pichel 
20th  Century-Fox  Studios 
Beverly  Hills,  Cal. 
October  23,  1944 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  4,  1944  No.  45 


AN  ATTACK  ON  THE 
CONSENT  DECREE  ARBITRATION 

As  most  of  you  undoubtedly  know,  Harry  C. 
Arthur's  St.  Louis  Amusement  Company,  and  other 
interested  amusement  groups,  have  challenged  the 
legality  of  the  arbitration  system  set  up  by  the  Con' 
sent  Decree. 

Last  August,  Russell  Hardy,  former  special  assist' 
ant  U.  S.  Attorney  General,  now  Arthur's  attorney, 
began  a  series  of  legal  moves  to  declare  the  Consent 
Decree  unconstitutional  by  filing  a  motion  with  the 
St.  Louis  arbitration  tribunal  asking  for  dismissal  of 
a  complaint  brought  by  the  Princess  Theatre  against 
the  five  consenting  distributors  for  a  reduction  of 
clearance.  Hardy  charged  that,  inasmuch  as  his  clients 
were  not  involved  voluntarily  in  the  case,  and  were 
not  submitting  to  arbitration,  any  decision  granting 
the  relief  sought  by  the  Princess  Theatre  would  be 
unlawful,  because  that  relief  would  affect  the  inter- 
ests of  his  clients,  thus  depriving  them  of  their  prop- 
erty  rights  without  due  process  of  law. 

Hardy  contended  that  the  arbitration  system  under 
the  Consent  Decree  was  unlawful  and  violative  of 
Article  I,  Section  I,  of  the  U.  S.  Constitution,  and 
that  the  creation  of  such  a  system  constituted  a  usur- 
pation and  exercise  of  legislative  powers  that  are 
vested  solely  in  the  Congress,  which  has  not  enacted 
a  law  authorising  such  a  system.  He  contended  also 
that  the  authority  and  jurisdiction  vested  in  the  Amer- 
ican Arbitration  Association  under  the  Consent  De- 
cree are  unlawful  and  violative  of  Article  III,  Section 
I,  of  the  Constitution,  "in  that  the  authority  and 
jurisdiction  constitute  part  of  the  judicial  power  of 
the  United  States,  which  the  district  court  has  no  au- 
thority to  delegate  to  the  American  Arbitration  Asso- 
ciaion  or  to  any  other  person  or  agency;  and  in  that 
the  American  Arbitration  Association  is  not  a  court 
which  the  Congress  has  ordained  and  established,  but 
has  unlawfully  usurped  a  part  of  the  judicial  power." 

In  September,  Hardy  filed  in  the  New  York  Dis- 
trict Court  a  notice  of  intention  to  intervene  in  the 
Government's  anti-trust  suit  against  the  five  major 
distributors.  In  addition  to  the  aforementioned  ob- 
jections, Hardy's  petition  asked  for  a  denial  of  the 
Government's  application  for  modification  of  the 
Consent  Decree  insofar  as  it  provided  for  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  arbitration  system.  Argument  on  the 
petition  was  originally  scheduled  for  November  3, 
but  this  week  all  parties  concerned  agreed  to  a  post- 
ponement until  December  5,  because  of  the  Govern- 
ment attorney's  pre-occupation  with  the  Schine  case 
in  Buffalo. 

On  October  25,  Hardy  made  his  latest  legal  move 


in  the  U.  S.  District  Court  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  filed 
a  civil  action  in  behalf  of  his  clients  against  the  five 
major  companies,  the  AAA,  and  the  owners  of  the 
Princess  and  Apollo  Theatres,  asking  that  the  defend- 
ants be  directed  to  cease  and  desist  from  conducting 
or  participating  in  arbitration  proceedings  relative  to 
clearance,  which  may  affect  the  theatres  of  his  clients, 
and  from  limiting  and  restricting  his  clients'  trans- 
actions with  the  distributors  for  motion  pictures  to 
be  shown  in  their  theatres.  This  suit  asks  also  for  an 
award  of  $285,000,  in  damages,  or  treble  the  amount 
of  damages  allegedly  sustained  by  the  plaintiffs  as  a 
result  of  arbitration  proceedings  which  they  claim 
affected  their  theatres. 

The  legal  machinery  thus  set  in  motion  is  charged 
with  possibilities  of  far-reaching  consequences.  It 
threatens,  not  only  the  arbitration  provisions  of  the 
Consent  Decree,  but  also  the  Decree  in  its  entirety. 
If  successful,  it  might  throw  the  entire  industry  into 
a  state  of  chaos  until  a  new  system  of  selling  and  a 
new  code  of  ethics  could  be  devised. 

Knowing  that  exhibitors  everywhere  are  concerned 
deeply  about  the  probable  outcome  of  these  legal 
proceedings,  I  consulted  a  well-informed  observor — 
one  whose  experience  and  whose  opinions  in  the  past 
give  his  words  at  this  time  force  and  conviction. 
From  him,  I  gathered  that  the  situation  is  as  follows : 

When  one  clears  the  air  of  all  the  legal  language, 
the  issue  boils  down  to  whether  or  not  an  exhibitor, 
by  reason  of  his  having  enjoyed  a  particular  clearance 
over  a  period  of  years,  has  a  continuing  property 
right  to  such  a  clearance,  which,  neither  the  Consent 
Decree,  nor  the  AAA  acting  under  it,  can  take  away 
unless  the  exhibitor  agrees  to  submit  himself  to  their 
jurisdiction. 

The  Consent  Decree  recognises  the  exhibitor's 
right  to  clearance  during  the  life  of  his  license  agree- 
ment, for  it  provides  that  the  arbitrators,  in  setting 
any  new  maximum  clearance  between  theatres  in- 
volved in  a  controversy,  shall  confine  themselves  to 
the  clearance  to  be  granted  in  "licenses  thereafter 
entered  into."  Mr.  Hardy's  contention,  however, 
seems  to  be  based  upon  the  assumption  that,  once  a 
theatre  has  been  granted  a  certain  clearance,  it  has 
a  continuing  property  right  in  that  clearance,  which, 
even  after  the  license  agreement  has  expired,  cannot 
be  disturbed. 

With  the  issue  thus  narrowed,  the  weakness  of  the 
plaintiff's  position  becomes  evident,  and  it  should 
dispel  any  alarm  over  the  security  of  the  Consent 
Decree  and  its  arbitration  provisions. Nevertheless, 
since  the  subject  is  of  universal  interest  to  the  indus- 
try, this  paper  will  continue  to  discuss  it  as  further 
developments  take  place. 


178 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


November  4,  1944 


"Meet  Me  in  St.  Louis"  with  Judy  Garland 
and  Margaret  O'Brien 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  113  min.) 

Excellent  mass  entertainment.  It  is  a  tuneful,  merry 
comedy-drama,  which  is  so  wholesome  and  heart- 
warming that  few  will  be  able  to  resist  its  appeal. 
The  story,  which  has  its  setting  in  St.  Louis  at  the 
turn  of  the  century,  revolves  around  the  everyday 
adventures  of  a  typical  middle-class  American  family, 
all  the  members  of  which  are  so  loveable  that  the 
spectator  shares  their  joys  and  sorrows.  Its  romantic 
angles  are  charming,  its  humor  rich  and  often  hilari- 
ous, and  it  has  just  enough  pathos  to  tug  at  one's  heart- 
strings without  becoming  maudlin.  The  characteriza- 
tions of  the  family  members  are  so  finely  portrayed 
by  the  cast  that  the  spectator  can  easily  identify  him- 
self or  his  relatives,  thus  adding  to  his  appreciation 
of  the  humor. 

Basically,  the  story  concerns  itself  with  the  roman- 
tic entanglements  of  the  two  grown-up  daughters  of 
the  family,  the  whole  family's  dejection  when  the 
father  announces  his  intentions  of  moving  to  New 
York  for  business  reasons,  and  their  joy  when  he 
accdes  to  their  wishes  to  remain  in  St.  Louis.  Around 
these  troubles,  considerable  footage  is  given  over  to 
incidents  involving  the  different  family  members, 
who  include  Leon  Ames,  as  the  father,  a  hard-work- 
ing attorney,  whose  feelings  are  easily  hurt;  Mary 
Astor,  as  the  mother,  who  understandingly  caters  to 
the  whims  of  her  five  children  and  of  her  sulking  hus- 
band; Lucille  Brenner,  Judy  Garland,  and  Henry  H. 
Daniels,  Jr.,  as  the  three  older  children,  each  of  whom 
had  a  romantic  problem;  Margaret  O'Brien,  as  the 
youngest  child,  whose  pranks  caused  the  others  con- 
siderable consternation;  Joan  Carroll,  as  her  slightly 
older  but  equally  mischevious  sister;  Harry  Daven- 
port, as  the  sly  but  loveable  grandfather;  and  Mar- 
jorie  Main,  as  the  bossy  cook— each  performs  ef' 
fectively. 

From  a  production  point  of  view,  the  backgrounds 
are  lavish  and  colorful,  and  the  Technicolor  photog- 
raphy is  a  treat  to  the  eye.  The  musical  interludes  are 
delightful,  and  a  few  of  the  songs,  particularly  "The 
Trolley  Song,"  sung  by  Judy  Garland,  are  already 
national  favorites.  A  song  and  dance  number  with 
Margaret  and  Judy,  and  Margaret's  adventures  on 
Halloween  night,  are  among  the  many  highlights  in 
the  picture. 

Irving  Brecher  and  Fred  F.  Finklehoffe  wrote  the 
screen  play  based  on  the  book  by  Sally  Benson. 
Arthur  Freed  produced  it,  and  Vincente  Minnelli 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Tom  Drake,  Robert 
Sully,  June  Lockhart,  Chill  Wills  and  others. 

"Together  Again"  with  Irene  Dunne 
and  Charles  Boyer 

(Columbia,  no  release  date  set;  time,  101  min.) 

A  slightly  sophisticated,  gay  romantic  comedy,  the 
sort  that  should  go  over  very  well  with  the  rank  and 
file.  The  Irene  Dunne-Charles  Boyer  combination  is 
enough  to  insure  good  box-office  results.  The  story, 
which  revolves  around  the  romance  between  an  at' 
tractive  young  widow  and  a  suave  French  sculptor, 
is  rather  thin,  and  the  excessive  dialogue  causes  it  to 
drag  occasionally;  nevertheless,  the  romantic  com- 
plications are  amusing,  and  several  of  the  situations 
should  provoke  hearty  laughter.  An  amusing  twist  is 
given  to  the  story  in  that  the  widow's  adolescent  step- 
daughter falls  in  love  with  the  sculptor,  much  to  the 
chagrin  of  her  eighteen-year-old  boy-friend,  who  in 


turn  becomes  romantically  inclined  towards  the 
widow.  Mona  Freeman  and  Jerome  Courtland,  as  the 
youngsters,  display  unusual  talent,  and  should  make 
a  strong  impression.  The  production  values  are  mod- 
est:— 

Irene  Dunne,  an  attractive  widow,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded her  departed  husband  as  Mayor  of  Brook- 
haven,  is  constantly  urged  by  Charles  Coburn,  her 
father-in-law,  to  give  up  her  responsibilities  and  re- 
marry. When  lightning  smashes  her  husband's  statue 
in  the  town  square,  Irene  goes  to  New  York  in  search 
of  a  sculptor  to  do  a  new  statue.  There  she  meets  and 
becomes  attracted  to  Charles  Boyer,  a  famous  sculp- 
tor, and  accepts  his  invitation  to  dinner  at  a  night- 
club. While  dining,  Irene  spills  wine  on  her  dress  and 
goes  to  the  ladies  room  to  remove  it.  A  sudden  police 
raid  finds  her  in  a  state  of  undress,  and  she  is  mis- 
takenly arrested  as  a  "strip-tease"  performer.  She 
spends  the  night  in  jail  under  an  assumed  name  and, 
on  the  following  morning,  returns  to  Brookhaven 
without  seeing  Boyer;  she  felt  it  best  not  to  see  him 
again  lest  the  incident  be  found  out  by  the  towns- 
people. Boyer,  understanding  her  fears,  follows  her 
to  Brookhaven  and  compromises  her  into  commission- 
ing him  to  do  the  statue.  Coburn,  sensing  Irene's  in- 
fatuation for  Boyer,  invites  him  to  live  at  the  house. 
Complications  arise  when  Mona  Freeman,  Irene's 
adolescent  stepdaughter,  becomes  infatuated  with 
Boyer,  and  when  Jerome  Courtland,  Mona's  boy- 
friend, in  a  jealous  mood,  proposes  to  Irene.  A  farce 
transpires  in  which  Irene  and  Boyer  pretend  that 
they  arc  in  love  with  the  adolescents.  Eventually, 
Irene  and  Boyer  disillusion  the  youngsters  and  help 
them  to  realize  their  love  for  each  other.  Further  com- 
plications arise  when  Charles  Dingle,  the  local  news- 
paper editor  and  Irene's  political  enemy,  learns  of 
her  night  in  jail  and  publicizes  it.  The  townspeople, 
however,  refuse  to  believe  the  story.  When  light- 
ning strikes  for  a  second  time  and  destroys  the  new 
statue,  Irene  considers  the  incident  an  omen.  She 
gives  up  her  job  as  Mayor,  and  agrees  to  marry 
Boyer. 

F.  Hugh  Herbert  and  Virginia  Van  Upp  wrote 
the  screen  play.  Miss  Upp  produced  it,  and  Charles 
Vidor  directed  it.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Mark  of  the  Whistler"  with  Richard  Dix 

(Columbia,  J^ov.  2;  time,  60  min.) 

This  second  in  the  "Whistler"  series  of  mystery 
dramas,  based  on  the  popular  radio  program  of  the 
same  title,  should  make  a  satisfactory  supporting  fea- 
ture wherever  this  type  of  entertainment  is  enjoyed. 
In  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  story  is  not  always  plau- 
sible, and  of  the  fact  that  its  conclusion  is  somewhat 
contrived  and  abrupt,  it  holds  one's  attention  well, 
sustaining  considerable  suspense  all  the  way  through. 
Richard  Dix,  as  the  vagrant,  whose  perpetration  of  a 
fraud  leads  him  into  a  series  of  difficulties  with  venge- 
ful persons,  gives  a  good  performance,  but  one  is  not 
in  sympathy  with  him  for,  up  until  the  very  end,  his 
actions  are  unprincipled: — 

Richard  Dix,  a  vagrant,  learns  from  a  bank's  "dor- 
mant accounts"  notice  that  it  was  holding  a  sum  of 
money  for  a  missing  man,  whose  name  was  similar 
to  his.  Dix  decides  to  assume  the  man's  identity  and, 
after  carefully  checking  his  background,  goes  to  the 
bank  to  claim  the  money.  The  bank,  satisfied  with  his 
story,  gives  him  $30,000  in  cash.  Janis  Carter,  a 
woman  reporter,  learns  of  the  story  and  secures  a 
photograph  of  Dix  leaving  the  bank.  Trying  to  avoid 


November  4, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


179 


being  photographed,  Dix  bowls  over  Paul  Guilfoyle, 
a  crippled  peddler,  to  whom  he  gives  a  liberal  tip. 
Dix's  photograph  is  seen  in  the  papers  by  John  Cal- 
vert and  Matt  Willis,  brothers,  who  had  been  search- 
ing for  the  man  Dix  was  impersonating;  their  father, 
a  former  partner  of  the  missing  man's  unscrupulous 
father,  had  been  railroaded  to  jail,  and  the  two 
brothers  were  determined  to  avenge  him  by  killing 
Dix,  whom  they  believed  to  be  the  unscrupulous  part- 
ner's son.  Meanwhile  Dix  caches  his  money  and  de- 
cides to  visit  a  night-club.  Noticing  Calvert  follow- 
ing him,  Dix  believes  him  to  be  a  detective  who  had 
found  out  his  fraud.  He  eludes  Calvert  and  seeks  the 
aid  of  the  crippled  peddler,  who  offers  to  help  him 
leave  town  by  bus.  Calvert,  however,  traces  him  to 
the  bus  station  and  compels  him  to  accompany  him  to 
his  house,  where  he  explains  his  intentions.  Unable 
to  convince  Calvert  that  he  was  an  imposter,  Dix  es- 
capes and  seeks  refuge  with  the  crippled  peddler,  who 
reveals  to  him  that  he  is  the  missing  man  that  he  (Dix) 
had  been  impersonating.  Calvert  and  Willis  catch  up 
with  Dix  at  the  peddler's  apartment,  but  both  are 
killed  in  a  gun-fight  with  the  police.  Guilfoyle,  now 
unafraid  to  assume  his  real  identity,  offers  to  help 
rehabilitate  Dix. 

George  Bricker  wrote  the  screen  play,  Rudolph  C. 
Flothow  produced  it,  and  William  Castle  directed  it. 

Adult  entertainment. 


"Dark  Waters"  with  Merle  Oberon, 
Franchot  Tone  and  Thomas  Mitchell 

(United  Artists,  no  release  date  set;  time,  90  mm.) 

Patrons  who  like  plenty  of  chills  and  thrills  in  their 
entertainment  should  find  this  psychological  murder 
melodrama  satisfactory;  but  its  value  to  the  masses  is 
doubtful,  because  of  the  depressing  story  and  atmos- 
phere. The  artistic  production,  the  capable  direction, 
and  the  competent  performances,  help  considerably 
to  maintain  one's  interest  in  the  unpleasant  proceed- 
ings, which  revolve  around  the  diabolical  machina- 
tions of  four  scoundrels,  who  seek  to  drive  a  dis- 
traught girl  insane  in  order  to  gain  possession  of  her 
missing  uncle's  plantation.  The  action  takes  place  in 
the  Louisiana  bayou  country,  which  lends  itself  to 
the  atmosphere  of  horror.  The  closing  scenes,  where 
the  villains  are  trapped  and  the  girl  saved,  are  dra- 
matic and  exciting: — 

Victim  of  a  nervous  breakdown,  Merle  Oberon, 
lone  survivor  of  a  torpedoed  ship,  in  which  her  parents 
had  been  killed,  is  invited  by  her  aunt  and  uncle, 
whom  she  had  never  seen,  to  recuperate  at  their 
plantation  in  Louisiana.  When  no  one  meets  her  at 
the  station,  Franchot  Tone,  a  local  physician,  drives 
Merle  to  the  isolated  plantation,  where  she  is  greeted 
by  Fay  Bainter  and  John  Qualen,  her  aunt  and  uncle, 
Thomas  Mitchell,  her  uncle's  business  advisor,  and 
Elisha  Cook,  Jr.,  lessee  of  the  plantation.  Unknown 
to  Merle,  or  to  Tone,  who  had  never  met  the  planta- 
tion's owners,  the  four  were  a  group  of  imposters  who 
had  disposed  of  her  aunt  and  uncle  in  a  scheme  to 
gain  possession  of  the  plantation.  Merle's  unexpected 
arrival  interfered  with  their  plans.  Mitchell,  to  rid 
himself  of  Merle,  resorts  to  numerous  tricks  designed 
to  convince  her  that  she  was  losing  her  mind;  he  hoped 
to  place  her  in  an  institution.  Terrorised  at  first, 
Merle  soon  realizes  the  truth  when  Miss  Bainter 
reveals  herself  as  an  imposter  during  a  conversation 
about  Merle's  mother.  Merle  contacts  Tone  and  asks 
him  to  rescue  her.  But  Mitchell,  aware  that  the  young 
couple  had  found  him  out,  forces  them  to  accompany 


him  to  the  swamps  where  he  and  Cook  intended  to 
drown  them.  Taking  advantage  of  an  unguarded 
moment,  Tone  starts  a  fight  with  the  two  men.  Cook 
loses  his  life  in  the  quicksand,  and  Mitchell,  fearful 
lest  he  suffer  a  similar  fate,  surrenders.  With  the 
scoundrels  disposed  of,  Merle  and  Tone  look  forward 
to  a  peaceful  future  on  the  plantation. 

Joan  Harrison  and  Marian  Cockrell  wrote  the 
screen  play  from  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  story  by 
Frank  and  Marian  Cockrell.  Benedcit  Bogeaus  pro- 
duced it,  and  Andre  De  Toth  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Rex  Ingram,  Odette  Myrtil,  Nina  Mae 
McKinney  and  others.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Something  for  the  Boys"  with 
Carmen  Miranda,  Vivian  Blaine 
and  Phil  Silvers 

(20th  Century-Fox,  November;  time,  87  win.) 
Based  on  the  Broadway  stage  show  of  the  same 
title,  this  lavish  Technicolor  musical  is  fairly  divert- 
ing if  not  outstanding.  Its  real  entertainment  value 
lies  in  the  musical  interludes,  for  the  story  itself  is 
rather  dull.  Here  and  there  it  has  situations,  some  of 
them  slapstick,  funny  enough  to  provoke  hearty 
laughter,  but  on  the  whole  the  comedy  is  only  mod- 
erately amusing.  Phil  Silvers  works  hard  and  succeeds 
in  enlivening  the  situations  in  which  he  appears,  but 
the  rest  of  the  cast  is  handicapped  by  the  weak  mate- 
rial. Musically,  the  picture  is  satisfactory;  the  dances 
are  well-staged,  and  the  songs  are  pleasant  to  the 
ear: — 

Carmen  Miranda,  a  carborundum  polisher  in  a  de- 
fense plant,  Vivian  Blaine,  a  night-club  singer,  and 
Phil  Silvers,  a  sidewalk  salesman,  all  cousins,  meet 
for  the  first  time  when  they  learn  that  they  are  joint 
heirs  to  a  southern  plantation.  All  go  to  Georgia, 
where  they  discover  the  plantation  and  its  twenty- 
room  house  badly  in  need  of  repairs.  Disillusioned, 
and  without  funds,  all  three  prepare  to  return  to 
New  York.  But  Sergeant  Michael  O'Shea,  from  a 
camp  nearby,  persuades  them  to  open  the  house  as  a 
home  for  soldiers'  wives.  The  soldiers  and  their  wives 
help  redecorate  the  house.  The  romance  that  springs 
up  between  Vivian  and  O'Shea  is  soon  shattered  by 
the  arrival  of  Sheila  Ryan,  O'Shea's  society  fiance, 
of  whom  Vivian  was  unaware.  O'Shea  tries  to  ex- 
plain that  he  had  become  engaged  to  Sheila  to  better 
himself  in  civilian  life,  and  that  he  did  not  love  her, 
but  Vivian  refuses  to  listen.  Meanwhile  a  secret 
gambling  game  started  by  Silvers  in  an  upstairs  room 
is  discovered  by  the  army  authorities,  causing  them 
to  declare  the  plantation  "off  limits."  During  the 
Blue  and  Red  Army  war  games,  O'Shea  leads  his 
platoon  to  the  plantation  so  that  he  could  speak  to 
Vivian.  His  attempt  to  see  her  delays  him  long  enough 
to  be  captured  by  the  Red  Army.  Confined  on  his 
honor  to  the  living  room  of  the  house,  O'Shea  learns 
that  Silvers,  by  placing  a  carborundum  cap  over 
Carmen's  teeth,  had  turned  her  into  a  human  radio 
receiving  and  sending  set.  He  utilizes  Carmen  to  learn 
of  the  Red  Army's  plans  and,  after  a  series  of  mis- 
adventures, in  which  Vivian  and  the  wives  entertain 
the  Red  Army  staff  so  as  to  delay  them,  the  Blue 
Army,  through  O'Shea  and  Carmen,  captures  the 
Red  Army  and  wins  the  games. 

Robert  Ellis,  Helen  Logan  and  Frank  Gabrielson 
wrote  the  screen  play,  based  on  the  musical  comedy 
play  by  Herbert  and  Dorothy  Fields.  Irving  Starr 
produced  it,  and  Lewis  Scilcr  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Perry  Como  and  others. 


180 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


November  4,  1944 


WHO  IS  AFRAID  OF  TRADESHOWS? 

For  some  time,  the  heads  of  the  five  major  distributors 
who  are  still  tradeshowing  their  pictures  in  accordance  with 
the  Consent  Decree,  have  complained  that  exhibitor  attend' 
ance  at  these  screenings  is  so  sparse  that  they  serve  no  useful 
purpose  and  should,  therefore,  be  eliminated. 

In  view  of  the  larger  companies'  antipathy  towards  trade 
screenings,  this  paper  was  agreeably  surprised  when  PRC 
announced  recently  that  it  would  tradeshow  at  all  its  ex- 
changes  six  of  its  current  productions.  And  even  more  sur- 
prising was  the  fact  that  the  attendance,  particularly  in  the 
New  York  area,  exceeded  by  far  the  average  attendance  at 
most  of  the  tradescrccnings  sponsored  by  the  larger  com- 
panies. 

Harrison's  Reports  is  particularly  gratified  by  the  good 
attendance  at  the  PRC  tradeshows,  first,  because  it  has  al- 
ways been  in  sympathy  with  the  efforts  of  the  smaller  com- 
panies to  better  their  positions,  and  secondly,  because  sup- 
port of  a  comany  such  as  PRC  will  eventually  help  the 
subsequent-run  exhibitors  to  lick  the  artificial  product  short- 
age, which  has  been  brought  about  by  extended  runs  and 
moveovers  in  the  key  centers,  where  war-time  conditions 
have  resulted  in  an  abnormal  spending  spree  on  the  part  of 
an  entertainment-hungry  public. 

In  the  March  6,  1943  issue  of  this  paper,  in  an  editorial 
warning  the  exhibitors  to  beware  of  an  artificial  product 
shortage,  it  was  said  : 

"One  method  by  which  the  exhibitors  can  do  much  to 
combat  the  major  distributors  who  hoard  product  so  as  to 
exact  higher  rentals,  is  to  grant  more  playdates  to  the  smaller 
producers,  thus  encouraging  them  to  better  the  standard  of 
their  product.  The  adoption  of  such  a  policy  on  the  part  of 
the  exhibitors  will  serve  to  build  up  these  small  producers  to 
a  point  where  the  majors  will  recognize  in  them  a  definite 
competitive  threat,  powerful  enough  to  compel  them  to 
change  their  ways.  Moreover,  such  a  policy  will  make  for 
keener  competition  between  the  distributors  and,  ultimately, 
the  exhibitor  will  benefit." 

In  the  twenty  months  that  have  gone  by  since  that  article 
was  written,  great  changes  have  taken  place.  Republic  Pic- 
tures, for  example,  anounced  recently  that  it  will  spend 
from  $17,500,000  to  $20,000,000  on  its  1944-45  production 
schedule.  That  is  more  money  than  was  spent  by  most  of  the 
major  companies  on  their  production  schedules  only  a  few 
years  before  the  war,  and  it  is  a  further  indication  that  Re- 
public is  headed  for  a  career  that  will  match  any  of  the  big- 
ger companies. 

And  look  at  Monogram — so  sensational  has  been  its  ad- 
vance that,  for  the  period  ending  July  1,  1944,  it  almost 
doubled  its  sales  for  the  preceding  year,  which  at  that  time 
were  the  greatest  in  its  history. 

The  rise  made  by  PRC  has  been  nothing  short  of  phe- 
nomenal. The  quality  of  its  pictures,  either  in  production  or 
in  entertainment  values,  not  only  compares  favorably  with 
the  majority  of  program  pictures  produced  by  all  the  other 
major  companies,  but  in  many  instances  far  exceeds  it.  This 
paper  has  said  before  and  still  continues  to  say  that,  dollar 
for  dollar,  PRC  gets  more  value  into  its  productions  than 
any  of  the  other  companies.  And  its  willingness  to  tradeshow 
its  pictures  to  the  exhibitors,  denotes  the  confidence  it  has 
in  its  product. 

Undoubtedly,  the  artificial  product  shortage  created  by 
the  big  companies  had  much  to  do  with  the  progress  made 
by  the  aforementioned  companies,  because  many  exhibitors 
have  had  to  turn  to  them  for  product  in  order  to  keep  their 
theatres  open.  Once  the  exhibitors  tested  the  product  of  the 
smaller  companies,  they  found  that  it  had  a  definite  place 
on  their  programs.  Here  was  an  opportunity  for  the  smaller 
companies!  They  needed  no  second  invitation  to  make  the 
most  of  it,  and  to  expand  to  a  point  where  they  can  now  be 


considered  definite  competitive  threats  to  the  larger  com- 
panies. And  that  is  a  healthy  condition  for  the  business,  for, 
with  the  return  of  normal  times,  the  keener  competition  will 
keep  the  major  companies  on  their  toes. 

Experience  has  proved  that,  given  a  chance,  the  smaller 
companies  will  measure  up  to  the  requirements  of  their  cus- 
tomers by  constantly  improving  the  quality  of  their  pro- 
ductions. The  exhibitors  should  continue  to  support  them, 
for  the  greater  they  become  the  less  oppressive  can  the 
larger  companies  afford  to  be. 


IT'S  NOT  THE  BRAND  — 
IT'S  THE  QUALITY 

The  subject  of  support  for  the  smaller  producers  brings  to 
mind  a  statement  made  to  me  a  few  months  ago  by  an  ex- 
hibitor friend  of  mine,  who  felt  wary  about  booking  a 
picture  made  by  a  small  company,  because  he  believed  that 
his  customers  might  not  patronize  his  theatre  if  he  were  to 
show  a  picture  produced  by  a  relatively  unknown  company. 
I  have  no  idea  how  many  other  exhibitors  may  be  laboring 
under  the  same  impression,  but,  if  there  are  any  among  you 
who  feel  that  way,  I  might  say  that  such  an  impression  is 
erroneous. 

The  trouble  with  my  friend  was  that  he  was  so  close  to  the 
picture  business  that  he  could  not  conceive  that  very  few  of 
his  patrons  paid  attention  to  the  names  of  the  companies 
that  made  the  pictures.  I  pointed  this  out  to  my  friend  and 
he  decided  to  make  a  test.  He  questioned  his  patrons  on  the 
subject,  and  only  then  did  he  realize  that  the  average  movie- 
goer rarely  identifies  a  picture  by  the  name  of  the  company 
that  made  it.  He  found  that  they  remembered  best  the  names 
of  the  stars,  and  in  some  instances,  also  the  names  of  either 
the  producer  or  director,  where  the  producer  or  director 
had  already  become  well  known. 

To  prove  to  my  friend  that  the  name  of  a  manufacturer 
is,  in  most  cases,  either  unknown  or  not  readily  identified 
with  a  particular  product,  I  asked  him  to  name  the  manufac- 
turers of  such  widely  advertised  products  as  Chesterfield, 
Camels,  Old  Gold,  and  Lucky  Strike  cigarettes,  Chase  ii 
Sanborn  coffee,  numerous  soap  powders,  and  other  well- 
known  products.  In  only  a  few  cases  was  he  able  to  name  the 
manufacturer.  Yet  when  I  asked  him  to  name  the  manufac- 
turer of  Simplex  projectors,  he  answered  immediately,  "In- 
ternational Projector  Corporation."  He  was  then  convinced 
that  this  manufacturer's  name  came  to  him  easily  only  be- 
cause of  his  proximity  to  the  product. 

Within  the  industry,  the  names  of  the  different  motion 
picture  companies  mean  something  to  the  exhibitors  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  reputation  each  company  has  built  for 
itself.  But  to  the  public,  with  rare  exception,  these  names 
mean  very  little.  The  public's  chief  interest  lies  in  the  enter- 
taining qualities  of  a  picture  and,  to  a  great  extent,  on  the 
popularity  of  the  stars  and  the  reputations  of  either  the 
producer  or  the  director.  Consequently,  no  exhibitor  need 
fear  that  his  patrons  will  stay  away  from  his  theatre  simply 
because  the  picture  he  wants  to  show  has  been  produced  by 
a  company  not  generally  known.  Nor  should  an  exhibitor 
feel  confident  that  the  picture  of  a  well-known  company  will 
be  a  draw  at  the  box-office.  In  the  final  analysis,  it  is  the 
entertaining  quality  of  a  picture  that  counts — and  some  of 
the  smaller  companies'  pictures  would  put  many  a  picture 
produced  by  the  larger  companies  to  shame. 


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Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  p.  s.  Harrison,  Editor 

^exifo.  f  uba,  Spain   16.50  A  MoUon  p-cture  Reviewing  Seryice   

Australia    New  'Zealand'  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

India.  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50  Ug  Editorial  Poiicy.  No  Problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

6bc  a  copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  11,  1944  No.  46 


Now  is  the  Time  to  Control  Theatre  Building 


In  its  October  28  issue,  Boxoffice,  under  the  head- 
ing, "Easy  Money  Talk  Stirs  a  Deluge  of  'Building1," 
reports  that,  according  to  information  reaching 
branch  managers  and  film  salesmen  in  Minneapolis, 
"plenty  of  new  theatre  building  is  in  prospect  in  this 
territory  as  soon  as  priorities  are  eliminated  and 
material  is  available.  .  .  ." 

The  report  states  that  the  branch  managers  and 
film  salesmen  have  been  approached  by  many  persons, 
most  of  whom  are  not  now  in  show  business,  but  who 
are  planning  to  erect  new  theatres  because  "it  looks 
like  'easy  money1. "  These  prospective  exhibitors,  con- 
tinues  the  report,  "see  only  the  sunny  side,  the  flush 
patronage  during  the  current  wartime  boom." 

Pointing  out  that,  so  far  as  can  be  ascertained,  at 
least  ten  new  theatres  are  in  prospect  for  the  Min- 
neapolis neighborhood  and  suburban  area  alone,  the 
report  states  that  "one  example  of  the  trend's  ex- 
tremity is  Waterville,  Minn.,  a  town  with  1,300 
population  now  having  two  theatres  seating  400  and 
300  each,  one  of  them  new  and  beautiful.  Neverthe- 
less, an  individual  is  'talking  about1  building  another 
theatre  in  Waterville." 

This  report  from  Minneapolis,  though  inconclusive, 
seems  to  reflect  a  condition  that,  according  to  advices 
reaching  my  office,  is  prevalent  in  many  other  sec- 
tions of  the  country.  Having  accumulated  sizeable 
"nest  eggs"  during  these  lush  times,  many  individuals 
are  shopping  around,  seeking  to  invest  their  money 
in  enterprises  that  will  give  them  post-war  security. 
A  number  of  them,  apparently  impressed  by  the  tre- 
mendous dollar  grosses  published  in  both  the  daily 
and  trade  newspapers,  have  decided  to  try  the  motion 
picture  exhibition  field. 

A  wild  scramble  by  these  people  to  build  theatres, 
without  a  studied  analysis  of  the  number  of  theatres 
any  given  area  can  absorb,  constitutes  a  serious  threat 
to  the  orderly  conduct  of  the  exhibition  business.  It 
goes  far  beyond  being  merely  a  threat  in  the  form  of 
competition  from  a  rival  house.  Competition  in  itself 
is  often  healthful.  This  impending  condition  of  over- 
building, however,  is  a  threat,  not  to  any  particular 
theatre  or  to  any  particular  area;  it  is  a  threat  to  the 
entire  structure  of  motion  picture  exhibition.  And 
exhibitors  should  give  some  careful  study  to  the  prob- 
lem thus  presented. 

Prior  to  the  Consent  Decree,  one  of  the  tactics  the 
major  companies  resorted  to  in  an  effort  to  compel  an 
exhibitor  to  pay  for  his  film  more  money  than  was 
profitable  for  him,  was  to  threaten  him  with  the  build- 
ing of  a  competitive  theatre.  At  that  time,  many  ex- 


hibitors wrote  to  me  asking  whether  or  not  there  were 
any  towns  that  had  an  ordinance  limiting  the  number 
of  theatres.  I  investigated  and  learned  that  there 
were  several  towns  that  had  such  an  ordinance.  I 
obtained  copies,  and  turned  them  over  to  a  competent 
attorney  for  an  opinion.  He  advised  me  that  none  of 
the  ordinances  would,  in  his  opinion,  stand  up  in  court 
if  challenged  on  the  grounds  of  unconstitutionality, 
because  every  one  of  them  limited  the  number  of 
theatres  in  accordance  with  a  given  number  of  inhabi- 
tants. Their  only  value,  he  felt,  was  that  of  nuisance. 

In  a  desire  to  be  of  service  to  the  exhibitors  who 
had  appealed  to  me,  I  had  this  attorney  draft  a  pro- 
posed ordinance  prescribing  the  conditions  under 
which  new  theatres  might  be  erected  so  as  to  afford 
some  measure  of  protection  to  established  exhibitors, 
particularly  in  small  towns,  and  at  the  same  time  have 
a  better  chance  if  challenged  in  the  courts.  After  this 
proposed  ordinance  had  been  printed  in  Harrison's 
Reports,  exhibitors  from  all  parts  of  the  country 
asked  me  for  extra  copies  to  be  presented  to  their  City 
Councils  for  action.  Some  of  these  exhibitors  later 
informed  me  that  their  City  Councils  had  adopted  the 
proposed  ordinance. 

The  City  Council  of  Winchester,  Kentucky,  on 
February  19,  1937,  adopted  an  ordinance,  modeled 
on  the  proposed  ordinance.  It  reads  as  follows : 

AN  ORDINANCE  REGULATING  THE  OPER- 
ATION OF  MOTION  PICTURE  THEATRES 
AND  OTHER  SIMILAR  PLACES  OF  PUBLIC 
ENTERTAINMENT  WITHIN  THE  CITY  OF 
WINCHESTER  (KY.) 

BE  IT  ORDAINED  by  the  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners of  the  City  of  Winchester  in  regular  session 
assembled : 

1.  It  shall  be  unlawful  to  conduct  or  operate  within 
the  City  of  Winchester  any  motion  picture  theatre, 
theatre,  opera  house,  or  other  similar  place  of  public 
entertainment,  without  having  first  obtained  a  license 
therefor  and  paid  the  tax  required  under  such  occu- 
pational ordinance  or  ordinances  as  may  be  in  effect 
in  said  city. 

2.  No  license  for  a  motion  picture  theatre  shall  be 
issued  for  any  building  or  other  enclosure : 

(a)  Which  is  occupied  as  a  tenement  house,  hotel, 
lodging  house  or  residence. 

(b)  Where  paints,  varnishes,  lacquers  or  other 
highly  inflammable  materials  are  manufac- 
tured, stored  or  kept  for  sale. 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


182 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


November  11,  1944 


"Ever  Since  Venus"  with  Ina  Ray  Hutton, 
Billy  Gilbert  and  Hugh  Herbert 

(Columbia,  Sept.  14;  time,  73  min.) 

Audiences  who  are  not  too  exacting  in  their  de- 
mands should  find  this  comedy  with  music  a  fan- 
program  entertainment.  The  story,  though  thin  and 
not  unusual,  is  gay,  several  of  the  situations  being 
quite  comical.  The  comedy  is  provoked  more  by  the 
characterizations  and  the  gags  than  by  the  action,  with 
Hugh  Herbert  and  Billy  Gleason  being  responsible  for 
most  of  the  laughs.  The  music,  furnished  by  Ina  Ray 
Hutton  and  her  orchestra,  is  tuneful  and  of  the  popu- 
lar  variety,  with  a  particular  appeal  for  the  younger 
set.  It  has  a  mildly  pleasant  romance : — 

Alan  Mowbray,  a  cosmetic  manufacturer,  organizes 
a  beauty  show  and  engages  Ina  Ray  Hutton  to  furnish 
the  music.  Ina  offers  a  $1000  prize  for  a  theme  song. 
Unaware  of  Ina's  offer,  Billy  Gilbert,  a  cook  and 
amateur  song  writer,  submits  a  song  to  her.  Glenda 
Farrell,  Ina's  arranger,  agrees  to  give  it  a  trial.  Mean- 
while Ross  Hunter  and  Fritz  Feld,  Gilbert's  room- 
mates, perfect  a  new  type  of  lipstick  and  prepare  to 
market  it.  Ann  Savage,  a  beauty  shop  operator,  offers 
to  help  them  and  persuades  them  to  enter  the  beauty 
show.  Their  plans  are  stumped  by  the  $1000  fee  re- 
quired to  enter  the  show,  but  they  are  able  to  raise  the 
money  when  Ina  selects  Gilbert's  tune  as  the  theme 
song  of  the  show.  Mowbray,  seeking  to  make  matters 
difficult  for  the  new  lipstick,  gives  them  a  booth  in  a 
remote  corner.  Despite  Mowbray's  machinations, 
however,  Thurston  Hall,  a  prominent  wholesaler, 
places  a  large  order  for  the  new  lipstick.  Realizing 
that  Hunter  and  his  friends  were  without  production 
facilities,  Mowbray  tricks  them  into  selling  the  new 
lipstick  to  him.  Glenda,  learning  of  the  transaction, 
uses  her  feminine  charms  to  retrieve  the  bill  of  sale 
from  Mowbray.  Meanwhile  Hugh  Herbert,  an  eccen- 
tric but  wealthy  cosmetic  manufacturer,  learns  about 
the  new  firm's  difficulties  from  Ann.  When  the  new 
lipstick  wins  first  prize  at  the  show,  Mowbray  de- 
mands that  it  be  disqualified  on  the  grounds  that  the 
new  firm  lacked  production  facilities.  Herbert,  how- 
ever, comes  to  the  rescue  by  offering  his  plant's  facili- 
ties to  Hunter,  thus  enabling  him  to  fill  Hall's  order. 

McElbert  Moore  and  Arthur  Dreifus  wrote  the 
screen  play,  and  Mr.  Dreifus  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Marjorie  Gateson  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Missing  Juror"  with  Jim  Bannon 
and  Janis  Carter 

(Columbia,  7*{ov.  16;  time,  67  min.) 

A  moderately  interesting  program  murder-melo- 
drama. The  story  is  not  particularly  novel  or  even 
logical,  and  the  plot  developments  are  rather  obvious; 
nevertheless,  it  should  prove  acceptable  to  audiences 
that  enjoy  this  type  of  melodrama,  for  it  has  consider- 
able suspense.  There  is  no  mystery,  since  one  is  aware 
from  the  beginning  just  who  the  murderer  is.  One's 
interest,  therefore,  lies  in  the  manner  in  which  the 
murderer  is  tracked  down  by  the  hero,  a  newspaper- 
man. Most  of  the  excitement  occurs  towards  the  finish, 
where  the  hero  and  the  police  arrive  in  the  nick  of  time 
to  save  the  heroine  from  becoming  the  murderer's 
seventh  victim.  The  direction  and  the  performances 
are  adequate  :— 

Five  people  meet  violent  deaths  before  Jim  Bannon, 
a  newspaperman,  realizes  that  all  were  former  mem- 


bers of  a  jury  that  had  wrongly  convicted  George 
Macrcady  of  first  degree  murder.  Bannon  had  proved 
Macready's  innocence,  saving  him  from  the  chair,  but 
the  unfortunate  man's  experience  had  driven  him  in- 
sane. Shortly  after  Macready  had  ben  visited  in  a 
sanitarium  by  the  elderly  foreman  of  the  jury,  his 
room  had  caught  fire  and  his  charred  body  had  been 
found  hanging  from  a  beam.  Bannon,  positive  that 
some  person  was  intent  upon  killing  the  remaining 
members  of  the  jury,  starts  an  investigation  of  his 
own.  He  meets  Janis  Carter,  an  interior  decorator, 
who  had  been  a  member  of  the  jury,  and  learns  from 
her  that  the  elderly  foreman  was  one  of  her  best  cus- 
tomers. The  strange  behaviour  of  the  man  causes  Ban- 
non to  suspect  him.  The  old  man  cultivates  Bannon's 
friendship  and  takes  him  to  a  Turkish  bath.  There, 
he  makes  a  subtle  attempt  to  kill  Bannon  with  live 
steam.  Bannon  recovers,  fully  convinced  that  the  old 
man  was  the  murderer,  but  the  police  and  his  editor 
laugh  at  the  story.  Bannon's  pursuit  takes  him  to  the 
elderly  man's  country  home,  where  he  discovers  a 
sixth  ex-juror  hanging  from  a  beam.  After  a  series  of 
incidents,  in  which  the  body  disappears  and  the  local 
sheriff  doubts  Bannon's  story,  Bannon  learns  that 
Janis  had  received  a  telegram,  signed  with  his  name, 
asking  her  to  meet  him  at  the  elderly  man's  country 
home.  Bannon  and  the  police  rush  there,  arriving  in 
time  to  kill  the  old  man  as  he  tries  to  hang  Janis.  Ban- 
non examines  the  old  man's  body  and  discovers  that 
he  had  really  been  Macready,  and  that  the  charred 
body  in  the  sanitarium  had  been  that  of  the  jury  fore- 
man. Macready  had  sought  vengeance  on  the  jurors 
who  had  condemned  him. 

Charles  O'Neal  wrote  the  screen  play,  Wallace 
MacDonald  produced  it,  and  Oscar  Boctticher,  Jr. 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Jean  Stevens,  Joseph 
Crehan,  Cliff  Clark  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"I  Accuse  My  Parents"  with 
Mary  Beth  Hughes  and  Robert  Lowell 

(PRC,  K[ov.  4;  time,  69  min.) 

This  latest  addition  to  the  cycle  of  juvenile  de- 
linquency pictures  follows  a  trite  formula,  offering 
little  that  is  new;  at  best,  it  is  only  mildly  interesting 
program  fare,  and  it  will  have  to  depend  on  the  ex- 
ploitation of  its  title  and  subject  matter  for  whatever 
business  it  will  do.  Like  the  other  pictures  in  the  cycle, 
this  one  blames  the  wave  of  juvenile  delinquency  on 
the  carelessness  and  thoughtlessness  of  parents,  who 
are  too  preoccupied  with  their  own  affairs  to  pay  at- 
tention to  their  children.  The  story,  however,  is  weak 
and  unbelievable.  For  example,  the  romance  between 
Mary  Beth  Hughes,  a  mature  night-club  singer,  and 
Robert  Lowell,  the  seventeen-year-old-  hero,  is  far 
from  convincing.  Although  the  story  tends  to  show 
that  the  young  hero's  troubles  with  the  law  were  due 
to  his  parents'  neglect,  one  finds  it  difficult  to  sympa- 
thize with  him  because  of  his  display  of  weak  traits. 
Neither  the  direction  nor  the  performances  are  any- 
thing to  brag  about : — 

Accused  of  murder  and  of  complicity  in  other 
crimes,  Robert  Lowell  blames  his  predicament  on  the 
neglect  of  his  parents,  John  Miljan  and  Vivienne 
Osborne.  He  tells  the  court  of  how  his  parents  were 
constantly  at  odds;  of  how  their  interest  in  him  had 
waned  because  of  their  personal  pleasures;  and  of 
how  his  mother  had  embarrassed  him  on  the  occasion 


November  11,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


183 


of  his  winning  an  essay  contest  by  coming  to  his  high 
school  in  an  intoxicated  condition.  As  a  result,  he  had 
left  school  and  had  obtained  employment  in  a  shoe 
store,  where  he  met  Mary  Beth  Hughes,  a  night-club 
entertainer.  Both  had  fallen  in  love,  much  to  the  cha- 
grin of  George  Meeker,  racketeer  and  night-club 
owner,  who  loved  Mary.  Needing  a  dupe  to  transport 
stolen  jewels,  Meeker  had  employed  Lowell  as  an 
errand  boy.  Lowell,  unaware  of  the  nature  of  his  work, 
had  been  grateful  for  the  opportunity  to  earn  extra 
money  so  that  he  could  treat  Mary  in  her  accustomed 
style.  Lowell  had  realized  the  true  nature  of  his  work 
when  Meeker  had  involved  him  in  the  killing  of  a 
night  watchman.  He  had  run  home  to  seek  the  aid  of 
his  parents  only  to  find  them  away  on  a  holiday.  In 
panic,  he  had  run  away  to  a  strange  town,  where  a 
kindly  restaurant  owner  had  befriended  him  and  had 
induced  him  to  return  and  clear  himself  with  the 
police.  Upon  his  return  to  town,  he  had  visited 
Meeker  to  compel  him  to  go  to  the  police.  Meeker  had 
threatened  him  with  a  gun  and,  in  the  scuffle,  it  had 
been  discharged  accidentally,  killing  the  gangster. 
After  hearing  Lowell's  story,  the  judge  frees  him  on 
probation  and  condemns  his  parents  for  their  neglect. 

Harry  Fraser  and  Marjorie  Dudley  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Max  Alexander  produced  it,  and  Sam  Newfield 
directed  it. 

Strictly  adult  entertainment. 

"End  of  the  Road"  with  Edward  Norris 
and  John  Abbott 

(Republic,  7\[ou.  10;  time,  51  min.) 

A  fairly  interesting  program  melodrama.  Because 
of  its  short  running  time,  it  should  fit  in  well  on  a 
double-bill  wherever  the  main  feature  is  unusually 
long.  The  story  itself  is  somewhat  far-fetched,  but  it 
holds  one's  interest  to  a  fair  degree  because  of  the 
psychological  methods  employed  by  the  hero  to  force 
a  confession  out  of  the  murderer.  Several  of  the  situ- 
ations hold  one  in  suspense,  and  at  times  the  action  is 
quite  exciting.  The  romantic  interest  seems  to  be 
forced  and  is  of  little  importance  to  the  development 
of  the  plot.  The  direction  and  the  performances  are 
competent:  — 

Assigned  to  interview  Ted  Hecht,  convicted  for 
the  murder  of  a  young  girl  in  a  flower  shop,  Edward 
Norris,  a  crime  reporter,  becomes  convinced  of  the 
man's  innocence  and  determines  to  track  down  the 
real  criminal  instead  of  writing  a  lurid  story.  Jonathan 
Hale,  his  editor,  angrily  discharges  him.  Norris  visits 
the  flower  shop,  where  he  observes  the  dead  girl's  dog 
growling  at  John  Abbott,  an  employee.  Using  the  dog, 
Norris,  unobserved,  so  unnerves  Abbott  that  he  flees 
to  Los  Angeles.  Norris  follows  him  there,  and  starts 
an  apparently  casual  friendship  with  him  in  a  small 
restaurant,  where  Abbott  had  become  friendly  with 
June  Story,  an  attractive  waitress.  Unemployed,  and 
short  of  money,  Abbott  invites  Norris  to  live  with 
him  and  share  expenses.  Norris  accepts.  The  young 
reporter  uses  many  psychological  devices  to  trap  Ab- 
bott into  an  admission  of  the  killing,  but  all  fail.  As 
a  last  resort,  Norris  stages  a  fake  killing  of  a  boatman 
when  Abbott,  June,  and  himself  go  on  a  picnic.  When 
Norris,  faking  nervousness,  prepares  to  flee  town  to 
elude  the  police,  Abbott  begs  to  be  taken  along.  Nor- 
ris, however,  refuses  on  the  grounds  that  a  future 
argument  betwen  them  may  cause  Abbott  to  betray 
him.  Fearful  of  a  police  investigation,  Abbott  informs 


Norris  that  he  need  never  fear  betrayal  from  him,  for 
he,  too,  was  a  murderer.  He  then  recites  a  full  con- 
fession of  the  flower  shop  murder.  As  he  finishes  the 
speech,  Abbott  discovers  that  the  police  in  an  adjoin- 
ing room,  had  recorded  the  confession.  He  makes  a 
desperate  effort  to  escape,  but  the  police  and  Norris 
manage  to  trap  him.  Hecht's  innocence  proved,  Hale 
re-employs  Norris,  giving  him  a  substantial  raise  in 
salary.  Norris  and  June  marry. 

Denison  Clift  and  Gertrude  Walker  wrote  the 
screen  play,  and  George  Blair  produced  and  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Pierre  Watkin  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Army  Wives"  with  Elyse  Knox, 
Marjorie  Rambeau  and  Rick  Vallin 

(Monogram,  J^ov.  4;  time,  69  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  comedy  drama,  with  a 
topical  theme,  which  should  get  by  as  a  supporting 
feature  with  nondiscriminating  audiences.  The  story, 
which  revolves  around  the  disappointments  encoun- 
tered by  a  prospective  bride  as  she  follows  her  soldier- 
fiance  from  camp  to  camp  in  the  hope  that  he  will  be 
given  enough  time  off  to  marry  her,  is  rather  thin  and 
lacking  in  originality,  and  it  is  somewhat  draggy  in 
spots;  nevertheless,  it  has  some  amusing  involvements 
as  a  result  of  the  bride's  difficulties  with  war-time 
travel,  the  housing  shortage,  and  other  problems  that 
present  themselves,  in  these  times.  Rick  Vallin  and 
Elyse  Knox  make  a  pleasant  romantic  team,  and  Mar- 
jorie Rambeau,  as  the  buxom  Irish  mother  of  six  small 
children,  a  camp  follower  herself,  provokes  consider- 
able laughter  by  her  antics.  In  the  picture's  favor  is 
its  attractive  title : — 

Elyse  Knox,  a  young  debutante,  falls  in  love  with 
Corporal  Rick  Vallin,  whom  she  meets  at  a  USO 
dance,  and  decides  to  marry  him  despite  her  family's 
objections.  Before  they  can  obtain  a  wedding  license, 
Vallin  leaves  for  a  camp  in  Kentucky.  Elyse  follows 
him  there,  accompanied  by  Dorothea  Kent,  young 
bride  of  Murray  Alper,  Vallin's  buddy.  En  route,  the 
girls  become  acquainted  with  Marjorie  Rambeau  and 
her  brood  of  six  children,  who  were  going  to  the  camp 
to  meet  her  husband  (Eddie  Dunn) ,  a  sergeant.  Val- 
lin meets  Elyse  at  the  station,  but  they  are  unable  to 
get  married  because  Vallin's  outfit  had  been  ordered 
to  leave  on  maneuvers.  In  need  of  a  place  to  sleep,  the 
girls  and  Miss  Rambeau  agree  to  wait  on  tables  in 
Jimmy  Conklin's  restaurant  in  exchange  for  his  living 
quarters.  Vallin  and  Elyse  are  thwarted  again  when 
he  returns  from  maneuvers  and  is  immediately  sent 
to  Chicago.  Elyse  promises  to  meet  him  there.  She  gets 
tickets  on  a  plane  with  the  help  of  the  general's  wife. 
In  Chicago,  the  young  couple  are  married  by  a  min- 
ister in  a  taxicab  en  route  to  another  station,  from 
which  Vallin  was  to  catch  a  troop  train  for  the  west 
coast.  He  misses  the  train,  but  the  general's  wife  fixes 
matters  with  the  general,  who  benignly  gives  the 
young  couple  tickets  on  a  faster  train,  so  that  Vallin 
could  meet  the  troop  train  on  the  coast.  On  board  the 
train,  a  kindly  conductor,  sympathizing  with  the 
newlyweds'  desire  to  be  alone,  ejects  three  drunkards 
from  a  private  compartment  and  gives  it  to  them. 

B.  Harrison  Orkow  wrote  the  screen  play,  Lindsley 
Parsons  produced  it,  and  Phil  Rosen  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Ralph  Sanford,  Emmet  Vogan  and 
others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


184 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


November  11,  1944 


(c)  Where  rosin,  turpentine,  hemp,  cotton  or  any 
other  explosives  are  stored  or  kept  for  sale. 

(d)  Which  is  situated  within  300  feet  of  the  near' 
est  wall  of  a  building  occupied  as  a  school, 
hospital,  garage,  theatre,  motion  picture  thea- 
tre or  other  place  of  public  amusement  or  as- 
sembly,  or  which  is  within  300  feet  of  any 
gasoline  supply  or  service  station;  provided, 
however,  that  renewals  of  licenses  may  be 
granted  where  the  motion  picture  theatre  in 
question  was  in  operation  prior  to  the  opening 
of  such  school,  hospital,  garage,  theatre,  mo- 
tion picture  theatre  or  other  place  of  public 
amusement  or  assembly,  or  of  such  gasoline 
supply  or  service  station,  or  has  been  in  con- 
tinuous operation  under  a  license  issued  there- 
for prior  to  January  I,  1937. 

3.  It  shall  be  the  further  duty  of  all  motion  picture 
theatres  and  houses  of  amusement  to  provide  adequate 
"stand-by"  or  auxiliary  lighting  equipment  capable 
of  supplying  ample  illumination  for  lighting  said 
theatres  or  houses  of  amusement  to  the  extent  to  pre- 
vent excitement  or  hysteria  as  a  result  of  failure  of 
the  regular  lighting  system,  said  auxiliary  lighting 
equipment  being  put  into  use  immediately  upon  the 
failure  of  the  regular  lighting  equipment,  and  it  shall 
be  unlawful  to  leave  said  theatre  or  house  of  amuse- 
ment in  darkness  for  more  than  thirty  seconds  at  any 
one  time. 

4.  Any  person,  firm  or  corporation  found  guilty 
of  violating  this  ordinance  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  of 
not  less  than  ten  dollars  ($10.00)  nor  more  than  one 
hundred  dollars  ($100.00)  for  such  offense,  and  each 
day  the  same  is  violated  shall  constitute  a  separate 
offense. 

5.  This  ordinance  shall  take  effect  upon  its  final 
passage  and  publication  as  required  by  law. 

6.  Introduced  this  February  12,  1937,  remained  on 
file  one  week  in  its  completed  form  for  public  inspec- 
tion, passed  and  adopted  on  the  1 9th  day  of  February, 
1937,  and  then  published  in  The  Winchester  Sun. 

D.  B.  Scobee,  Mayor. 

Attest: 

Lindsay  Faulkner,  City  Clerk. 

*       #  * 

Harrison's  Reports  suggests  to  the  exhibitors  that 
they  get  busy  with  their  City  Councils  at  once.  Per- 
haps you  can  induce  them  to  pass  a  law,  patterned 
after  the  Winchester  ordinance.  If  you  should  suc- 
ceed, it  will  give  to  theatre  building  the  aspects  of 
orderliness,  reasonableness  and  common  sense. 


A  LONG-STANDING  POLICY 
THAT  NEEDS  REITERATION 

Because  some  exhibitors  seem  to  misunderstand  the 
policy  of  Harrison's  Reports,  I  thought  it  would  be 
a  good  idea  if  I  reiterated  that  policy. 

From  time  to  time  a  letter  reaches  this  office  from 
an  exhibitor  asking  me  to  make  an  attack  on  a  certain 
company,  against  which  he  has  a  business  grievance, 
or  against  a  sales  executive,  who  outsmarted  him  in  a 
business  deal. 

I  want  to  make  it  clear  that  Harrison's  Reports 
cannot  be  used  by  an  exhibitor  to  even  a  score  that  he 
has  with  either  a  distributor  or  its  sales  executives 
merely  to  satisfy  a  personal  grievance.  If  an  exhibitor 


has  been  fool-hardy  enough  to  make  a  bad  bargain,  he 
simply  has  to  take  his  medicine;  it  is  the  only  way  for 
him  to  learn  his  lesson. 

The  policy  of  Harrison's  Reports  has  been  and 
still  is  to  fight  for  principles  or  for  issues.  Whenever 
a  company  adopts  a  policy  that  tends  to  affect  ad- 
versely the  interests  of  the  independent  exhibitors,  this 
paper  will  do  its  utmost  to  expose  such  a  policy  so  that 
the  exhibitors  will  be  forewarned,  thus  giving  them 
an  opportunity  either  to  refrain  from  making  a  deal, 
or  to  take  such  steps  as  will  be  necessary  to  protect 
their  interests.  If  a  company  fails  to  live  up  to  its 
promises,  such  as  Columbia  in  the  past  few  years,  this 
paper  will  bring  it  to  the  attention  of  the  exhibitors.  If 
the  contract  form  used  by  a  distributor  should  contain 
"catch"  provisions  or  ambiguous  language,  or  if  it 
should  be  unreasonably  one-sided,  this  paper  will 
expose  it. 

But  under  no  circumstances  will  Harrison's 
Reports  attack  a  company  or  its  executives  merely 
because  an  exhibitor  wishes  to  satisfy  a  personal  griev- 
ance, which  is  devoid  of  cither  principles  or  issues. 


GIVE  THE  BRITISH  PRODUCERS 
A  "BREAK" 

Representatives  of  J.  Arthur  Rank,  England's  most 
important  film  industry  leader,  have  just  concluded  a 
five-year  distribution  deal  with  United  Artists  calling 
for  the  release  of  seven  pictures  made  by  Rank's  pro- 
ducing companies. 

These  pictures  include  "Colonel  Blimp,"  "Blithe 
Spirit,"  "The  Happy  Breed,"  "Caesar  and  Cleo- 
patra," and  "Henry  the  Fifth,"  all  in  color,  and  "Her 
Man  Gilbey"  and  "Mr.  Emmanuel." 

Not  having  reviewed  any  of  these  pictures  as  yet, 
Harrison's  Reports  is  not  in  a  position  to  pass  judg- 
ment on  their  suitability  for  American  audiences.  It 
does  wish  to  say,  however,  that  there  is  room  in  the 
United  States  for  British  pictures,  particularly  with 
the  independent  exhibitors,  because  the  large  theatre- 
owning  producers,  through  their  existing  clearances, 
are  holding  back  product  from  the  independents,  com- 
pelling them  in  many  instances  to  book  reissues  in 
order  to  keep  their  theatres  in  operation.  And  in  many 
cases  the  rentals  for  reissues  are  prohibitive. 

Harrison's  Reports  hopes  that  the  British  pro- 
ducers will  make  a  close  study  of  the  tastes  of  the 
American  public,  and  that  they  will  select  stories  that 
are  suited  to  these  tastes. 

In  a  steady  series  of  moves,  Mr.  Rank,  who  has  the 
financial  resources,  has  been  expanding  his  produc- 
tion plans.  He  has  lined  up  top-notch  Hollywood  pro- 
ducers, directors,  authors  and  stars,  with  a  view 
towards  producing  pictures  that  will  be  on  a  par  with 
the  best  that  Hollywood  has  to  offer.  To  Mr.  Rank, 
and  to  other  British  producers,  Harrison's  Reports 
says,  "Welcome!"  The  American  exhibitor  has  no 
national  prejudices;  if  British  pictures  will  draw 
money  at  his  box-office,  he  will  book  them. 

This  paper  suggests  to  the  independent  exhibitors 
that  they  encourage  the  British  producers  by  booking 
their  pictures  whenever  it  is  profitable  for  them  to  do 
so,  for,  in  helping  the  British  producers  to  entrench 
themselves  in  the  American  market,  the  exhibitors  will 
gain  for  themselves  another  source  for  product,  and 
the  American  producers  will  have  to  toe  the  line  to 
meet  the  new  competition. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  ^  _,ice  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 


Harrison's  Reports 

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35c  a  Copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 


A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  18,  1944  No.  47 


An  Answer  to  the  Directors'  Guild  Letter 


Andrew  Marton,  a  director  working  for  MGM,  has  sent 
me  the  following  note: 

"Is  your  answer  to  Mr.  Pichel  also  your  answer  to  the 
Screen  Directors'  Guild's  letter?"  (Editor's  >{ote:  Mr. 
Pichel's  letter,  protesting  against  this  paper's  series  of  articles 
on  "Wanton  Waste  in  Production,"  and  my  reply  to  his 
letter,  were  reproduced  in  the  October  28  issue.) 

I  called  Mr.  Marton  up  on  the  telephone  to  find  out  what 
he  had  in  mind.  I  said  to  him  that,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  exhibitors  know  that  every  statement  I  make  in  Harri- 
son's  Reports  is  founded  on  truthful  information,  a  further 
reply  to  the  Guild's  letter  on  my  part  was  not  necessary. 
"But,"  he  said,  "I  am  not  an  exhibitor!"  This  naturally  com- 
pels  me  to  comment  on  that  letter. 

The  fifth  paragraph  of  the  Guild's  letter  to  me,  which  was 
reproduced  in  the  October  28  issue  of  Harrison's  Reports, 
reads  as  follows: 

"This  same  executive  said :  'I  have  known  cases  where,  in 
a  two-hour  picture,  the  first  rough  assembly  was  150,000 

feet  '  Mr.  Harrison,  he  means  ONE  HUNDRED  AND 

FIFTY  REELS  OF  FILM!  Thousand  foot  reels.  Many,  many 
years  ago  Von  Stroheim  made  a  picture  called  'Greed' 
which  was  supposed  to  have  run  over  a  hundred  reels.  We 
challenge  your  executive  to  name  one  picture  since  the  ad' 
vent  of  talking  pictures  that  has  run  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  feet  in  rough  assembly.  He  knows  'cases'  (plural) 
— ask  him  to  prove  it!" 

In  the  second  article  on  "Wanton  Waste  in  Production," 
published  in  the  September  16  issue,  I  stated  that,  according 
to  a  high  studio  executive  of  one  of  the  major  studios,  a  di' 
rector  shot  six  hundred  thousand  feet  of  negative  on  one 
picture,  now,  for  the  picture  is  just  about  ready  for  release. 
Surely  the  Directors'  Guild  should  have  challenged  me  on 
that  statement,  because  this  director  is  accused  of  having 
shot  four  times  more  negative  than  the  director  who  shot  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  feet.  Mr.  Marton,  who  wants  me 
to  make  a  reply  to  the  Directors'  Guild  letter,  knows  the 
name  of  the  director,  the  title  of  the  picture,  and  the  studio 
where  this  picture  was  shot,  and  I  am  sure  that,  by  this  time, 
also  most  members  of  the  Directors'  Guild  know  it.  It  is  com- 
mon  gossip  in  Hollywood. 

So  far  as  it  concerns  the  challenge  to  the  executive,  who 
has  given  me  the  information  about  the  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  feet  of  negative  shot  by  one  director,  to  name 
the  picture  where  so  much  negative  was  shot,  I  believe  that, 
to  make  him  name  the  picture  would  necessitate  the  naming 
also  of  the  director.  If  this  director's  name  were  given  and 
he  denied  that  he  had  shot  so  much  negative  and  challenged 
me  to  name  the  executive  who  gave  me  the  information,  I 
could  not  reveal  his  name  for  the  following  reason: 

Elsewhere  in  this  issue  I  am  reproducing  a  letter  from  pro- 
ducer  Martin  Mooney.  In  an  editorial  note  I  state  that  Mr. 
Mooney  was  an  outstanding  newspaperman,  implying  that 
he  quit  the  newspaper  field  to  engage  in  production.  Per- 
haps some  of  you  remember  Mr.  Mooney.  But  to  those  of 


you  who  do  not,  let  me  say  that,  in  1935,  Mr.  Mooney,  then 
working  for  the  J\[ew  Yor\  American,  was  summoned  by 
one  of  the  New  York  courts  to  reveal  the  source  of  some 
important  information  he  had  printed  touching  upon  a  cer- 
tain case  and,  when  he  refused  to  divulge  it,  he  was  found 
guilty  of  contempt  of  court  and  was  sent  to  the  Tombs  for 
a  month.  In  other  words,  Mr.  Mooney  preferred  to  spend 
thirty  days  in  jail  rather  than  reveal  the  source  of  his  infor- 
mation. 

Perhaps  the  Directors'  Guild  are  unaware  of  the  fact  that 
newspaper  people  abide  by  certain  ethics,  one  of  these  being 
that  none  will  reveal  the  source  of  his  information  without 
the  consent  of  the  person  who  gave  him  that  information. 
If  they  knew  it,  they  would  not  have  made  the  challenge  to 
this  executive  through  me.  But  this  is  forgivable. 

The  members  of  the  Directors'  Guild  admit  in  their  letter 
that  the  exhibitors  consider  Harrison's  Reports  "Biblical" 
in  reliability.  How  has  it  gained  such  a  reputation?  By  being 
careful  of  whose  information  it  accepts  as  authentic.  It  is  a 
reputation  that  one  has  to  guard  with  great  care,  because  it 
is  invaluable.  All  that  I  can  say  then  is  that  I  have  the  utmost 
faith  in  the  accuracy  of  the  studio  executives'  statements  on 
which  I  based  the  series  of  three  articles  on  production  waste. 

What  is  true  of  this  criticism  of  the  Directors'  Guild  is 
true  of  their  other  critical  comments. 

In  publishing  these  facts  about  production  waste  my  ob- 
ject was  to  bring  that  matter  out  in  the  open  so  that  those 
who  have  been  guilty  of  waste  may  know  that  the  finger  is 
on  them.  Knowing  it,  they  will  undoubtedly  try  to  mend 
their  ways. 

The  Screen  Directors'  Guild  knows  that  some  of  their 
members  have  been  guilty  of  extravagance.  The  best  step 
that  it  can  take,  then,  is  not  to  whitewash  the  guilty  mem- 
bers, but  to  caution  them  to  be  more  economical,  for  after  all 
the  waste  is  reflected  eventually  upon  the  rentals  the  motion 
picture  exhibitors  have  to  pay  to  the  distributors. 

And  what  applies  to  directors,  applies  with  equal  force  to 
every  other  person  who  is  engaged  in  the  business  of  making 
motion  pictures.  If  waste  in  production  should  be  reduced, 
then  my  series  of  articles  will  have  served  its  purpose. 


JIMMY  FIDLER'S  COMMENT  ON 
WASTE  IN  PRODUCTION 

In  one  of  his  columns  last  week,  Mr.  Jimmy  Fidler,  whose 
column  is  syndicated  in  16?  newspapers  in  the  United  States, 
made  the  following  comment: 

"HOLLYWOOD — I  have  followed  with  keen  interest, 
the  quarrel  between  P.  S.  'Pete'  Harrison  publisher  of  'Har- 
rison's Reports'  (a  reliable  trade  publication)  and  the  Screen 
Directors'  Guild. 

"In  a  series  of  effective  articles,  Harrison  accused  the 
directors  of  'wanton  waste'  in  production.  He  made  such 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


186 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


November  18,  1944 


"Hi  Beautiful"  with  Martha  O'Driscoll 
and  Noah  Beery,  Jr. 

(Universal,  Dec.  8;  time,  65  mm.) 
A  mediocre  romantic  comedy,  best  suited  for  sec 
ondary  theatres  as  the  lower  of  a  mid-week  double 
bill.  The  hackneyed  story  unfolds  without  one  new 
twist,  and  since  the  action  is  for  the  most  part  slow- 
moving,  one  loses  interest  in  the  outcome.  A  few  of 
the  situations  are  amusing,  but  on  the  whole  the 
comedy  is  so  forced  that  it  tends  to  bore  instead  of 
amuse  the  spectator.  The  players  try  to  make  some- 
thing out  of  their  respective  roles,  but  they  cannot 
overcome  the  ordinary  material  and  the  trite  dia- 
logue:— 

Reporting  for  work  at  the  post-war  model  home 
over  which  she  presided  for  a  real  estate  firm,  Martha 
O'Driscoll  is  shocked  to  find  Noah  Beery,  Jr.,  a 
soldier,  sleeping  in  one  of  the  luxurious  beds.  Beery 
talks  her  out  of  calling  the  police,  explaining  that  he 
could  not  find  another  place  to  sleep.  Having  the  after- 
noon off,  Martha  accompanies  Beery  to  an  amusement 
park,  where  both  fall  in  love.  They  end  their  holiday 
by  taking  pictures  of  themselves.  When  a  patent  pill 
company  announces  over  the  radio  that  it  will  give 
a  $5000  prize  for  a  photo  of  the  "Happiest  G.I. 
Couple,"  Beery  favors  submitting  one  of  the  photos 
taken  at  the  amusement  park,  but  Martha  denounces 
the  commercializing  of  love.  Unknown  to  them,  how- 
ever, Hattie  McDaniel,  negro  servant  at  the  model 
home,  enters  one  of  the  photos  in  the  contest,  and  in 
a  letter  describes  Martha  and  Beery  as  a  happily  mar- 
ried couple,  with  twins  and  a  dog.  The  photo  wins 
the  prize,  and  Walter  Catlett,  head  of  the  pill  com- 
pany, decides  to  deliver  the  prize  money  himself. 
Meanwhile  Martha,  learning  about  the  prize,  accuses 
Beery  of  sending  in  the  photo  against  her  wishes. 
Beery,  learning  the  truth  from  Hattie,  determines  to 
collect  the  money.  He  tricks  Martha  into  posing  as  his 
wife,  "rents"  two  children  from  a  neighbor,  and 
makes  it  appear  as  if  the  model  home  was  his  own. 
After  a  series  of  complications,  in  which  Beery  man- 
ages to  overcome  Catlett's  suspicions,  Martha,  learn- 
ing that  Hattie  had  sent  in  the  photograph,  agrees  to 
marry  Beery  immediately  in  order  fulfill  the  terms 
of  the  contest. 

Dick  Irving  Hyland  wrote  the  screen  play  and  pre 
duced  it,  and  Leslie  Goodwins  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Tim  Ryan,  Florence  Lake  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Town  Went  Wild"  with 
Edward  Everett  Horton,  Tom  Tully, 
Jimmy  Lydon  and  Freddie  Bartholomew 

(PRC,  Dec.  15;  time,  78  min.) 
Very  good!  It  is  one  of  the  freshest,  most  satisfying 
comedies  to  have  come  out  of  Hollywood  in  a  long 
time;  it  should  be  received  very  well  by  all  types  of 
audiences  either  singly  or  as  the  top  half  of  a  double 
bill.  As  a  rule,  most  comedy  stories  turn  out  to  be 
pitifully  inept  when  handled  by  three  or  more  screen 
play  writers,  but  this  one  certainly  proves  to  be  the 
exception;  Bernard  B.  Roth,  Clarence  Greene,  and 
Russell  Rouse  have  done  a  superb  job,  not  only  in  their 
writing  of  the  story,  but  also  in  their  producing  of  it. 
And  a  good  deal  of  the  credit  is  due  Ralph  Murphy  for 
his  expert  direction.  The  story,  which  revolves  around 
the  twenty-five-year-old  feud  between  the  heads  of 
two  small-town  families,  is  full  of  novel  twists,  moves 
at  a  snappy  pace,  and  keeps  one  laughing  all  the  way 


through.  The  complications  that  arise  when  the  two 
feudists  learn  to  their  consternation  that,  owing  to 
a  hospital  mix-up  years  previously,  each  had  raised 
the  other's  son  as  his  own,  are  original  and  extremely 
comical.  The  cast  does  excellent  work,  making  the 
characters  believable  and  likeable: — 

Because  of  the  feud  between  Edward  Everett  Hor- 
ton and  Tom  Tully,  their  fathers,  Jill  Browning, 
Tully's  daughter,  and  Freddie  Bartholomew,  Horton 's 
son,  do  not  tell  them  of  their  plans  to  marry.  The 
youngsters  persuade  Jimmy  Lydon,  Jills  brother,  to 
help  them  elope.  Bedlam  breaks  out  between  the  two 
families  when,  after  Freddie  applies  at  the  town  hall 
for  a  copy  of  his  birth  certificate,  it  is  discovered  that, 
twenty  years  previously,  on  the  day  that  Freddie  and 
Jimmy  had  been  born,  their  fathers  had  quarreled  in 
the  hospital  and,  in  the  confusion,  each  had  signed 
the  birth  certificate  for  the  other's  son.  The  matter 
is  taken  to  court,  where  the  nurse  who  had  attended 
the  birth  of  Tullys  son  testifies  that  he  had  a  peculiar 
birthmark  on  his  body.  When  an  examination  of  the 
boys  reveal  that  they  have  identical  birthmarks,  the 
judge  (Maude  Eburne)  declares  the  birth  certificates 
conclusive  and  orders  both  boys  to  switch  names  and 
homes.  On  his  first  day  in  the  Tully  home,  Freddie  is 
put  to  bed  with  the  measles.  Meanwhile  Jimmy  learns 
that,  because  Freddie  and  Jill  were  now  brother  and 
sister,  their  taking  out  a  marriage  license  constituted 
a  crime.  Lest  there  be  a  scandal,  Jimmy  and  Jill  con- 
fess to  the  judge,  who  promises  to  hush  up  the  matter. 
But  Tully,  having  learned  of  the  license,  decides  to 
break  into  the  town  hall  to  destroy  it.  He  is  followed 
by  Horton  and  the  other  family  members,  who  sought 
to  stop  him  lest  the  whole  town  learn  the  secret. 
Horton  and  Tully  get  into  a  fight  and  both  land  in 
jail.  At  the  trial,  both  men  try  to  protect  their  family 
honor  by  refusing  to  reveal  why  they  had  broken  into 
the  town  hall.  Just  as  they  are  about  to  be  found 
guilty,  Freddie  bursts  into  court  and  reveals  that  his 
birthmark  was  really  the  first  measle.  Their  sons' 
parentage  established,  and  the  marriage  license  de' 
clared  legal,  Horton  and  Tully  renew  their  feud. 

The  cast  includes  Minna  Gombell,  Ruth  Lee, 
Jimmy  Conlin  and  others. 


"Meet  Miss  Bobby  Socks"  with  Bob  Crosby, 
Lynn  Merrick  and  Louise  Erickson 

(Columbia,  Oct.  12;  time,  68  min.) 

A  moderately  amusing  program  comedy  with 
music,  produced  on  a  skimpy  budget.  Built  around 
that  strange  breed  of  youngsters  who  squeal  and 
shriek  whenever  they  hear  their  idol  sing,  the  story  is 
rather  unimaginative  and  thin,  but  it  manages  to  be 
amusing  in  spots  as  a  result  of  the  youngsters'  antics. 
It  should  appeal  chiefly  to  adolescents  because  of  the 
youthful  doings  and  of  the  popular  music.  In  addition 
to  Bob  Crosby's  singing,  there  are  specialty  numbers 
by  the  Kim  Loo  Sisters,  a  harmony  trio,  and  by  Louis 
Jordan  and  his  Tymphany  Five : — 

Honorably  discharged  from  the  army  after  being 
wounded,  Bob  Crosby,  a  "crooner,"  visits  Louise 
Erickson,  who  had  been  writing  him  sentimental 
letters,  and  had  promised  to  help  him  with  his  career. 
Crosby,  disappointed  to  find  that  Louise  is  a  fifteen- 
year-old  girl,  is  gratified  at  the  chance  to  meet  Lynn 
Merrick,  her  older  sister.  To  further  Crosby's  career, 
Louise  arranges  with  her  friends  to  send  hundreds  of 
fan  letters  to  a  local  broadcasting  station.  As  a  result, 
Crosby  is  given  a  trial  on  the  radio,  and  he  becomes 


November  18,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


187 


an  immediate  sensation  when  the  youngsters  greet 
his  singing  with  squeals  and  shrieks.  The  towns- 
people, feeling  that  the  youngsters1  behaviour  needed 
curbing,  decide  to  make  a  night-club  for  them.  Mean- 
while a  romance  springs  up  between  Lynn  and 
Crosby,  much  to  the  consternation  of  Louise,  who 
was  infatuated  with  him  herself.  Having  assured  her 
friends  that  Crosby  would  bring  a  big  stage  show  to 
their  night-club's  opening,  Louise  finds  herself  unable 
to  face  them,  because  Crosby's  sponsor,  peeved  at  the 
youngsters1  "swooning"  antics,  had  banned  his  ap- 
pearance. But  Robert  White,  Louise's  'teen-aged  boy- 
friend, saves  the  occasion  by  inducing  Crosby  to  at- 
tend. At  the  opening,  Crosby  credits  Louise  for  his 
success,  and  cures  her  of  her  adolescent  love  for  him 
by  telling  her  that  he  was  an  "old  man"  of  thirty. 
Louise  turns  her  affections  to  Robert,  leaving  Crosby 
and  Lynn  free  to  continue  their  romancing. 

Muriel  Roy  Bolton  wrote  the  screen  play,  Ted 
Richmond  produced  it,  and  Glenn  Tryon  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Howard  Freeman,  Pierre  Watkin 
and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Enter  Arsene  Lupin"  with  Ella  Raines, 
Charles  Korvin  and  J.  Carrol  Naish 

(Universal,  T^ov.  24;  time,  72  min.) 

A  fairly  good  program  crook  melodrama,  center- 
ing around  a  daring,  suave  French  thief,  who  en' 
dangers  himself  to  protect  a  young  heiress  from  her 
murderous  aunt  and  uncle.  What  the  story  lacks  in 
plausibility  is  made  up  for  in  romance,  suspense,  and 
good  comedy  situations.  Charles  Korvin,  a  newcomer 
to  the  screen,  has  a  pleasing  Continental  personality, 
the  sort  that  should  find  favor  with  women.  An  amus- 
ing characterisation  is  that  of  an  eccentric  French 
detective,  played  by  J.  Carrol  Naish;  the  manner  in 
which  he  and  the  thief  try  to  outwit  each  other  pro- 
vokes considerable  laughter.  The  fact  that  the  "Ar- 
sene Lupin"  characterization  is  well  known  should  be 
of  help  at  the  box-office: — 

On  a  train  bound  from  Constantinople  to  Paris, 
Charles  Korvin,  an  international  thief,  steals  a  $50,- 
000  emerald  from  Ella  Raines,  a  young  heiress,  but 
returns  it  to  her  when  she  becomes  frantic.  Attracted 
by  Ella's  beauty,  Korvin  follows  her  to  England, 
where  she  had  gone  to  live  with  Gale  Sondergaard 
and  Miles  Mander,  her  aunt  and  uncle.  He  rents  a 
cottage  nearby  Mander's  estate,  and  renews  his  ac- 
quaintance with  Ella.  Meanwhile  he  commits  a  series 
of  robberies,  causing  Scotland  Yard  to  seek  the  ser- 
vices of  J.  Carrol  Naish,  a  French  detective,  who 
identifies  the  thefts  as  the  work  of  Korvin.  Subsequent 
events  lead  Korvin  to  suspect  that  Ella's  aunt  and 
uncle  meant  to  kill  her  to  gain  possession  of  the 
emerald.  But  before  he  can  take  steps  to  protect  her, 
he  is  apprehended  by  Naish.  Korvin,  however,  out- 
wits the  detective  and  escapes.  He  goes  to  the  estate 
to  steal  the  emerald,  hoping  that  Ella's  life  will  be 
safe  without  it.  When  Ella  catches  him  stealing  the 
gem,  Korvin  is  compelled  to  tell  her  of  his  fears  for 
her  safety.  On  the  folowing  day,  Ella  becomes  con- 
vinced of  her  danger  when  her  aunt  and  uncle  make 
an  unsuccessful  attempt  on  her  life.  She  promises 
Korvin  that  she  will  leave  the  estate  and  meet  him  in 
Paris.  She  slips  the  emerald  into  his  pocket  without 
his  knowledge.  Hurrying  to  catch  a  channel  boat, 
Korvin  is  caught  again  by  Naish.  Through  clever 


strategem,  he  almost  succeeds  in  having  Naish  ar- 
rested as  a  pickpocket,  but  the  detective  gains  the 
upper  hand  when  the  emerald  is  found  in  Korvin 's 
pocket  and  he  charges  him  with  stealing  it.  En  route 
to  Scotland  Yard,  Korvin  dreams  of  Paris. 

Bertram  Millhauser  wrote  the  screen  play,  and 
Ford  Beebe  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes George  Dolenz  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Thirty  Seconds  Over  Tokyo"  with 
Spencer  Tracy,  Van  Johnson  and 
Robert  Walker 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  138  min.) 

A  thrilling  war  melodrama,  well  directed  and  ex- 
pertly  performed  by  a  fine  cast.  Based  on  Captain 
Ted  W.  Lawson's  widely-read  diary,  the  picture  is 
a  stirring  account  of  the  Doolittle  raid  on  Tokyo,  in 
which  Lawson  was  one  of  the  participants.  Some  of 
the  sequences,  particularly  the  one  where  the  bomber 
planes  take  off  from  the  deck  of  the  Hornet,  are  so 
thrilling  that  the  spectator  feels  the  feverish  excite- 
ment that  grips  the  fliers  themselves.  The  photog- 
raphy is  superb.  The  scenes  depicting  the  low-level 
flying  of  the  planes,  and  the  bombing  of  Tokyo,  are 
very  realistic.  Woven  through  the  exciting  action  is 
the  heart-warming  attachment  between  Lawson  and 
his  bride  of  six  months.  This  phase  of  the  picture, 
though  tender,  is  overdone,  serving  to  make  the  run- 
ning time  excessively  long.  Some  judicious  cutting 
of  the  romantic  angle  would  rid  the  picture  of  its 
lagging  spots.  The  agonies  suffered  by  Lawson's  crew 
when  their  ship  crashes  on  the  China  coast,  and  the 
necessary  amputation  of  Lawson's  leg,  give  the  pic- 
ture some  grim  moments,  which,  though  true,  may 
prove  a  bit  too  strong  for  many  persons  who  have  a 
loved  one  on  the  fighting  fronts. 

The  story  begins  early  in  1942  when  the  then 
Lieut.  Col.  James  Doolittle  organized  a  group  of 
volunteer  fliers  to  train  for  a  secret  mission.  Without 
revealing  to  the  men  the  nature  of  their  assignment, 
Doolittle  puts  them  through  an  intensive  training 
period.  Months  later,  the  men  are  transferred  to  the 
carrier  Hornet  and,  at  sea,  Doolittle  reveals  to  them 
that  they  were  to  bomb  Japan.  The  fliers  are  com- 
pelled to  take  off  ahead  of  schedule  when  Jap  ships 
sight  the  Hornet.  Lawson  pilots  his  plane,  the  "Rup- 
tured Duck,"  over  Tokyo  and,  after  the  crew  drops 
its  bombs  squarely  on  the  target,  speeds  toward  China, 
crash-landing  on  the  China  coast.  The  crew  of  five, 
severely  injured,  are  rescued  by  Chinese  guerrillas. 
All  suffer  horribly  on  the  long,  painful  trek  to  Free 
China,  where  the  guerrillas  bring  them  to  a  small 
village.  There,  missionaries  and  Chinese  doctors  care 
for  their  wounds.  Lawson,  badly  hurt,  suffers  a  leg 
amputation.  He  is  flown  back  to  the  United  States 
when  he  regains  his  strength  and,  with  the  kindly  aid 
of  Doolittle,  is  joyously  reunited  with  his  bride. 

Spencer  Tracy,  as  Doolittle,  has  a  comparatively 
small  role,  but  he  plays  it  very  effectively.  Van  John- 
son, as  Lawson,  gives  a  stirring  performance.  Equally 
good  are  Phyllis  Thaxter,  a  newcomer,  as  Lawson's 
bride,  and  Robert  Walker,  as  Lawson's  gunner-me- 
chanic. Mervyn  LeRoy's  direction  is  impressive. 

Dalton  Trumbo  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Sam 
Zimbalist  produced  it.  The  cast  includes  Robert 
Mitchum,  Don  DeFore,  Horace  McNally,  Louis  Jean 
Heydt,  Leon  Ames  and  others. 


188 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


November  18,  1944 


statements  as  '25  retakes  of  one  scene  when  three  or  four 
were  sufficient1  and  'directors  keep  on  shooting  scenes  over 
and  over  because  raw  stock  is,  in  their  opinion,  cheap  and 
'the  director  wants  to  dazzle  the  industry  .  .  .  impress  the 
studio  head  that  he  is  a  hard  worker.' 

"The  Screen  Directors'  Guild  has  called  Harrison,  in  so 
many  words,  a  liar.  The  President  of  the  Guild,  Director 
John  Cromwell,  attacked  the  statements  of  the  film  paper 
editor  so  viciously  as  to  make  the  reader  believe  (if  he  did 
not  know  better)  that  Harrison  knew  nothing  at  all  about 
his  subject. 

"Let  me  intrude  my  two  cents'  worth  by  saying  that  while 
Harrison's  arguments  and  citations  should  not  include  ALL 
directors,  the  hat  certainly  fits  in  many  cases.  The  studios 
are  constantly  guilty  of  wanton  waste,  not  only  among  the 
directors  but  among  other  branches  of  this  creative  art,  such 
as  actors  who  won't  study  their  dialogue  and  writers  who 
play  too  many  'night  dates'  and  consequently  prepare  their 
scripts  with  foggy  brains. 

"If  Harrison  wants  proof  of  waste  (which  the  Screen 
Directors'  Guild  asks  him  to  produce),  let  him  come  to  me 
and  I'll  fill  his  publication  for  a  year.  Furthermore,  I  think 
he  is  on  the  right  track.  I've  long  said  that  elimination  of 
studio  waste  would  work  to  the  benefit  of  the  theatre  owners, 
who  might  be  able  to  make  a  more  decent  profit  if  they  could 
buy  their  pictures  computed  on  efficiency  in  production." 


PRODUCER  MARTIN  MOONEY 
ANSWERS  THE  DIRECTORS  GUILD 

Hollywood,  Cal. 

November  11,  1944 

Mr.  P.  S.  Harrison 
Harrison's  Reports 
1270  Sixth  Ave. 
New  York  20,  N.  Y. 
Dear  Pete: 

Harrison's  Reports  is  always  good  reading.  Your  articles 
on  "Wanton  Waste  in  Production"  and  the  subsequent  ob- 
jections made  by  the  Screen  Directors'  Guild  were  to  me 
especially  interesting  because  I  like  controversy.  Contro- 
versy should  be  encouraged  for  the  reason  that  it  brings  out 
facts. 

It  is  apparent  that  the  Screen  Directors'  Guild  has  taken 
the  stand  that  your  criticism  of  a  condition  is  intended  to 
place  the  blame  for  that  condition  on  all  directors.  Perhaps 
this  biased  stand  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  director  claims 
the  major  share  of  the  credit  for  the  success  of  a  picture  and 
is  not  so  eager  to  share  blame  for  a  failure. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  average  director's  importance  to 
the  success  of  a  picture  is  greatly  overrated.  He  is  invariably 
given  credit  for  what  the  producer,  writer,  actors,  camera- 
man and  even  technical  crews  contribute. 

Hollywood  well  knows  that  a  good  picture  is  the  result  of 
proper  coordination  between  the  creative,  executive  and 
technical  contributions.  Therefore  it  is  obvious  that  a  bad 
picture  must,  of  necessity,  be  the  result  of  loose  teamwork, 
as  in  baseball,  when  a  shortstop  is  all  thumbs,  or  an  out- 
fielder can't  see  the  sun. 

Concerning  waste,  some  statisticians  estimate  that  one- 
third  of  every  dollar  spent  in  making  a  picture  never  shows 
on  the  screen,  and  the  annual  total  for  all  the  pictures  made 
runs  into  astronomical  figures.  Now  some  of  this  money  is 
spent  for  unproductive  overhead  such  as  executive  salaries, 
stock  players,  insurance,  etc.,  but  a  large  portion  of  it  can 
be  charged  to  waste  through  procrastination,  bad  judgment 
and  (or)  vanity. 


When  I  came  to  Hollywood  10  years  ago,  I  was  awed  by 
the  technical  mysteries  of  production,  and  the  "attitudes' 
of  those  who  held  the  secrets  and  refused  to  distribute  knowl- 
edge to  newcomers.  As  a  newspaperman  accustomed  to 
ferreting  facts,  this  was  a  challenge  to  me  and,  after  a  few 
years  of  probing,  I  discovered  that  these  "attitudes"  were 
nothing  more  than  "phony"  fronts  to  camouflage  ignorance 
and  incompetency;  that  there  was  actually  no  "black  magic" 
about  making  a  picture. 

However,  I  don't  mean  to  imply  that  all  my  colleagues  are 
ignorant,  or  incompetent.  Many  brilliant  men  and  women 
are  engaged  in  the  business  of  making  pictures,  and  some  of 
the  most  democratic  people  in  the  world  are  among  them. 

Nevertheless  this  does  not  erase  the  regrettable  fact  that, 
interspersed  in  the  picture  business — and  too  many  in  high 
places — ,  are  the  "phony  attitude"  boys.  These  men  are, 
because  of  their  power,  responsible  for  what's  wrong  with 
Hollywood. 

The  purpose  of  this  letter  is  to  prove  to  you  that  you 
can't  play  ball  with  "one  man";  likewise,  you  can't  make  a 
picture  and  say  that  one  man  "did  it."  It  just  can't  be  done, 
and  no  one  is  more  cognizant  of  this  fact  than  the  people  in 
Hollywood  who  have  their  feet  on  the  ground.  Unfortun- 
ately, there  will  always  be  some  artistic  idiots  among  us  who 
walk  "in  the  clouds"  and  insist  that  their  genius  must  never 
share  billing  with  any  one  else. 

I  hope  that  you  will  continue  to  criticize  what  is  wrong 
with  Hollywood  and  to  encourage  those  who  are  trying  to 
put  the  accent  on  entertainment. 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

(signed)     Martin  Mooney 

(.Editor's  T^ote:  Mr.  Mooney,  who  once  was  an  outstand- 
ing newspaperman,  is  now  a  unit  producer  for  PRC  [Pro- 
ducers Releasing  Corporation].  Among  the  many  pictures  he 
has  produced  are  "San  Quentin."  "Bluebeard,"  and  "The 
Great  Mi\e."  He  is  now  producing  "Crime,  Inc.,"  and  has 
several  pictures  on  his  schedule.) 


CLARIFYING  AN  INADVERTENT 
OMISSION 

Because  the  Fifth  War  Loan  report  of  the  Motion  Picture 
Industry,  issued  by  the  National  Committee  for  that  drive, 
omitted  mention  of  Harrison's  Reports  in  its  extollment 
of  the  trade  press  for  its  cooperation,  I  brought  this  omis- 
sion to  the  attention  of  the  Committee.  The  following  reply 
was  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Ray  Beall,  Director  of  Publicity  for 
the  industry's  Fifth  War  Loan  drive: 
"Dear  Pete: 

"Your  letter  to  Mr.  O'Donnell  regarding  the  omission  of 
the  masthead  of  Harrison's  Reports  from  the  illustration 
of  trade  press  cooperation  in  the  5th  War  Loan  report,  was 
referred  to  me  for  answer. 

"Mr.  O'Donnell  and  the  rest  of  us  who  served  on  the 
National  Committee  for  the  5th  War  Loan  campaign,  are 
certainly  not  unmindful  of  the  splendid  cooperation  which 
you  gave  us  and  regret  the  injustice  caused  you  by  this 
omission.  It  was  certainly  unintentional  and  the  blame  will 
have  to  rest  on  my  shoulders  for  not  checking  the  art  work 
more  carefully. 

"Mr.  O'Donnell  wants  you  to  know  that  if  there  is  any- 
thing we  can  do  to  rectify  the  error  which  we  made,  we  will 
be  only  too  happy  to  do  so. 

"Again  assuring  you  that  the  omission  was  just  an  honest, 
human  mistake  and  again  regretting  that  it  had  to  happen 
to  you  in  view  of  your  splendid  and  generous  contribution 
to  the  5th  War  Loan  campaign,  I  am 
"Sincerely, 

(signed)    "Ray  Beall" 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS— SECTION  ONE 


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Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH  AVENUE  Published    Weekly  by 

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U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  Room  ioi6  Publisher 

Canada   16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  p.  s.  Harrison,  Editor 

Mexico  Cuba,  Spain   16.50  A  MoUon  picture  Reviewing  Service   

Oreat  Britain  ............  ±o.<o  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  25,  1944  No.  48 


SUCH  IS  FAME! 

As  most  of  you  will  undoubtedly  remember,  this  paper, 
in  its  May  13  issue,  under  the  heading,  "A  Get-Rich-Quick 
Policy,"  reproduced  a  letter  signed  by  Rube  Jackter,  Colum- 
bia's Assistant  Sales  Manager,  in  which  he  called  upon  the 
the  Columbia  branch  managers  to  secure  25%  more  rental 
on  "Cover  Girl,"  where  it  had  been  sold  on  a  flat  rental 
basis,  than  was  obtained  on  "The  More  the  Merrier"  out  of 
their  total  flat  rental  situations. 

As  to  the  methods  to  be  employed  to  exact  the  increased 
rental  out  of  the  exhibitors,  Jackter  had  this  to  say: 

"We  are  not  particularly  concerned  whether  you  get  this 
increase  in  each  situation  or  whether  you  get  it  on  an  over- 
all basis  in  increased  rentals,  increased  playing  time  or  addi- 
tional runs  in  the  flat  rental  situations.  Our  main  interest  is 
that  you  reach  the  new  quota  set  up  for  'Cover  Girl"  in  the 
flat  rental  spots." 

Columbia,  apparently,  did  not  confine  its  ruthlessness  to 
the  American  exhibitors;  it  seems  as  if  Jackter' s  instructions 
were  given  also  to  Nick  Pery,  Columbia's  Managing  Direc- 
tor in  Australia,  for  here  is  what  the  Australasian  Exhibitor, 
a  leading  trade  paper  in  that  country,  has  to  say  in  its  Sep- 
tember 21  issue,  under  the  title,  "Watch  this  Move": 

"Apparently  confused  by  the  title,  Nick  Pery  is  looking 
to  make  a  recovery  for  Columbia  through  'Cover  Girl.'  He 
wants  this  one  bright  spot  in  an  assemblage  of  ordinaries  to 
sacrifice  her  attractiveness  by  luring  enough  cash  from  ex' 
hibitors  to  make  up  the  deficits  of  her  less  appealing  sisters 
from  the  same  menage. 

"Naughty  Mr.  Pery!  ...  he  has  been  endeavoring  to  per- 
suade exhibitors  to  negotiate  with  him  for  higher  rentals 
for  the  'Cover  Girl.1  But  exhibitors  refuse  to  be  hoodwinked. 
They  know  that  flat  rentals  still  remain  as  they  were  on  the 
ceiling  date  and  Columbia  has  neither  the  right  nor  power  to 
compel  its  customers  to  change  from  flat  rentals  to  per- 
centage. He  may  have  obtained  permission  to  negotiate — 
but  beyond  that  he  cannot  go. 

"The  executive  of  the  M.P.E.A.  (Ed.  T^ote:  Motion  Pic- 
ture Exhibitors  Association)  is  watching  his  moves  closely. 
It  has  been  informed  by  exhibitors  and  exhibitor  companies 
that  in  some  cases  'Cover  Girl'  was  included  in  the  contract 
without  any  additional  increase  being  sought,  and  that  in 
other  cases  it  was  sold  at  only  a  comparatively  slight  increase 
in  hire. 

"It  seems  to  be  a  case  that  if  an  exhibitor  wants  to  be  a 
mug  and  deny  himself  the  protection  that  price  fixing  gave 
him  then  Columbia  will  help  him  waste  his  money. 

"We  strongly  advise  exhibitors  to  reject  every  overture 
that  may  be  made  to  induce  them  to  play  this  picture  on 
percentage  where  they  formerly  paid  a  flat  rate  and,  in  the 
latter  case,  to  remember  their  right  under  the  price  fixing 
regulation  and  to  turn  down  any  suggestion  of  excessive 
hire. 


"Act  differently  and  you'll  pile  up  future  trouble  as  well 
as  present  difficulty.  Columbia  owes  you  a  lot,  but  few  of  us 
would  hesitate  to  meet  a  reasonable  proposition  from  a 
debtor!" 

(Editor's  T^ote:  In  Australia,  the  Government  has  de- 
creed that  motion  picture  rentals,  either  flat  rate  or  percent- 
age, come  within  the  scope  of  its  price-fixing  regulations, 
and  that  film  rentals  must  not  exceed  the  prices  that  were  in 
effect  as  of  April  15,  1942.) 

As  further  evidence  of  what  our  Australian  friends  think 
of  Columbia's  dealings,  the  Australasian  Exhibitor,  in  its 
October  12  issue,  recalls  that,  not  many  years  ago,  when 
Columbia  was  struggling  for  a  foothold  on  the  Australian 
market,  the  Motion  Picture  Exhibitors  Association  of  New 
South  Wales  urged  exhibitors  to  support  Columbia  because 
it  had  announced  a  sales  policy  consonant  with  the  views  of 
the  Association.  "Unfortunately,"  states  this  reliable  Aus- 
tralian trade  paper,  "the  Columbia  of  today  .  .  .  seems  to  have 
forgotten  how  many  exhibitors  became  clients  of  one  of  the 
weaker  exchanges.  Emboldened  beyond  its  strength  it  has 
set  itself  out  to  exploit- — -with  short-sighted  selfishness — the 
goodwill  thus  created  for  it  by  an  exhibitor  organisation. 

"Who  will  be  fools  enough  to  let  it  get  away  with  that! 

".  .  .  It  is  commonplace  that  youngsters  love  to  ape  their 
elders;  that  kiddies  dearly  love  big  brothers  to  note  their 
bulging  biceps  but  there  is  grave  danger  that  all  that  the 
new  boastful  Columbia  is  doing  is  outgrowing  its  strength. 

"If  Columbia  persists  in  trying  to  negotiate  outrageous 
prices  for  anything  that  surprises  its  own  self  by  looking 
and  behaving  something  like  a  real  picture  then  Columbia 
may  find  that  many  exhibitors  will  be  only  too  glad  of  an 
excuse  to  turn  elsewhere  for  a  better  and  more  consistent 
class  of  product.  And  it  will  be  much  harder  to  swing  them 
back  a  second  time! 

"The  charges  that  are  being  levelled  against  Columbia  in 
America  are  charges  which  form  the  basis  of  complaints 
which  we  have  against  the  Australian  branch. 

"COLUMBIA  DOES  NOT  KEEP  ITS  PROMISES! 

"The  company  issues  alluring  advertisements  extolling 
its  promised  new  season's  product,  books  up  trusting  ex- 
hibitors, fails  to  deliver  all  of  the  much  boosted  goods,  sub- 
stitutes others  of  lesser  appeal  and  then  asks,  what  we  deem, 
outrageous  terms  for  anything  that  stands  out  among  a 
mediocre  lot. 

"When  you  find  a  journal  like  Harrison's  Reports  attack- 
ing Columbia's  sales  policy  .  .  .  you  are  justified  in  examining 
your  own  relationship  with  and  treatment  by  that  organi- 
sation. 

"Well  if  their  own  brother  American  are  sick  to  the  teeth 
with  Columbia  and  its  ways,  it  surely  behoves  us  to  'take  a 
tumble'." 

The  Australian  exhibitors  sure  have  Columbia's  number! 


190 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


November  25,  1944 


"Winged  Victory"  with  Lon  McCallister, 
Edmond  O'Brien  and  Jeanne  Crain 

(20th  Century-Fox.  Dec;  time,  130  min.) 
As  a  stage  play,  "Winged  Victory"  has  been  hailed  as  a 
memorable  tribute  to  the  Army  Air  Forces.  As  a  picture,  it 
is  even  more  stirring  because  of  the  greater  scope  of  the 
screen.  The  ambitions  of  six  boys  from  different  parts  of 
the  country  to  become  pilots,  their  experience  as  they  go 
through  basic  training  and  ground  schools,  and  their  anxiety 
for  each  other,  their  families,  and  their  sweethearts,  have 
been  depicted  with  such  simplicity  and  acted  with  such 
understanding  and  warmth  that  the  spectator  feels  keenly 
their  joys  and  disappointments.  The  sequences  depicting  the 
rigorous  training  and  strenuous  tests  undergone  by  the 
trainees  are  highly  informative,  and  they  make  the  audience 
appreciative  of  the  heartbreaks  suffered  by  those  who  are 
"washed  out"  for  physical  or  other  reasons.  The  footage 
is  about  equally  divided  between  the  training  of  the  fliers 
and  the  drama  of  their  personal  lives,  with  both  phases  being 
blended  so  skillfully  that  the  picture  is  at  all  times  dramatical- 
ly effective.  Its  humor  is  rich,  particularly  in  the  scenes  where 
the  boys  first  arrive  at  camp  and  are  good-naturedly  joshed 
by  the  trainees  already  there.  Amusing  also  is  a  camp  show 
at  a  South  Pacific  base,  put  on  by  the  soldiers  themselves. 
With  the  exception  of  the  wives,  and  a  few  minor  roles,  all 
the  players  are  members  of  the  Army  Air  Forces — the 
original  cast  that  appeared  in  the  stage  play.  All  perform 
capably,  with  high  honors  going  to  Sergeant  Edmond 
O'Brien  for  his  very  effective  portrayal  of  a  co-pilot  from 
Brooklyn.  Corporal  Mark  Daniels,  Private  Lon  McCallister, 
Corporal  Barry  Nelson,  Corporal  Don  Taylor,  and  Corporal 
Alan  Baxter  are  others  playing  leading  roles.  Jeanne  Crain, 
Jo-Carroll  Dennison,  Jane  Ball,  and  Judy  Holliday  enact  the 
roles  of  the  wives. 

The  story  opens  in  a  small  mid-western  town,  where  three 
youngsters,  having  joined  the  Army  Air  Forces,  eagerly 
await  notices  to  report.  They  soon  find  themselves  at  a 
training  camp  where,  after  months  of  gruelling  training, 
some  members  of  their  group  are  "washed  out"  while  others 
become  pilots  or  navigtaors.  One  of  the  men  (Lon  McCal- 
lister) is  killed  in  a  crash,  leaving  a  wife  and  her  unborn 
child.  Ultimately,  the  men  become  full-fledged  fliers  and  are 
assigned  to  a  bomber,  which  they  name  "Winged  Victory." 
Following  a  brief  reunion  with  their  wives  in  San  Francisco, 
they  take  off  for  a  South  Pacific  base.  There,  while  defending 
the  base  in  an  air  battle,  their  plane  is  damaged  and  one  of 
the  crew  members  wounded.  While  waiting  for  the  plane  to 
be  repaired,  one  of  the  fliers  learns  that  his  wife  had  given 
birth  to  a  son.  As  he  walks  to  his  plane  to  go  another  mis- 
sion, the  new  father  pauses  to  write  a  note  to  his  son,  telling 
him  of  the  better  world  he  is  fighting  for. 

Moss  Hart  wrote  the  screen  play  from  his  own  stage 
play,  Darryl  F.  Zanuck  produced  it,  and  George  Cukor  di- 
rected it. 


"I'm  from  Arkansas"  with  Iris  Adrian, 
Bruce  Bennett  and  EI  Brendel 

(PRC,  Oct.  31;  time,  68  min.) 

This  program  hillbilly  comedy,  with  mountain  music, 
should  find  its  best  reception  in  theatres  that  cater  to  audi- 
ences who  enjoy  this  type  of  humor;  others  may  find  it  dull. 
The  story,  of  course,  does  not  make  much  sense;  but  this 
matters  little  since  the  individual  situations  are  fairly  comical 
in  their  own  rustic  way.  There  are  a  few  situations  in  which 
the  action  pokes  fun  at  the  hillbillies;  these  may  prove  amus- 
ing to  city  audiences  but  small-town  patrons  may  not  find 
them  pleasurable.  Most  of  the  footage  is  consumed  by  the 
musical  interludes,  which  is  just  as  well,  for  they  make  up 
the  most  entertaining  parts  of  the  picture.  El  Brendel  and 
Slim  Summerville,  as  hillbilly  characters,  provide  most  of 
the  comedy,  but  not  much  of  it  is  effective: — 

When  a  sow  owned  by  Maude  Eburne  of  Pitchfork, 


Arkansas,  establishes  a  world's  record  by  having  a  litter  of 
eighteen  pigs,  the  nation's  newspapers  give  it  wide  pub- 
licity. Cliff  Nazarro,  business  manager  of  a  girl  show,  de- 
cides to  bring  his  troupe  to  Pitchfork,  hoping  to  play  to 
scores  of  visitors.  There,  Iris  Adrian,  leading  lady  of  the 
show,  meets  and  falls  in  love  with  Bruce  Bennett,  leader  of 
a  nationally-known  hillbilly  band,  who  was  vacationing  in 
town.  A  town  holiday  is  declared  when  the  Commisisoner  of 
Agriculture  comes  to  Pitchfork  to  bestow  a  blue  ribbon  on 
the  sow.  Meanwhile  two  representatives  of  a  meat  packing 
concern  discover  that  a  certain  mud-hole,  in  which  the  prize 
sow  wallowed,  contained  a  very  potent  chemical  that  pro- 
moted not  only  health  and  vigor  but  also  made  one  prolific. 
Aware  that  this  chemical  could  help  them  corner  the  hog 
market,  the  two  men  plot  to  acquire  Miss  Eburne's  property 
at  a  low  price.  Iris,  however,  learns  of  their  scheme  when 
both  men  get  drunk  at  a  wedding  party  for  Miss  Eburne  and 
Slim  Summerville.  With  Bennett's  aid,  Iris  not  only  thwarts 
the  two  schemers  from  obtaining  the  property,  but  she  also 
induces  the  Governor  of  the  state  to  sponsor  Pitchfork  as  a 
health  resort. 

Marcy  Klauber  and  Joseph  Carole  wrote  the  screen  play, 
E.  H.  Kleinert  and  Irving  Vershel  produced  it,  and  Lew 
Landers  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Jimmy  Wakely,  the 
Pied  Pipers,  the  Sunshine  Girls,  the  Milo  Twins  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Blonde  Fever"  with  Philip  Dorn 
and  Mary  Astor 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  69  min.) 
This  sophisticated  comedy  has  been  given  a  good  produc- 
tion, but  it  is  no  more  than  uninteresting  program  fare, 
because  of  weak  story  material,  faulty  direction,  mediocre 
acting,  and  inept  dialogue.  There  is  not  one  new  twist  in 
the  trite  story,  which  revolves  around  the  infatuation  of  a 
middle-aged  married  man  for  a  young,  flirtatious  waitress. 
It  progresses  according  to  formula,  enabling  one  to  forsee 
the  outcome.  And  since  the  characters  do  nothing  to  awaken 
one's  sympathy,  one  loses  interest  in  them.  Mary  Astor,  as 
the  faithful  wife  who  slyly  brings  her  husband  to  his  senses, 
does  the  best  work  of  the  cast.  Philip  Dorn,  as  the  philander- 
ing husband,  walks  through  the  picture  with  so  mournful  an 
expression,  and  with  such  an  air  of  self-pity,  that  he  becomes 
annoying: — 

Dorn,  owner  of  an  exclusive  cafe,  finds  himself  attracted  to 
Gloria  Grahame,  a  nineteen-year-old  waitress  in  his  employ. 
Gloria,  engaged  to  Marshall  Thompson,  a  youth  her  own 
age,  finds  herself  fascinated  by  Dorn's  attentions  and  by  his 
continental  manner.  Mary  Astor,  Dorn's  wife,  aware  of  his 
infatuation  for  Gloria,  determines  to  break  up  the  affair; 
she  persuades  Dorn  to  employ  Marshall  as  a  waiter,  hoping 
that  a  steady  income  will  enable  him  to  marry  Gloria.  Mean- 
while a  $40,000  lottery  prize,  which  Marshall  had  hoped 
to  win,  is  won  by  Dorn,  whose  financial  affairs  were  in  a 
sorry  state.  Awed  by  the  money  Dorn  had  won,  Gloria  re- 
doubles her  flirting  with  him.  Dorn,  enticed,  informs  her 
that  he  will  divorce  Mary  and  marry  her.  Mary,  anticipating 
his  move,  offers  to  divorce  him  and  slyly  tricks  him  into 
giving  her  the  lottery  check  in  lieu  of  alimony.  On  the  fol- 
lowing morning,  Mary,  prior  to  her  departure,  arranges  a 
farewell  breakfast,  to  which  she  invites  Gloria  and  informs 
her  of  the  settlement,  adding  that  she  had  turned  over  the 
check  to  Marshall  as  compensation  for  having  lost  his  girl 
to  Dorn.  Gloria,  shocked,  quickly  denounces  Dorn  and  de- 
clares her  love  for  Marshall.  Dorn,  crushed,  begs  Mary's  for- 
giveness. She  then  reveals  to  him  that  she  had  given  Marshall 
only  $1,000  to  help  her  cure  him  of  his  "blonde  fever." 

Patricia  Coleman  wrote  the  screen  play  based  on  a  play 
by  Ferenc  Molnar.  William  H.  Wright  produced  it,  and 
Richard  Whorf  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Felix  Bressart, 
Curt  Bois,  Elisabeth  Risdon  and  others. 

Strictly  adult  entertainment. 


November  25,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


191 


"The  Thin  Man  Goes  Home"  with 
Myrna  Loy  and  William  Powell 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  100  min.) 

This  first  in  the  new  "Thin  Man"  series  maintains  the 
high  entertaining  quality  established  in  the  previous  pictures, 
and  is  sure  to  please  the  rank  and  file.  The  story  combines 
mystery  and  comedy  cleverly,  and  it  holds  one's  attention 
well  because  of  the  plot's  complexity  and  of  the  fact  that 
several  persons  are  suspected,  with  the  guilty  one  not  un- 
masked until  the  end.  William  Powell  and  Myrna  Loy  are  as 
engaging  as  ever  in  their  original  roles  of  detective  and  wife, 
putting  over  their  sophisticated  type  of  comedy  effectively. 
Powell  is  so  natural  and  restrained  that  whatever  he  does 
seems  plausible: — 

Powell  and  Myrna  return  to  his  home  town  of  Sycamore 
Springs  for  a  reunion  with  his  parents,  Lucille  Watson  and 
Dr.  Harry  Davenport.  Powell  finds  himself  drawn  into  a 
murder  case  when  Ralph  Brooke,  a  local  youth,  is  shot 
mysteriously  just  as  he  seeks  to  speak  to  him.  Through  Dr. 
Lloyd  Corrigan,  an  old  school  chum,  Powell  learns  that 
Brooke  had  been  a  painter  of  landscapes,  which  he  sold  to 
Donald  Meek,  owner  of  a  small  art  shop.  Learning  that  the 
paintings  had  been  purchased  promptly  by  strangers  newly 
arrived  in  town,  Powell  suspects  an  espionage  plot,  and  be- 
lieves the  paintings  concealed  plans  of  a  new  airplane  pro- 
peller. As  a  result  of  Powell's  investigation,  suspicion  falls 
on  a  few  of  the  town's  prominent  citizens,  who  threaten  to 
withdraw  their  financial  support  for  a  hospital  planned  by 
Powell's  father  unless  he  persuaded  his  son  to  cease  investi- 
gating. Davenport  refuses  to  be  intimidated.  Powell  eventu- 
ally learns  that  Ann  Revere,  a  mentally  unbalanced  town 
character,  was  the  dead  youth's  mother.  Together  with  Cor- 
rigan, he  visits  the  demented  woman's  shack  only  to  find  her 
murdered.  He  finds  also  one  of  her  son's  sketches,  for  which 
a  few  of  the  suspects  had  been  searching.  Certain  that  a  few 
of  the  suspects  were  merely  accomplices  of  an  important  spy 
in  town,  Powell  summons  all  connected  with  the  case  to  a 
meeting  at  his  home.  There,  he  cleverly  tricks  Corrigan,  his 
chum,  into  revealing  himself  as  the  head  spy. 

Robert  Riskin  and  Dwight  Taylor  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Everett  Riskin  produced  it,  and  Richard  Thorpe  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Gloria  DeHaven,  Helen  Vinson,  Leon 
Ames,  Edward  Brophy,  Donald  MacBride  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"My  Gal  Loves  Music"  with  Bob  Crosby, 
Grace  McDonald  and  Betty  Kean 

(Universal,  Dec.  15;  time,  63  min.) 

An  undistinguished  but  fair  enough  program  comedy 
with  popular  music,  suitable  for  theatres  that  have  found 
this  type  of  entertainment  acceptable  to  their  patrons.  The 
story  is  a  thin  version  of  the  mature-young-woman-masque- 
rading-as-a-child  theme,  with  little  about  its  treatment  that 
presents  anything  novel.  There  are  the  usual  comedy  com- 
plications brought  about  by  the  heroine's  disguise,  and  by 
her  efforts  to  escape  detection.  On  the  whole,  however,  few 
of  the  situations  are  more  than  mildly  amusing.  The  music 
is  melodious: — 

Grace  McDonald  and  Betty  Kean,  a  sister  act,  find  them- 
selves stranded  in  a  small  town  when  the  local  sheriff  forbids 
Walter  Catlett,  a  "quack"  doctor,  to  put  on  a  medicine  show. 
Learning  that  Bob  Crosby,  secretary  to  Alan  Mowbray,  a 
local  manufacturer  of  vitamin  pills,  had  arranged  a  chil- 
dren's talent  contest,  in  which  the  winner  would  be  given  a 
trip  to  New  York  and  a  starring  spot  on  the  company's 
radio  program,  Catlett  and  Betty  persuade  Grace  to  mas- 
querade as  a  fourteen-year-old  girl  and  to  enter  the  contest. 
With  Catlett  and  Betty  posing  as  her  aunt  nad  uncle,  Grace 
goes  to  the  audition  and  wins  the  contest.  Freddie  Mercer,  a 
precocious  youngster,  wins  second  place  and  is  taken  along 
to  New  York  as  an  alternate.  Grace  falls  in  love  with  Crosby, 
but  her  disguise  prevents  her  from  promoting  a  romance. 


She  hurdles  this  problem  by  meeting  Crosby  in  a  nightclub 
as  herself,  and  by  telling  him  that  she  was  the  "child 
prodigy's"  cousin.  After  a  series  of  mix-ups  in  which  Catlett, 
Betty  and  Grace  barely  escape  detection,  little  Freddie  acci- 
dentally discovers  their  hoax  and  begins  to  blackmail  them 
under  threat  of  exposure.  Eventually,  it  all  ends  to  every- 
one's satisfaction,  with  Grace  winning  Crosby's  love,  Betty 
succeeding  romantically  with  Crosby's  employer,  and  with 
little  Freddie  given  the  star  spot  on  the  radio  show. 

Eugene  Conrad  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Edward  Lilley 
produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Paulina  Carter, 
a  child  pianist,  Trixie,  a  female  juggler,  and  Chinita,  a 
rhumba  dancer. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"3  Is  a  Family"  with  Charles  Ruggles, 
Marjorie  Reynolds  and  Fay  Bainter 

A  highly  amusing  domestic  comedy-farce.  It  is  the  type 
of  entertainment  that  should  go  over  with  the  masses  pretty 
well  because  it  deals  humorously  with  family  troubles  they 
can  understand.  There  are  hilarious  comedy  situations  all 
the  way  through,  brought  about  by  the  confusion  that  enters 
the  small  New  York  apartment  of  a  middle-aged  couple, 
when  their  daughter,  wife  of  a  serviceman,  moves  in  with 
twin  babies.  Topical  troubles  such  as  the  housing  shortage, 
unruly  servants,  and  the  lack  of  space  in  maternity  hos- 
pitals, are  interwoven  in  the  story  in  amusing  fashion.  The 
direction  and  the  acting  are  good,  with  the  performance  of 
the  late  John  Philliber,  as  an  old-fashioned,  half-blind  family 
doctor,  outstanding.  The  situations  in  which  he  administers 
aid  to  one  of  the  twins,  and  in  which  he  attends  the  birth  of 
a  new  baby  in  the  already  overcrowded  apartment,  are  ex- 
tremely laugh-provoking: — 

When  her  husband  ((Fred  Brady)  is  transferred  to  a 
far-away  naval  base,  Marjorie  Reynolds  and  her  twin  babies 
move  into  the  small  apartment  of  her  parents,  Charles 
Ruggles  and  Fay  Bainter.  Helen  Broderick,  Ruggles'  recalci- 
trant sister-in-law,  who  had  been  living  in  the  apartment  ever 
since  he  lost  her  savings  years  previously  in  a  poor  invest- 
ment, reluctantly  moves  into  the  living  room  so  that  Mar- 
jorie and  the  babies  could  have  her  room.  Arthur  Lake, 
Ruggles'  son,  who  resided  in  the  same  apartment  building 
with  his  wife,  Jeff  Donnell,  an  expectant  mother,  also  had 
his  troubles;  the  landlord  (Clarence  Kolb)  did  not  want 
children  in  his  building  and  he  refused  to  renew  the  lease. 
Miss  Bainter,  the  family  breadwinner  (Ruggles  hadn't 
worked  for  years),  decides  to  buy  a  large  home  so  that  all 
could  live  in  it.  She  issues  a  $2,500  check — all  the  money 
she  and  Ruggles  had  in  a  joint  bank  account — as  a  down 
payment  on  a  house,  unaware  that  Ruggles  had  invested 
the  money  in  a  defense  plant  owned  by  Walter  Catlett. 
Meanwhile  conditions  in  the  apartment  are  in  a  constant 
state  of  confusion;  servants  refuse  to  stay  because  of  the 
babies;  a  new  maid  (Hattie  McDaniel)  becomes  intoxicated 
and  disappears  temporarily  with  the  twins;  and  Lake's  wife, 
unable  to  obtain  room  in  a  hospital,  has  her  baby  in  Ruggles' 
apartment.  And  to  add  to  the  general  confusion,  Miss 
Bainter  loses  the  option  on  the  new  house  when  her  check 
"bounces."  Ruggles  finally  assumes  command  of  the  situ- 
ation when  his  investment  with  Catlett  turns  out  profitably, 
and  he  is  given  a  job  as  the  plant's  personnel  manager.  He 
orders  his  wife  to  give  up  her  job  and  take  care  of  the  house- 
hold, and  proves  to  the  landlord  that,  since  Lake  was  enter- 
ing the  army,  he  could  not  evict  Jeff,  because  she  would  be 
the  wife  of  a  serviceman.  As  all  decide  that  Marjorie  and 
the  twins  can  stay  with  Jeff,  Cheryl  Walker,  a  friend  visiting 
the  family,  begin  to  have  labor  pains. 

Harry  Chandlee  and  Marjorie  J.  Pfaeher  wrote  the  screen 
play  from  the  stage  play,  "Three's  a  Family,"  Sol  Lesser 
produced  it,  and  Edward  Ludwig  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Donna  and  Elissa  Lambertson,  William  Terry  and 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


192  HARRISON'S  REPORTS  November  25,  1944 


OPERATE  YOUR  THEATRE 
ON  A  SYSTEM 

In  the  February  5,  1938  issue  of  this  paper,  there  was 
reproduced  from  the  Indiana  Exhibitor,  house  organ  of  the 
Associated  Theatre  Owners  of  Indiana,  an  article  dealing 
with  the  operation  of  a  theatre  on  a  system. 

The  article  pointed  out  that  it  was  important  for  the  ex- 
hibitor to  analyze  his  business  periodically  so  that  he  would 
know  what  he  was  doing  and  why  he  was  doing  it  instead  of 
just  guessing  as  he  goes  along. 

To  help  the  exhibitor  operate  his  theatre  profitably,  the 
article  suggested  that  he  adhere  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
following  cost  schedule  in  order  to  keep  the  different  phases 
of  his  operations  in  balance: 


Advertising    6% 

Film  Rental  Including  Shorts  25% 

Management  and  Booking   5% 

Salaries  and  Wages  20% 

Rent   12  to  15% 

Heat,  Light  and  Power   4% 

Taxes   3% 

Insurance    2% 

Other  Expenses  10% 

Profit  10% 


The  aforementioned  cost  schedule,  while  it  was  applicable 
in  1938,  may  be  outmoded  today  because,  due  to  war  con- 
ditions, the  cost  of  the  different  phases  of  theatre  operation 
has  risen  considerably. 

An  up-to-date  method  of  computing  theatre  expenses  is 
to  be  found  in  a  recent  bulletin  issued  by  Leo  F.  Wollcott, 
president  of  the  Allied-Independent  Theatre  Owners  of 
Iowa-Nebraska,  who  cautions  his  members  to  determine  their 
actual  cost  of  operations  and  to  buy  film  accordingly,  so  as 
to  leave  themselves  with  a  reasonable  profit.  Mr.  Wollcott 
states  that  few  of  the  smaller  exhibitors  actually  know  their 
overhead  costs  and  are,  therefore,  buying  pictures  on  the 
"hit-and-miss  system,  a  very  dangerous  practice  in  these  days 
of  ever  higher  film  rentals." 

To  help  the  owners  of  small  theatres  obtain  a  breakdown 
of  their  operational  costs,  Mr.  Wollcott  attached  to  his  bulle- 
tin a  theatre  expense  form,  which,  because  of  its  simplicity, 
is  herewith  reproduced,  in  the  belief  that  it  will  be  of  great 
help  to  our  many  subscribers  who  operate  small  theatres: 

THEATRE  EXPENSES 
DATE  EXCHANGE  CITY  & 

PREPARED  AREA  STATE  

PERIOD 

COVERED   THEATRE  

AVERAGE  PER  WEEK 

Shorts  and  News  $ 

Salaries   

Social  Security  and  F.  O.  A.  B  

Newspaper  Advertising  

Other  Advertising  

Light  and  Power.  

Heating  and  Cooling  

Supplies  

Film  Transportation  

Telephone  and  Telegraph  

Repairs,  Painting,  Etc  

Sound  Service  

Travel  

Contributions   

Rent  

Insurance   

Taxes  (excluding  income  taxes)  

Depreciation   

Other  Expenses  

TOTAL  EXPENSES  $  

Less  Sub-Tenant  &  Misc  $  

NET  EXPENSES  $  

While  the  form  is  self-explanatory  for  the  most  part,  Mr. 
Wollcott  feels  that  a  few  of  the  items  may  be  puzzling.  He 
explains  these  as  follows: 

"  'Salaries' — you  and  your  family,  if  you  work  in  the 
theatre,  are  entitled  to  take  salaries  commensurate  with  what 
you  could  earn  elsewhere  or  your  living  expenses.  .  .  . 
'Travel' — is  figured  at  54  per  mile  when  on  duty  for  the 
theatre,  visiting  exchanges,  bill  posting,  driving  for  film, 


etc.  .  .  .  'Depreciation' — decoration,  carpets,  60und  systems, 
etc.,  5  years;  projectors,  seats,  electrical  wiring  and  equip- 
ment, etc.,  10  years;  and  buildings,  20  years." 

"When  you  have  gone  back  through  your  records  far 
enough  to  get  a  clear  and  accurate  estimate  of  the  various 
items  and  have  entered  and  totaled  them  all  on  the  form," 
continues  Mr.  Wollcott,  "divide  the  total  cost  by  10.  Then 
charge  two-tenths  off  for  Saturday,  three-tenths  against 
Sunday,  and  one-tenth  against  each  of  the  other  5  days. 
Add  your  feature  film  rental  to  the  number  of  tenths  due 
any  given  picture  change  and  you  have  the  total  cost  of  the 
operation,  which  deducted  from  that  gross,  gives  you  the 
net  profit,  if  any.  As  an  example,  we  will  say  your  overhead 
from  the  form  totals  $300  per  week,  or  $30  per  tenth.  You 
pay  $40  for  a  picture  which  you  run  Sunday  and  Monday. 
Sunday  and  Monday  take  up  four-tenths  or  $120,  plus  $40 
for  the  picture,  means  you  have  to  gross  $160  to  break  even. 
Anything  over  is  profit,  anything  less  of  course,  is  loss." 

Mr.  Wollcott  suggests,  and  Harrison's  Reports  heartily 
agrees  with  him,  that  you  fill  out  one  of  his  forms  and  keep 
it  on  file  so  that  you  can  use  it  as  a  gauge  for  buying  film  at 
prices  that  will  leave  you  with  a  deserving  profit. 

Business  prudence  requires  that  you  run  your  theatre  on 
a  system.  Unless  you  analyze  your  overhead  expenses  peri- 
odically, you  cannot  be  sure  that  the  prices  you  pay  for  film 
are  within  the  limits  ot  sound  business. 


SNEAKY  BUSINESS 

Under  this  heading,  part  of  a  recent  bulletin  sent  by 
Allied  States  Association  to  its  members  reads  as  follows: 

"Allied  has  so  often  expressed  its  disgust  at  the  contempt- 
ible practice  of  blind  checking  theatres,  that  we  thought  for 
awhile  there  was  nothing  we  could  add  on  the  subject.  But 
we  have  lately  come  into  the  possession  of  the  secret  instruc- 
tions issued  by  a  checking  concern  to  its  employees  which 
have  made  us  mad  all  over  again.  We  are  not  now  talking 
about  the  checking  of  percentage  engagements  by  the  dis- 
tributor whose  picture  is  being  shown,  pursuant  to  the  terms 
of  the  exhibition  contract.  We  are  talking  about  the  prac- 
tice of  spying  on  a  theatre  without  contractual  authority 
merely  to  find  out  how  much  business  it  is  doing — or,  more 
accurately  speaking,  how  much  it  can  be  soaked  on  the  next 
deal. 

"The  degrading  nature  of  the  assignment  is  revealed  by 
the  instructions  given.  'The  point  is  simply,'  say  the  instruc- 
tions, 'that  absolutely  no  one  either  around  the  theatre  or 
around  the  town  must  know  that  a  blind  check  is  being  made 
— now  or  later.  ...  It  is  bad  enough  to  be  discovered  and 
have  your  presence  questioned  and  possibly  your  check  dis- 
rupted, but  it  is  worse  to  be  discovered  and  never  know  it. 
Extra  care,  ingenuity,  and  avoidance  of  suspicion  are  three 
essentials  in  blind  checking.' 

"Note  carefully  the  following:  'Upon  arriving  at  the 
theatre  .  .  .  locate  yourself  at  some  place  where  you  will  have 
a  full  unobstructed  view  of  the  boxoffice  and  theatre  en- 
trance. ...  As  the  amount  of  blind  checking  increases,  it  is 
necessary  that  we  be  more  and  more  careful.  ...  If  anyone 
questions  you  on  what  you  are  doing  and  you  feel  an  ex- 
planation is  due  the  person  asking,  tell  him  you  are  making 
a  traffic  check  or  give  him  any  logical  answer  according  to 
your  best  judgment.'  In  other  words,  lie  your  way  out! 

"Now  there  is  no  way  by  which  an  exhibitor  can  tell 
whether  a  skulking  figure  lurking  in  the  shadows  is  a  blind 
checker  or  a  prospective  burglar  'prowling  the  plant.'  And  he 
is  under  no  duty  to  take  any  chances  by  speculating  on  the 
subject.  When  a  suspicious  figure  lurks  around  the  boxoffice, 
the  sensible  thing  to  do  is  to  call  on  the  police  to  investigate. 
If  the  suspect  won't  explain  to  the  officer  then  let  him  ex- 
plain to  the  judge.  There  are  laws  against  vagrancy  and 
justification  for  the  apprehension  of  suspicious  characters." 


IN  TWO  SECTIONS—! 

HARRISON'S 


SECTION  TWO 

REPORTS 


Vol.  XXVI  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y.,  SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  25,  1944  No.  48 

(Partial  Index  No.  6 — Pages  162  to  187  Incl.) 


Titles  of  Pictures  Reviewed  on  Page 

And  Now  Tomorrow — Paramount  (85  min.)  172 

Army  Wives — Monogram  (69  min.)  183 

Bluebeard— PRC  (73  min.)  166 

Bowery  Champs — Monogram  (62  min.)  174 

Bowery  to  Broadway — Universal  (95  min.)  174 

Brazil— Republic  (91  min.)  175 

Carolina  Blues — Columbia  (80  min.)  163 

Cheyenne  Wildcat — Republic  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Code  of  the  Prairie — Republic  (56  min.)  . .  .  .not  reviewed 

Conspirators,  The — Warner  Bros.  (102)  167 

Cowboy  from  Lonesome  River — Columbia 

(55  min.)   not  reviewed 

Cyclone  Prairie  Rangers — Columbia  (56  m.)  .  not  reviewed 

Dark  Waters — United  Artists  (90  min.)  179 

Dead  or  Alive — PRC  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

End  of  the  Road— Republic  (51  min.)  183 

Enter  Arsene  Lupin — Universal  (72  min.)  187 

Ever  Since  Venus — Columbia  (73  min.)  182 

Faces  in  the  Fog — Republic  (71  min.)  170 

Ghost  Guns — Monogram  (60  min.)  not  reviewed 

Girl  Rush,  The— RKO  (66  min.)  171 

Great  Mike,  The— PRC  (71  min.)  167 

Hi'  Beautiful — Universal  (65  min.)  186 

I  Accuse  My  Parents— PRC  (69  min.)  182 

Irish  Eyes  Are  Smiling — 20th  Century-Fox  (90  m.)..162 

Laura — 20th  Century-Fox  (88  min.)  168 

Lights  of  Old  Sante  Fe — Republic  (78  m.)  . .  .not  reviewed 
Man  in  Half  Moon  Street,  The — Paramount  (92  m.) . .  170 

Mark  of  the  Whistler — Columbia  (60  min.)  178 

Meet  Me  in  St.  Louis— MGM  (113  min.)  178 

Meet  Miss  Bobby  Socks — Columbia  (68  min.)  186 

Ministry  of  Fear — Paramount  (84  min.)  172 

Missing  Juror,  The — Columbia  (67  min.)  182 

Moonlight  and  Cactus — Universal  (60  min.)  170 

Murder  in  the  Blue  Room — Universal  (61  min.)  174 

None  But  the  Lonely  Heart — RKO  (113  min.)  162 

One  Body  Too  Many — Paramount  (75  min.)  172 

Princess  and  the  Pirate,  The— RKO  (94  min.)  166 

Riders  of  the  Sante  Fe — Universal  (60  m.)  . .  .not  reviewed 

Shadow  of  Suspicion — Monogram  (68  min.)  166 

Sheriff  of  Sundown — Republic  (56  min.)  . . .  .not  reviewed 
Something  for  the  Boys — 20th  Century-Fox  (87  m.) .  .  179 
Stagecoach  to  Monterey — Republic  (55  min.)  .not  reviewed 

Strange  Affair — Columbia  (78  min.)  167 

Swing  Hostess — PRC  (76  min.)   163 

Thirty  Seconds  Over  Tokyo— MGM  (138  min.)  187 

Together  Again — Columbia  (101  min.)  178 

To  Have  and  Have  Not — Warner  Bros.  (100  min.) .  . .  168 

Town  Went  Wild,  The— PRC  (78  min.)  186 

Very  Thought  of  You,  The — Warner  Bros.  (99  min.)  .  171 
Vigilantes  of  Dodge  City — Republic  (55  m.)  .not  reviewed 

Wild  Horse  Phantom — PRC  (56  min.)  not  reviewed 

Woman  in  the  Window — RKO  (99  min.)  168 


RELEASE  SCHEDULE  FOR  FEATURES 
Columbia  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 
Cowboy  from  Lonesome  River — Starrett 

(55  m.)   Sept.  21 


6201 


6016  Strange  Affair — Joslyn-Keyes   Oct.  5 

6028  Meet  Miss  Bobby  Socks — Crosby-Merrick. .  .Oct.  12 

6021  Shadows  in  the  Night — Baxter-Foch  Oct.  19 

6035  The  Unwritten  Code — Neal-Savage  Oct.  26 

6022  Mark  of  the  Whistler— Dix-Carter  Nov.  2 

6033  Sergeant  Mike — Parks-Bates  (reset)  Nov.  9 

6202  Cyclone  Prairie  Rangers — Starrett  (56  m.)  .  .Nov.  9 
6040  The  Missing  Juror — Carter-Bannon  Nov.  16 

She's  a  Sweetheart — Frazee-Parks  Dec.  7 

Tahiti  Nights — O'Brien-Matthews   Dec.  14 

Saddle  Leather  Law — Starrett  Dec.  21 

6003  Together  Again — Boyer-Dunne   Dec.  22 

(Through  a  typographical  error,  "Strange  Affair"  was 
listed  in  Partial  Index  N.o.  5  as  Production  Ho.  5026.) 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Features 

(1540  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 
Block  9 

501  The  Seventh  Cross — Tracy-Gurie  September 

502  Barbary  Coast  Gent — Beery  September 

503  Waterloo  Bridge — Taylor-Leigh  (reissue)  ..  September 

504  Maisie  Goes  to  Reno — Sothern-Hodiak  .September 

505  Marriage  is  a  Private  Affair — Turner- 

Craig   October 

506  Kismet — Dietrich-Colman   October 

507  Mrs.  Parkington — Pidgeon-Garson  November 

508  Naughty  Marietta — MacDonald-Eddy 

(reissue)   November 

510  An  American  Romance — Donlevy  November 

509  Lost  in  a  Harem — Abbott  6?  Costello  December 

Specials 

500  Dragon  Seed — Hepburn-Huston   August 

(Hote:  "An  American  Romance,"  formerly  listed  as  a 
special,  has  been  added  to  Bloc\  9.) 

Monogram  Features 

(630  Ninth  Ave.,  Hew  Tor\  19,  H-  T.) 
408  A  Wave,  A  Wac  &  A  Marine — Youngman 

(re.)   Nov.  3 

111  Enemy  of  Women — Drake-Andor  (re.)  Nov.  10 

453  Ghost  Guns — J.  M.  Brown  (60  m.)  Nov.  17 

413  When  Strangers  Marry — Jagger-Hunter  (re.). Nov.  24 
Song  of  the  Range — Wakely  Dec.  1 

421  Crazy  Knights — Gilbert-Howard  Dec.  8 

416  Shadow  of  Suspicion — Weaver-Cookson  (re.).  Dec.  15 

403  Alaska — Taylor-Lindsay   Dec.  29 

Navajo  Trail — J.  M.  Brown  Jan.  5 

414  Army  Wives — Knox-Rambeau  Jan.  12 

420  Adventures  of  Kitty  O'Day — Parker-Cookson.  Jan.  19 

The  Jade  Mask — Sidney  Toler  Jan.  26 

Paramount  Features 

(1501  Broadway,  Hew  Yor\  18,  H-  T.) 
(No  national  release  dates) 
Block  1 

4401  Rainbow  Island — Lamour-Bracken  

4402  Till  We  Meet  Again— Milland-Britton  

4403  National  Barn  Dance — Quigley-Heather  

4404  Our  Hearts  Were  Young  and  Gay — Lynn-Russell. . . 

4405  Dark  Mountain — Lowery-Drew  

Block  2 

4406  And  Now  Tomorrow — Ladd-Young  

4407  The  Man  in  Half  Moon  Street— Asther-Walker  

4408  Frenchman's  Creek — Fontaine-De  Cordova  

(Continued  on  inside  page) 


November  25,  1944        HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  B 


4409  One  Body  Too  Many— Haley-Parker  

4410  Ministry  of  Fear — Milland-Reynolds  

Block  3 

Here  Comes  the  Waves — Crosby-Hutton .  .  .  . 

Dangerous  Passage — Lowery-Brooks  

For  Whom  the  Bell  Tolls — Cooper-Bergman. 

Practically  Yours — Colbert-MacMurray  

Double  Exposure — Morris-Kelly   

Special 

4432  Sign  of  the  Cross — Reissue  


PRC  Pictures,  Inc.  Features 

(625  Madison  Ave..  Hew  York  22,  H-  T.) 

505  Dixie  Jamboree— Langford-Kibbee  Aug.  15 

509  Swing  Hostess — Tilton-Adrian   Sept.  8 

551  Gangsters  of  the  Frontier — Texas  Rangers 

(56  m.)   Sept.  21 

Wild  Horse  Phantom— Crabbe  (56  m.)  Oct.  28 

I'm  From  Arkansas — Bennett-Adrian  Oct.  31 

I  Accuse  My  Parents — Hughes-Lowell  (re.).  .Nov.  4 

552  Dead  or  Alive — Texas  Rangers  (56  m.)  Nov.  9 

Bluebeard — Carradine-Parkcr  (re.)   Nov.  1 1 

The  Great  Mike — Erwin-Henry  (reset)  Nov.  15 

513  Castle  of  Crimes — English-made  (reset)  Nov.  30 

Rogues  Gallery — Jenks-Raymond   Dec.  6 

Oath  of  Vengeance — Crabbe  Dec.  9 

The  Town  Went  Wild — Lydon-Bartholomew.Dec.  15 

553  Marked  for  Murder — Texas  Rangers  Dec.  29 

Hollywood  y  Vine — Ellison-McKay  Jan.  1 

You  Can't  Stop  Romance — O'Brien-Aldrige.  .Jan.  15 


3307 
323 
346 

3308 


3311 
3312 
461 
451 
401 
3313 
462 

3314 
452 
403 
463 
402 

3315 
404 
453 


Republic  Features 

(1790  Broadway.  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 

1943-44 

Git  Along  Little  Dogies — Autry  (reissue) . .  .Oct.  15 
Storm  Over  Lisbon — Ralston-Von  Stroheim .  Oct.  16 
Lights  of  Old  Sante  Fe — Roy  Rogers  (78m.). Nov.  6 

Red  River  Valley — Autry  (reissue)   Dec.  1 

(More  to  come) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 
Tucson  Raiders — Elliott-Hayes  (55  m.).... May  14 

Marshal  of  Reno — Elliott-Blake  (56  m.)  July  2 

Silver  City  Kid — Lane-Stewart  (55  m.)  July  20 

Bordertown  Trail — Burnette-Carson  (56m). Aug.  11 

Sing,  Neighbor,  Sing — Taylor-Terry  Aug.  12 

San  Antonio  Kid — Elliott-Stirling  (56  m.).  .Aug.  16 
Stagecoach  to  Monterey — Lane-Stewart 

(55  m.)   Sept.  15 

Cheyenne  Wildcat — Elliott-Blake  (56  m.)..Sept.  30 
Code  of  the  Prairie — Burnette-Carson  (56m). Oct.  6 

My  Buddy — Barry-Terry  Oct.  12 

Sheriff  of  Sundown — Lane-Stirling  (56  m.).Nov.  7 

End  of  the  Road — Norris-Abbott  Nov.  10 

Vigilantes  of  Dodge  City — Elliott  (55  m.).  .Nov.  15 

Faces  in  the  Fog — Withers-Kelly  Nov.  30 

Firebrands  of  Arizona — Burnette-Carson.  .  .  .Dec.  1 


RKO  Features 

(1270  Sixth  Ave..  Hew  Yor\  20,  H-  T.) 
(No  National  Release  Dates) 
Block  1 

501  None  But  the  Lonely  Heart — Grant-Barrymore. 

502  The  Master  Race — Coulouris-Ridges  

503  Tall  in  the  Saddle — Wayne-Raines  

504  Goin'  to  Town — Lum  and  Abner  

505  My  Pal,  Wolf— Moffett-Esmond  

Block  2 

Farewell  My  Lovely — Powell- Shirley  

Experiment  Perilous — Lamar-Brent  

Girl  Rush — Carney-Brown   

Nevada — Mitchum-Jeffreys   

Falcon  in  Hollywood — Conway-Borg  

Specials 

551  The  Princess  and  the  Pirate — Bob  Hope  

581  Casanova  Brown — Cooper- Wright   

582  Woman  in  the  Window — Bennett-Robinson. . . 


Twentieth  Century-Fox  Features 

(444  W.  56th  St.,  Hew  Yor\  19,  H-  T.) 

Block  3 

506  The  Big  Noise — Laurel  H  Hardy  October 

507  In  the  Meantime, Darling — Crain-Latimore.  .  .October 

508  Irish  Eyes  Are  Smiling — Woolley-Haymes. ..  October 

Block  4 

509  Laura — Andrews-Tierney   November 

510  Something  for  the  Boys — O'Shea-Blaine.  .  .November 

511  The  Way  Ahead — English-made  November 

Block  5 

512  Winged   Victory — McCallister-OBrien ....  December 

513  Sunday  Dinner  for  a  Soldier — Baxter- 

Hodiak   December 

Special 

530  Wilson — Knox-Fitzgerald  

United  Artists  Features 

(729  Seventh  Ave..  Hew  York  19,  H-  Y.) 

Since  You  Went  Away — All  star  cast  Special 

Dark  Waters — Oberon-Tone   Nov.  10 

3  Is  a  Family — Ruggles-Broderick  Nov.  23 

Guest  in  the  House — Baxter-Bellamy  Dec.  8 

Tomorrow,  the  World- — March-Field   Dec.  29 

I'll  Be  Seeing  You — Rogers-Cotten-Temple  Jan.  5 

Mr.  Emmanuel — English-made  Jan.  19 

Universal  Features 

( 1 270  Sixth  Ave..  Hew  York  20,  H-  T.) 

9005  Gypsy  Wildcat— Montcz-Hall   Sept.  1 

9022  Moonlight  and  Cactus — Andrews  Sisters.  ..  Sept.  8 
9008  The  Merry  Monahans — O'Connor-Ryan ...  Sept.  1  5 

9019  The  Pearl  of  Death— Rathbone-Bruce  Sept.  22 

9017  San  Diego,  I  Love  You— Allbritton-Hall. .  . Sept.  29 

9030  The  Singing  Sheriff — Crosby-McKenzie  Oct.  6 

9024  Babes  on  Swing  Street — Ryan-Blyth  Oct.  13 

9007  The  Climax— Foster-Karloff  Oct.  20 

9072  Bowery  to  Broadway — Oakie-Montez  Nov.  3 

9026  Dead  Man's  Eyes — Chaney-Parker  Nov.  10 

9081  Riders  of  the  Sante  Fe — Rod  Cameron 

(60  m.)   Nov.  10 

9029  Reckless  Age — Gloria  Jean  Nov.  17 

Enter  Arsene  Lupin- — Raines-Korvin  Nov.  24 

9034  Murder  in  the  Blue  Room — McDonald-Cook .  Dec.  1 

9031  Hi'  Beautiful— O'Dnscoll-Beery   Dec.  8 

My  Gal  Loves  Music — Crosby-McDonald ...  Dec.  15 
The  Fugitive — Jean-Curtis  Dec.  22 

9082  The  Old  Texas  Trail— Cameron-Dew  Dec.  15 

Can't  Help  Singing — Durbin-Paige  Dec.  29 

Night  Club  Girl — Austin-Norris  Jan.  5 

She  Gets  Her  Man — Davis-Errol  Jan.  12 

Under  Western  Skies — O'Driscoll-Beery,  Jr.. Jan.  19 
The  Suspect — Laughton-Raines  (reset)  Jan.  26 

Warner  Bros.  Features 

(321  W.  44th  St..  Hew  Yor\  18,  H-  Y.) 

401  Janie — Reynolds-Arnold-Harding  Sept.  2 

402  Crime  By  Night — Cowan-Wyman  Sept.  9 

403  Arsenic  and  Old  Lace — Grant-Massey  Sept.  23 

404  The  Last  Ride — Travis-Lang  Oct.  7 

405  The  Conspirators — Lamarr-Henreid  Oct.  21 

406  The  Very  Thought  of  You — Morgan-Parker. Nov.  11 

407  The  Doughgirls — Sheridan-Carson  Nov.  25 

409  Hollywood  Canteen — All  star  cast  Dec.  30 

SHORT  SUBJECT  RELEASE  SCHEDULE 
Columbia — One  Reel 

6951  Kehoe's  Marimba  Band— Film  Vod vil  ( 1 1  m ) .  Sept.  1 

6801  K-9  Kadets— Sports  (l0\/2  m.)  Sept.  8 

6852  Screen  Snapshots  No.  2  (10  m.)  Sept.  22 

6652  Community  Sings  No.  2  (9  m.)  Oct.  12 

6601  Porkuliar  Piggy— Li'l  Abner  (re.)  (7  m.). .  .Oct.  13 

6853  Screen  Snapshots  No.  3  (10  m.)  Oct.  19 

6802  Hedge  Hoppers — Sports  (formerly  "Over 

the  Jumps")  (9  m.)  Oct.  20 

6952  Al  Trace's  Comedy  Band— Film  Vodvil 

(11  m.)   Oct.  27 


Page  C 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index        November  25,  1944 


6653  Community  Sings  No.  3  (10  m.)  Nov.  10 

6702  As  the  Fly  Flies — Phantasy  Nov.  17 

6854  Screen  Snapshots  No.  4  (9J/2  m.)  Nov.  22 

6803  Aqua-Maids — Sports  (9\/2  m.)  Nov.  24 

6751  Be  Patient,  Patient — Fox  &?  Crow  (re.)  (7m)  .Nov.  30 

6602  Kickapoo  Juice — Li'l  Abner  Dec.  1 

6501  Dog,  Cat  and  Canary- — Rhapsody  Dec.  1 

6654  Community  Sings  No.  4  Dec.  1 

6953  Rootin' Tootin' Band — Film  Vodvil  (11  m.)  .Dec.  8 
5657  Christmas  Carols — Com.  Sings  (reissue) 

(101/2  m.)   Dec.  8 

6804  Striking  Champions — Sports  Dec.  22 

Columbia — Two  Reels 

6425  Wedded  Bliss— Billy  Gilbert  (17  m.)  Aug.  18 

6426  Gold  Is  Where  You  Lose  It— Clyde  ( l6]/2m)  .Sept.  1 

6401  Gents  Without  Cents— Stooges  (19  m.)  Sept.  22 

6421  Strife  of  the  Party — Vera  Vague  (16  m.) . .  .Oct.  13 

6120  City  of  Gold — Black  Arrow  No.  1  (22  m.) .  .Oct.  20 

6121  Signal  of  Fear— Black  Arrow  No.  2  (15  m.)  .Oct.  27 

6427  Open  Season  for  Saps — Howard  (18  m.) . .  .Oct.  27 

6428  Design  for  Loving — Sinatra  (21  m.)  Nov.  3 

6122  Seal  of  Doom — Black  Arrow  No.  3  (15  m.)  .Nov.  3 

6123  Terror  of  the  Bad  Lands — Black  Arrow  No.  4 

(15  m.)   Nov.  10 

6409  A  Knight  and  a  Blonde — Herbert  (14  m.) .  .Nov.  17 

6124  Secret  of  the  Vault — Black  Arrow  No.  5 

(15  m.)   Nov.  17 

6402  No  Dough,  Boys — Stooges  (17  m.)  Nov.  24 

6125  Appointment  with  Death — Black  Arrow  No.  6 

(15  m.)   Nov.  24 

6126  Chamber  of  Horror — Black  Arrow  No.  7 

(15  m.)   Dec.  1 

6127  The  Vanishing  Dagger — Black  Arrow  No.  8 

(15  m.)   Dec.  8 

6128  Escape  from  Death — Black  Arrow  No.  9 

(15  m.)   Dec.  15 

6129  The  Gold  Cache— Black  Arrow  No.  10 

(15  m.)   Dec.  22 

6130  Curse  of  the  Killer — Black  Arrow  No.  11 

(15  m.)   Dec.  29 

6131  Test  by  Torture — Black  Arrow  No.  12 

(15  m.)   Jan.  5 

6132  Sign  of  Evil— Black  Arrow  No.  13  (15  m.) .  .Jan.  12 

6133  An  Indian's  Revenge — Black  Arrow  No,  14 

(15  m.)   Jan.  19 

6134  The  Black  Arrow  Triumphs — Black  Arrow  No.  15 

(15  m.)   Jan.  26 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — One  Reel 

S-576  Sports  Quiz— Pete  Smith  (11  m.)  Sept.  2 

W-538  Bear  Raid  Warden— Cartoon  (7  m.)  Sept.  9 

S-557  Football  Thrills  of  1943— Pete  Smith  (8m)  .Sept.  23 
M-589  Nostradamus  No.  4 — Miniature  (11  m.)..Sept.  30 

W-539  Big  Heel  Watha— Cartoon  (8  m.)  Oct.  21 

W-540  Puttin'  on  the  Dog — Cartoon  (7  m.)  Oct.  28 

K-573  Return  from  Nowhere — Pass.  Par.  (10  m.)  .Oct.  28 
K-574  A  Lady  Fights  Back— Pass.  Par  Nov.  11 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

X-510  Danger  Area — Special  Release  (22  m.)..Jan.  1944 
(More  to  come) 

Paramount — One  Reel 

R4-1  Rhythm  on  Wheels — Sportlight  (10  m.)  Oct.  6 

U4-1  Jasper's  Paradise — Puppetoon  (9  m.)  Oct.  13 

J4-1  Popular  Science  No.  1  (10  m.)  Oct.  20 

P4-1  Yankee  Doodle  Donkey — Noveltoon  (7  m.).Oct.  27 
R4-2  Broncos  and  Brands — Sportlight  (9  m.).  .  .  .Nov.  3 

L4-1  Unusual  Occupations  No.  1  (10  m.)  Nov.  10 

D4-1  At  the  Zoo— Little  Lulu  (9  m.)  Nov.  17 

Y4-1  As  Babies — Speaking  of  Animals  (9]/2  m.)  .  .Nov.  24 
U4-2  Two  Gun  Rusty — Puppetoon  (1]/2  m.)  .  .  .  .Dec.  1 

E4-1  She-Sick  Sailors — Popeye   Dec.  8 

R4-3  Long  Shots  or  Favorites — Sport.  (9  m.) .  .  .  .Dec.  8 

P4-2  Gabriel  Churchkitten — Noveltoon  Dec.  15 

J4-2  Popular  Science  No.  2  Dec.  22 

D4-2  Birthday  Parties — Little  Lulu  Dec.  29 


Paramount — Two  Reels 

FF4-1  Bonnie  Lassie — Musical  Parade  (19  m.)...Oct.  6 
FF4-2  Star  Bright— Musical  Parade  (20  m.)  Dec.  15 

Republic — Two  Reels 

1943-  44 

384  Haunted  Harbor— Kay  Aldrich  (15  episodes)  .Aug.  26 

1944-  45 

481  Zorro's  Black  Whip — Lewis-Stirling 

(12  episodes)   Dec.  16 

RKO — One  Reel 

54101  Springtime  for  Pluto — Disney  (7  m.)  June  23 

54102  The  Plastic  Inventor — Disney  (7  m.)  Sept.  1 

54301  Harness  Racers — Sportscope  (8 J/2  m.)  .  . .  .Sept.  8 

54201  Flicker  Flashbacks  No.  1  (10  m.)  Sept.  15 

54104  How  to  Play  Football — Disney  (7  m.)  Sept.  15 

54103  First  Aiders — Disney  (7  m.)  Sept.  22 

54302  School  for  Dogs — Disney  (8  m.)  Oct.  6 

RKO — Two  Reels 
1943-44 

43111  Brazil  Today — This  is  America  (17J/2  m.).Aug.  25 

43112  That  Men  May  Live — This  is  America 

(19  m.)   Sept.  29 

43113  Navy  Yard— This  is  America  (16V2  m.). .  .Oct.  20 

_(End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 
53701  Triple  Trouble— Leon  Errol  (16  m.)  Sept.  1 

53201  Songs  of  the  Colleges — Headliners  (15m.).  Sept.  8 
53401  Go  Feather  Your  Nest — Edgar  Kennedy  (re.) 

53202  Swing  It— Headliners  (16  m.)  Oct.  20 

(17  m.)  Oct.  23 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — One  Reel 

5502  The  Two  Barbers — Terry  toon  (6m.)  Sept.  1 

5351  Blue  Grass  Gentleman — Sports  (9  m.)  Sept.  15 

5503  Ghost  Town — Terrytoon  (6}/2  m.)  Sept.  22 

5253  Mystic  India — Adventure  (8  m.)  Sept.  29 

5504  Sultan's  Birthday — Terrytoon  (6]/2  m.)  Oct.  13 

5901  Sea  Food  Mamas — Lew  Lehr  (7|/2  m.)  Oct.  20 

5505  A  Wolf's  Tale— Terrytoon  (6m.)  Oct.  27 

5254  Black,  Gold  and  Cactus — Adventure  (9  m.).Nov.  10 

5506  Mighty  Mouse  at  the  Circus — Terrytoon 

(7  m.)   Nov.  17 

5255  City  of  Paradox — Adventure  Nov.  24 

5507  Gandy's  Dream  Girl — Terrytoon  (7  m.) . . .  .Dec.  8 

5352  Trolling  for  Strikes — Sports  Dec.  15 

5508  Dear  Old  Switzerland— Terrytoon  (7  m.).. Dec.  22 

5256  Alaskan  Grandeur — Adventure  (8  m.)  Jan.  5 

Twentieth  Century-Fox — Two  Reels 

Vol.  11  No.  1— Post  War  Farms— March  of  Time 

(17  min.)   Sept.  8 

5601  Three  Sisters  of  the  Moor — Special  (20  m.)  .Sept.  8 

Vol.  1 1  No.  2 — What  to  do  with  Germany — March  of 

Time  (W/2  m.)   Oct.  6 

Vol.  1 1  No.  3 — Uncle  Sam,  Mariner — March  of 

Time  (16  m.)  Nov.  3 

Universal — One  Reel 

9231  Abou  Ben  Boogie — Swing  Symphonies  (7m). Sept.  18 

9371  Idol  of  the  Crowd— Per.  Odd.  (9  m.)  Sept.  18 

93  51  From  Spruce  to  Bomber — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  .Sept.  25 

9232  The  Beach  Nut— Cartune  (7  m.)  Oct.  16 

9352  Dogs  for  Show — Var.  Views  (9  m.)  Nov.  6 

9233  Ski  for  Two— Cartune  (7m.)  Nov.  13 

Universal — Two  Reels 
9121  Swingtime  Holiday — Musical  (15  m.)  Sept.  20 

9790  Showdown— Raiders  No.  10  (17  m.)  Sept.  26 

9791  The  Trail  to  Torture— Raiders  No.  11  (17m). Oct.  3 

9792  Calling  all  Buckboards— Raiders  No.  12 

(17  m.)  Otc.  10 

9793  Golden  Vengeance — Raiders  No.  13  (17  m.). Oct.  17 
9681  The  Tragic  Crash — Mystery  of  the  River  Boat 

No.  1  (17  m.)  Oct.  24 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


November  25,  1944        HARRISON'S  REPORTS  Partial  Index 


Page  D 


9682 

9683 

9684 

9685 

9122 
9686 
9687 
9123 
9688 
9112 
9689 

9690 
9691 
9692 

9693 


9717 
9726 
9512 
9718 
9719 
9720 


1401 
1601 

1301 
1302 
1402 
1602 
1303 
1603 

1403 
1304 
1604 
1305 
1605 
1501 
1502 
1721 
1503 
1701 
1306 
1722 

1102 
1103 
1001 
1104 
1105 
1101 
1002 


The  Phantom  Killer — River  Boat  No.  2 

(17  m.)  Oct.  31 

The  Flaming  Inferno — River  Boat  No.  3 

(17  m.)   Nov.  7 

The  Brink  of  Doom — River  Boat  No.  4 

(17  m.)   Nov.  14 

The  Highway  of  Peril — River  Boat  No.  5 

(17  m.)   Nov.  21 

Harmony  Highway — Musical  (15  m.)  Nov.  22 

The  Fatal  Plunge— River  Boat  No.  6  (1 7m.).  Nov.  28 
Toll  of  the  Storm— River  Boat  No.  7  ( 17m.) .  Dec.  5 

On  the  Mellow  Side — Musical  (15  m.)  Dec.  6 

Break  in  the  Levy — River  Boat  No.  8  (17m)  .Dec.  12 

Lili  Marlene — Special  (21  m.)  Dec.  13 

Trapped  in  the  Quicksand — River  Boat  No.  9 

(17  m.)   Dec.  19 

Flaming  Havoc — River  Boat  No.  10  (17  m.).Dec.  20 
Electrocuted — River  Boat  No.  11  (17m.)...  Dec.  27 
A  Desperate  Chance — River  Boat  No.  12 

(17  m.)   Jan.  3 

The  Boomerang — River  Boat  No.  13  (17  m.).Jan.  10 

Vitaphone — One  Reel 
1943-44 

Booby  Hatched— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Oct.  14 

The  Old  Gray  Hare— Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.) .  .  .Oct.  28 
Champions  of  the  Future — Sports  (re. )  (7m) .  Nov.  18 
Stupid  Cupid — Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  (re.).  . .  .Nov.  25 
Stage  Door  Cartoon — Mer.  Mel.  (re.)  (7m) .  Dec.  30 

Odor-able  Kitty— Mer.  Mel.  (7  m.)  Jan.  6 

t  (End  of  1943-44  Season) 
Beginning  of  1944-45  Season 

Their  Dizzy  Day — Varieties  (10  m.)  Sept.  2 

Bob  Wills  fij1  Texas  Playboys — Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)   Sept.  2 

Let  it  be  Me— Hit  Parade  (7m.)  Sept.  16 

September  in  the  Rain — Hit  Par.  (7  m.)...  .Sept.  30 

Ski  Whizz — Varieties  (10  m.)  Oct.  7 

Listen  to  the  Bands — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.) .  .  .  .Oct.  7 
Sunday  Go  to  Meeting  Time — Hit  Par.  (7m)  .Oct.  28 
Harry  Owen's  Royal  Hawaiians — Mel.  Mas. 

(10  m.)   Nov.  4 

Outdoor  Living — Varieties  (10  m.)  Nov.  4 

I  Love  to  Singa — Hit  Parade  (7  m.)  Nov.  18 

Sonny  Dunham  &  Orch. — Mel.  Mas.  (  10m)  .  Nov.  25 
Plenty  of  Money  &  You— Hit  Par.  (7m.)..  .Dec.  9 

Jammin'  the  Blues — Mel.  Mas.  (10  m.)  Dec.  16 

California  Here  We  Are — Sports,  (re.)  ( 10m)  .Dec.  16 
Birds  6?  Beasts  Were  There— Sports  (10  m.)  .Dec.  30 

Herr  Meets  Hare — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  Jan.  13 

Glamour  in  Sports — Sports  (10  m.)  Jan.  13 

Draftee  Daffy — Looney  Tune  (7  m.)  Jan.  20 

Fella  with  a  Fiddle — Hit.  Par.  (7  m.)  Jan.  20 

The  Unruly  Hare — Bugs  Bunny  (7  m.)  Jan.  27 

Vitaphone — Two  Reels 
Proudly  We  Serve — Featurette  (20  m.)  . .  . .  Sept.  23 
Once  Over  Lightly — Featurette  (20  m.).  .  .  .Oct.  14 

Let's  Go  Fishing — Special  (20  m.)  Oct.  21 

I  Won't  Play — Featurette  (20  m.)  Nov.  11 

Nautical  but  Nice — Featurette  (20  m.)  Dec.  2 

I  Am  An  American — Featurette  (20  m.)  .  .  .  .Dec.  23 
Beachead  to  Berlin — Special  (20  m.)  Jan.  6 


NEWSWEEKLY 
NEW  YORK 
RELEASE  DATES 


Pathe  News 


Metrotone  News 


55125 
55226 
55127 
55228 
55129 
55230 
55131 
55232 
55133 
55234 
55135 
55236 
55137 
55238 
55139 


Sat.  (O)  . 
Wed.  (E) 
Sat.  (O)  . 
Wed.  (E) 
Sat.  (O) 
Wed.  (E) 
Sat.  (O) 
Wed.  (E) 
Sat.  (O) 
Wed.  (E) 
Sat.  (O) 
Wed.  (E) 
Sat.  (O)  , 
Wed.  (E) 
Sat.  (O) 


.Nov.  18 
.Nov.  22 
.Nov.  25 
.Nov.  29 
.Dec.  2 
.Dec.  6 
.Dec.  9 
.Dec.  13 
.Dec.  16 
.Dec.  20 
.Dec.  23 
.Dec.  27 
.Dec.  30 
.Jan.  3 
.  .Jan.  6 


Fox  Movietone 


22  Thurs. 

23  Tues. 

24  Thurs. 

25  Tues. 

26  Thurs. 

27  Tues. 

28  Thurs. 

29  Tues. 

30  Thurs. 

3 1  Tues. 

32  Thurs. 

33  Tues. 

34  Thurs. 
3  5  Tues. 
36  Thurs. 


(E) 
(O) 
(E) 
(O) 
(E) 
(O) 
(E) 
(O) 
(E) 
(O) 
(E) 
(O) 
(E) 
(O) 
(E) 


.  .Nov.  16 
.  .Nov.  21 
.  .Nov.  23 
.  .Nov.  28 
.  .Nov.  30 
. . .  Dec.  1 
...Dec.  7 
. .  .Dec.  12 
. .  .Dec.  14 
.  .  .Dec.  19 
.  .  .Dec.  21 
.  .  .Dec.  26 
. .  .Dec.  28 
. .  .Jan.  2 
...Jan.  4 


Paramount  News 


24  Sunday  (O) 

25  Thurs.  (E)  . 

26  Sunday  (O) 

27  Thurs.  (E)  . 

28  Sunday  (O) 

29  Thurs.  (E)  . 

30  Sunday  (O) 

31  Thurs.  (E)  . 

32  Sunday  (O) 

33  Thurs.  (E)  . 

34  Sunday  (O) 

35  Thurs.  (E)  . 

36  Sunday  (O) 

37  Thurs.  (E)  . . 

38  Sunday  (O)  . 


. .  Nov.  W 
.  .Nov.  23 
.  .Nov.  26 
.  .Nov.  30 
..Dec.  3 
..Dec.  7 
.  .Dec.  10 
.  .Dec.  14 
.  .Dec.  17 
.  .Dec.  21 
.  .Dec.  24 
.  .Dec.  28 
.  .Dec.  31 
..Jan.  4 
..Jan.  7 


220 

Thurs 

(E) 

.  .Nov.  16 

221 

Tues. 

(O) 

.  .Nov.  21 

222 

Thurs. 

(E) 

..Nov.  23 

223 

Tues. 

(O) 

.  .Nov.  28 

224 

Thurs. 

(E) 

.  .Nov.  30 

225 

Tues. 

(O) 

..Dec.  5 

226 

Thurs. 

(E) 

..Dec.  7 

227 

Tues. 

(O) 

.  .Dec.  12 

228 

Thurs. 

(E) 

.  .Dec.  14 

229 

Tues. 

(O) 

.  .Dec.  19 

230 

Thurs. 

(E) 

.  .Dec.  21 

231 

Tues. 

(O) 

. .  Dec.  26 

232 

Thurs. 

(E) 

.  .Dec.  28 

233 

Tues. 

(O)  . 

.  .Jan.  2 

234 

Thurs. 

(E)  . 

..Jan.  4 

Universal 


347  Fn.  (E)  . 

348  Wed.  (O) 

349  Fri.  (E)  . . 

350  Wed.  (O) 

351  Fri.  (E)  . 

352  Wed.  (O) 

353  Fri.  (E)  . 

354  Wed.  (O) 

355  Fri.  (E)  . 

356  Wed.  (O) 

357  Fri.  (E)  . 
3  58  Wed.  (O) 

359  Fri.  (E)  . 

360  Wed.  (O) 

361  Fri.  (E)  .. 


.  .Nov.  17 
.  .Nov.  22 
. .  Nov.  24 
. .  Nov.  29 
..Dec.  1 
..Dec.  6 
..Dec.  8 
.  .Dec.  13 
.  .Dec.  15 
. .  Dec.  20 
.  .Dec.  22 
..Dec.  27 
.  .Dec.  29 
. . .Jan.  3 
...Jan.  5 


All  American  News 

108  Friday   Nov.  17 

109  Friday   Nov.  24 

110  Friday   Dec.  1 

111  Friday   Dec.  8 

112  Friday   Dec.  15 

113  Friday   Dec.  22 

114  Friday   Dec.  29 

115  Friday  Jan.  5 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH   AVENUE  Published     Weekly  by 

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orea     mam  ............  10  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  DECEMBER  2,  1944  No.  49 


A  LOW  BLOW 

The  opening  paragraph  of  an  editorial  printed  in 
the  November  25  issue  of  Boxoffice  reads  as  follows: 

"Coming  at  this  time,  the  revival  by  the  ITOA  of 
its  proposal  of  a  measure  for  New  York  State  regU' 
lation  of  the  motion  picture  industry,  might  well  be 
termed  a  bombshell.  It  is  thrown  in  the  midst  of  the 
industry's  unified  effort  to  put  over  the  Sixth  War 
Loan.  And,  strangely,  the  industry's  national  chair' 
man  of  the  drive  is  Harry  Brandt,  president  of  the 
ITOA.  Mr.  Brandt,  it  may  be  recalled,  has  been  one 
of  the  outspoken  champions  of  industry  unity." 

The  balance  of  the  editorial  takes  issue  with  the 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  Association  for  foster- 
ing control  of  the  industry  through  legislation,  and 
suggests  as  an  alternative  that  exhibitors  and  distribu' 
tors  should  meet  on  common  ground  "for  action  that 
will  lead  to  a  workable  program  enabling  the  indus' 
try  to  solve  its  own  problems." 

The  ITOA's  proposed  legislation,  in  the  form  of 
an  amendment  to  the  New  York  General  Business 
Law,  calling  for  either  a  film  commission  or  board 
that  will  be  endowed  with  drastic  regulatory  powers, 
was  treated  editorially  in  the  April  15,  1944  issue  of 
Harrison's  Reports,  under  the  heading,  "Dyna- 
mite!" 

Harrison's  Reports  had  long  hoped  that  the  op' 
posing  factions  within  the  industry  would  one  day 
settle  their  differences  without  outside  interference 
for  the  mutual  benefit  of  all  concerned,  but  the  con- 
tinued  unwillingness  of  the  producer-distributors  to 
make  important  concessions  finally  led  this  paper  to 
believe  that  unity  could  be  achieved  and  that  the 
abuses  against  the  smaller  exhibitors  could  be  elimi' 
nated  only  by  legislation.  The  fact  that  Harry  Brandt, 
who  opposed  the  Neely  Bill  bitterly,  now  seeks  relief 
through  legislation,  is  an  indication  that  he,  too,  has 
come  to  the  realization  that  legislative  action  is  neces- 
sary. 

The  purpose  of  this  editorial,  however,  is  not  to 
discuss  the  relative  merits  of  control  of  the  industry 
through  legislation  as  against  control  within  the  in' 
dustry  itself.  It  is  to  point  out  that  Boxoffice,  by  stat' 
ing  that  the  ITOA's  proposal  is  "thrown  in  the  midst 
of  the  industry's  unified  effort  to  put  over  the  Sixth 
War  Loan,"  and  by  making  much  of  the  fact  that 
Harry  Brandt,  the  Sixth  War  Loan  National  Chair' 
man,  is  also  president  of  the  ITOA,  has  committed 
a  regrettable  injustice  against  Brandt  and  the  exhibi' 
tor  members  of  his  association,  in  that  it  has  unneces- 
sarily dragged  a  patriotic  note  into  what  is  purely  an 
industry  dispute. 


I  have  studied  carefully  the  opening  paragraph  of 
Boxoffice 's  editorial  and,  no  matter  how  I  read  it,  I 
cannot  find  any  logical  reason  for  tieing  in  the  Sixth 
War  Loan  and  Harry  Brandt's  chairmanship  with 
the  proposed  legislation.  What  I  do  make  out  of  the 
statement  is  that  Boxoffice  is  trying  to  tell  us  that  the 
threat  of  industry  control  through  legislation  is  so 
astounding  that  the  thousands  of  exhibitors  and  pro- 
ducer-distributor representatives,  who  are  doing  such 
a  magnificent  job  in  the  current  War  Loan  drive, 
might  become  panicky  enough  to  allow  it  to  interfere 
with  their  bond-selling  efforts.  Accordingly,  since  the 
threat  is  "thrown  in  the  midst  of  the  industry's  uni- 
fied effort  to  put  over  the  Sixth  War  Loan,"  Harry 
Brandt  and  the  ITOA  members,  each  of  whom  I  am 
sure  is  doing  his  bit  in  the  current  drive,  have  sup- 
posedly acted  unpatriotically. 

What  does  Harry  Brandt's  position  as  chairman 
of  the  Sixth  War  Loan  Committee  have  to  do  with  his 
private  business  activities?  Does  his  willingness  to 
devote  his  time  and  effort,  without  monetary  compen- 
sation, to  a  great  national  cause  deprive  him  of  his 
right  to  protect  his  business  interests?  If  the  members 
of  the  ITOA,  or  any  other  independent  exhibitors 
for  that  matter,  must  not  advocate  drastic  legislative 
action  lest  it  interfere  with  the  industry's  unified  war 
effort,  what  about  the  producer-distributors — should 
they  be  permitted  to  continue  on  their  merry  way, 
hampering  those  exhibitors  with  their  oppressive 
tactics? 

The  War  Activities  Committee,  which  is  composed 
of  outstanding  representatives  of  every  branch  of  the 
business,  is  one  of  the  greatest  industry  organisations 
in  the  country  for  the  furtherance  of  causes  that  will 
benefit  the  national  welfare.  Each  of  these  represen- 
tatives, whether  identified  with  exhibition,  produc- 
tion, or  distribution,  has  given  unstintingly  of  his 
time,  effort,  and  money,  in  a  sincere  desire  to  help  the 
country.  But  have  they  refrained  from  taking  an  ac' 
tive  part  in  the  affairs  of  their  particular  businesses? 
Their  private  business  affairs  find  many  of  these  com- 
mittee members  in  constant  conflict  with  one  another, 
yet  who  can  deny  that  their  work  as  an  industry  body 
is  an  outstanding  model  of  unity?  If  we  are  to  judge 
bv  the  Committee's  record  of  accomplishment  in  ob- 
taining full  industry  support  for  the  war  effort,  de- 
spite intra-industry  disputes,  then  we  may  be  assured 
that  the  ITOA's  proposed  legislation  will  not  affect  in 
the  slightest  way  the  relationship  between  the  Com- 
mittee members,  all  of  whom  proved  themselves  to  be 
above  industry  squabbles  in  matters  pertaining  to  the 
national  good.  And  for  Boxoffice  to  imply  that  they 
(Continued  on  last  page) 


194 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  2,  1944 


"Belle  of  the  Yukon"  with  Gypsy  Rose  Lee, 
Randolph  Scott,  Dinah  Shore 
and  Bob  Burns 

(RKO -International,  January;  time,  85  min.) 

In  spite  of  the  good  production,  and  of  the  Tech- 
nicolor photography,  this  mixture  of  melodramatic 
action,  romance,  comedy,  and  music  fails  to  impress 
on  any  one  count,  At  best,  it  is  only  moderately  en- 
tertaining, and  it  will  have  to  depend  entirely  on  the 
drawing  powers  of  the  cast  for  whatever  business  it 
will  do.  The  story,  which  is  satirical  of  Alaska's  gold 
rush  days,  is  flimsy,  and  its  treatment  is  ordinary. 
Moreover,  it  is  lacking  in  human  appeal,  and  the 
doings  of  the  principal  characters  are  neither  edify- 
ing nor  sympathy  awakening.  The  comedy,  which  at 
times  goes  semi-slapstick,  is  forced  and,  consequently, 
not  too  effective.  The  musical  interludes,  though  not 
exceptional,  are  the  best  parts  of  the  picture.  A  little 
more  music  and  less  story  would  have  helped  matters 
considerably: — 

Arriving  in  Malemute,  Alaska,  with  her  troupe  of 
show  girls,  Gypsy  Rose  Lee  discovers  that  the  town's 
foremost  citizen  and  owner  of  the  dance  palace  was 
none  other  than  Randolph  Scott,  her  former  sweet- 
heart, who  had  jilted  her  in  Seattle  and  had  absconded 
with  their  joint  funds.  Scott's  protestations  that  he 
had  reformed  awaken  Gypsy's  interest  in  him.  Mean- 
while Charles  Winninger,  manager  of  the  dance 
palace,  tries  desperately  to  break  up  the  romance  be- 
tween Dinah  Shore,  his  daughter,  and  William  Mar- 
shall, a  young  pianist  wanted  by  the  Seattle  police. 
With  the  aid  of  Bob  Burns,  a  philosophical  confidence 
man,  Scott  tricks  Robert  Armstrong,  a  professional 
gambler,  with  a  fake  weather  report,  leading  him  to 
bet  the  local  miners  that  the  river  would  freeze  by  a 
certain  date.  The  miners  ask  Scott  to  establish  a  bank 
and  to  store  the  gold  dust  wagered.  Learning  that  the 
weather  report  was  faked,  Armstrong  realizes  that 
Scott  meant  to  make  off  with  the  gold;  he  declares 
himself  in  on  the  scheme  under  threat  of  exposing 
Scott.  Guinn  Williams,  the  town  marshal,  backs  up 
Armstrong's  threat.  Meanwhile  Edward  Fielding, 
Marshall's  father,  a  railroad  tycoon,  arrives  in  town. 
He  informs  his  son  that  the  trouble  with  the  police 
had  been  cleared  up,  and  he  approves  his  marriage  to 
Dinah.  Disillusioned  when  she  learns  of  Scott's  swin- 
dling scheme,  Gypsy  vengefully  spreads  rumors  that 
the  bank  is  unsound.  Williams  and  Armstrong,  work- 
ing fast,  force  Scott  to  give  them  the  gold  dust  bags. 
They  leave  town  hastily,  unaware  that  the  bags  con- 
tained sand.  The  miners,  frightened  by  the  rumors, 
start  a  run  on  the  bank,  but  all  become  reassured  when 
Fielding  expresses  his  faith  in  Scott  and  deposits  a 
large  sum  of  money.  Delighted  to  learn  that  he  can 
make  money  honestly,  Scott  resolves  to  turn  over  a 
new  leaf.  He  and  Gypsy  prepare  for  their  marriage. 

James  Edward  Grant  wrote  the  screen  play,  and 
William  A.  Seiter  produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Florence  Bates,  Wanda  McKay  and  others. 

"The  Falcon  in  Hollywood"  with 
Tom  Conway 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  68  min.) 
This  is  another  in  the  "Falcon"  series,  and  is  about 
on  the  same  level  as  the  other  pictures;  that  is,  a  pass- 
able program  murder-mystery  melodrama,  with 
comedy,  suitable  for  those  who  are  not  too  fussy  about 
a  far-fetched  plot.  Following  the  usual  formula  em- 
ployed in  the  previous  pictures,  Tom  Conway,  as  the 


"Falcon,"  becomes  involved  in  a  murder  and  goes 
about  investigating  it  in  his  suave  manner,  much  to 
the  annoyance  of  all  concerned,  particularly  the 
police,  who,  as  usual,  are  depicted  as  being  not  too 
bright.  Most  of  the  action  takes  place  in  a  motion  pic- 
ture studio,  providing  an  interesting  background: — 

Visiting  a  race  track  while  on  vacation  in  Holly- 
wood, Tom  Conway  strikes  up  an  acquaintance  with 
Barbara  Hale  and  Rita  Corday,  two  film  stars.  When 
Barbara  inadvertently  walks  off  with  Rita's  handbag, 
Conway,  who  had  learned  that  she  was  the  ex- 
sweetheart  of  Sheldon  Leonard,  a  gangster,  follows 
her  to  the  studio.  There,  he  becomes  involved  in  the 
mysterious  murder  of  an  actor,  husband  of  Jean 
Brooks,  a  studio  dress  designer.  Prowling  around  the 
studio,  Conway  learns  that  the  dead  man  had  been 
working  in  a  picture  being  produced  by  John  Abbott 
and  directed  by  Konstantin  Shayne.  Conway  visits  the 
dead  man's  apartment  where  he  finds  a  receipt  for 
$50,000,  representing  a  quarter  interest  in  Abbott's 
picture.  Subsequent  events  cause  Conway  to  suspect 
Jean,  because  she  had  been  unfriendly  with  her  hus- 
band and  loved  Shayne;  Rita,  because  she  was  Jean's 
rival  for  Shayne's  love;  Shayne,  because  he  had  ad- 
mitted hiding  the  murder  gun  in  a  plaster  vase;  Ab- 
bott, because  he  owned  the  murder  gun;  and  Barbara, 
because  she  had  seriously  wounded  Shayne  with  a 
"prop"  gun  supposedly  loaded  with  blanks.  The 
shooting  of  Shayne  is  followed  by  the  murder  of 
Leonard,  who  had  promised  Conway  that  he  would 
reveal  the  killer's  name.  In  Leonard's  pocket,  Conway 
finds  a  list  of  eight  people  to  whom  Abbott  had  sold 
quarter  interests  in  his  picture  for  $50,000  each.  The 
list  included  Jean's  husband,  Shayne,  Leonard,  and 
Rita.  Accompanying  the  police  to  Abbott's  office, 
Conway  proves  that  the  producer  had  pocketed  the 
investment  money  and  had  planned  to  murder  each 
of  the  investors.  Abbott  attempts  a  getaway,  but  Con- 
way gives  chase  and  shoots  him. 

Gerald  Geraghty  wrote  the  screen  play,  Maurice 
Geraghty  produced  it,  and  Gordon  Douglas  directed 
it.  The  cast  includes  Veda  Ann  Borg,  Emory  Parnell, 
Frank  Jenks  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Main  Street  After  Dark"  with 
Edward  Arnold  and  Selena  Royle 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  57  min.) 
First  of  a  series  of  streamlined  program  features, 
designed  to  meet  the  requirements  of  double-billing 
theatres  that  need  a  short  supporting  feature  when- 
ever the  main  picture  is  unusually  long,  this  is  an 
interest-holding,  timely  melodrama,  centering  around 
the  robbing  of  servicemen  by  unscrupulous  girls  and 
their  male  confederates.  It  shows  the  system  used  by 
the  police  in  trapping  the  criminals,  and  though  the 
offenders  are  shown  in  their  pursuits,  it  is  not  de- 
moralizing, for  they  are  not  glorified;  on  the  contrary, 
each  of  the  law-breakers  pays  for  his  deeds.  The  clos- 
ing scenes,  in  which  Edward  Arnold,  as  a  detective, 
apprehends  a  murderer,  are  filled  with  suspense.  It 
moves  along  at  a  steady  pace,  and  it  is  void  of 
comedy: — 

Happiness  comes  to  the  household  of  Selena  Royle 
when  news  comes  that  Tom  Trout,  her  son,  was  com- 
ing home  from  prison  on  parole.  Under  the  guidance 
of  Miss  Royle,  the  entire  family,  including  Dan 
Duryea,  her  younger  son,  Dorothy  Morris,  her  six- 
teen-year-old daughter,  and  Audrey  Totter,  Trout's 
wife,  made  their  living  picking  the  pockets  of  service- 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


195 


men.  Detective  Edward  Arnold,  who  was  aware  of 
the  family's  criminal  activities,  keeps  an  even  more 
watchful  eye  on  them  with  the  return  of  Trout.  Miss 
Royle,  fearing  that  any  unlawful  action  by  Trout 
would  send  him  back  to  prison,  urges  him  to  seek 
honest  employment.  Trout,  however,  decides  to  com' 
mit  big  robberies.  To  prevent  the  town  from  being 
declared  out  of  bounds  for  servicemen,  Arnold  begins 
a  drive  against  the  female  pickpockets.  Given  wallets 
dusted  with  an  invisible  powder  that  glowed  under 
ultra-violet  rays,  members  of  the  military  police  visit 
different  cocktail  bars  and  permit  themselves  to  be 
victimized.  Audrey,  caught  in  the  drive,  manages  to 
get  rid  of  the  wallet  by  giving  it  to  Trout,  but  the 
luminous  glow  of  her  hands  under  the  ultra-violet  ray 
light  reveals  her  guilt.  Meanwhile  Trout  trails  a  man 
carrying  a  huge  sum  of  money  and  kills  him  in  an 
attempted  robbery.  The  luminous  powder  on  the  dead 
man's  clothes  suggests  to  Arnold  that  the  murderer 
had  taken  part  in  the  pickpocket  racket.  He  ties  in 
this  clue  with  the  disappearance  of  the  wallet  stolen 
by  Audrey  and  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  Trout 
had  committed  the  crime.  At  Miss  Royle's  home, 
Arnold  accuses  Trout  of  the  murder  and  proves  his 
guilt  with  the  ultra-violet  ray  light,  which  reveals  the 
tell-tale  powder  marks  on  his  hands.  Miss  Royle 
smashes  the  lights  in  a  desperate  attempt  to  help  her 
son  escape,  but  Trout  is  shot  dead  in  the  ensuing 
scuffle. 

Karl  Kamb  and  John  C.  Higgins  wrote  the  screen 
play,  Jerry  Bresler  produced  it,  and  Edward  Cahn 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Hume  Cronyn  and 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Adventures  of  Kitty  O'Day"  with 
Jean  Parker  and  Peter  Cookson 

(Monogram,  January  19;  time,  64  mm.) 
This  second  of  the  "Kitty  O'Day"  program  murder- 
mystery  comedies  is  not  equal  to  the  standard  set  in 
the  first  picture;  nevertheless,  audiences  that  are  not 
too  discriminating  should  find  it  fairly  diverting.  Jean 
Parker  and  Peter  Gookson  are  again  teamed  as  self- 
appointed  amateur  detectives,  whose  endeavors  to 
solve  a  series  of  murders  find  them  constantly  in 
trouble  with  the  police.  Although  the  story  is  weak, 
the  action  is  sprightly  and  gay.  The  comedy  situations 
manage  to  be  amusing,  despite  occasional  bursts  of 
slapstick  :— 

Jean  and  Cookson,  telephone  operator  and  travel 
clerk,  respectively,  at  the  Townley  Hotel,  become  in- 
volved in  a  murder  when  Jean  hears  shooting  over  the 
telephone.  Both  investigate  and  find  the  body  of  a 
man  in  one  of  the  rooms.  Tim  Ryan  and  Ralph  San- 
ford,  police  officers,  arrive  on  the  scene  only  to  find 
that  the  body  had  disappeared.  Because  Jean  and 
Cookson  had  reputations  as  bothersome  amateur  de- 
tectives, the  police  scoff  at  their  claim  that  a  murder 
had  been  committed.  Jean,  however,  determines  to 
solve  the  mystery.  With  Cookson's  unwilling  aid,  she 
locates  the  body  in  the  hotel's  basement.  Despite  the 
warning  by  the  police  that  she  keep  off  the  case,  Jean 
continues  her  own  private  investigation  and,  shortly 
after  the  first  murder,  Bill  Ruhl,  an  insurance  detec- 
tive, who  had  been  investigating  jewel  robberies  at  the 
hotel,  is  found  murdered  under  circumstances  that 
place  Jean  and  Cookson  under  suspicion.  They  man- 
age to  clear  themselves  but,  soon  after,  Byron  Foulger, 
the  hotel's  room  clerk,  is  found  murdered,  and  the 
young  couple  again  find  themselves  under  suspicion. 


Suspecting  Bill  Forrest,  the  hotel  manager,  Jean  goes 
to  his  room  to  look  for  clues.  There,  Forrest  confronts 
her  and  is  about  to  kill  her  when  Cookson  and  the 
police  rush  in  to  the  rescue.  Jean  proves  that  the  first 
man  murdered  had  been  in  league  with  Forrest  in  the 
jewel  robberies,  and  that  Forrest  had  killed  him  dur- 
ing a  quarrel.  She  proves  also  that  Forrest  had  mur- 
dered Ruhl  to  halt  his  investigation,  and  that  he  had 
killed  Foulger  because  he  had  learned  who  committed 
the  thefts. 

Tim  Ryan,  George  Callahan,  and  Victor  Ham- 
mond wrote  the  screen  play,  Lindsley  Parson  pro- 
duced it,  and  William  Beadine  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Shelton  Brooks,  Lorna  Grey,  Dick  Elliott, 
Jan  Wiley  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Nothing  But  Trouble"  with 
Laurel  and  Hardy 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  69  min.) 

Wherever  the  Laurel  and  Hardy  brand  of  humor 
is  still  appreciated,  this  slapstick  comedy  should 
prove  acceptable  program  fare.  This  time  the  two 
comedians  become  innocently  involved  in  a  plot  to 
murder  a  young  monarch  and,  in  their  usual  fumbling 
way,  prevent  the  youth's  untimely  death.  The  story 
itself  is,  of  course,  silly,  but  it  has  more  human  appeal 
than  is  generally  found  in  a  Laurel  and  Hardy  com- 
edy. The  comedians'  antics  are  more  or  less  repititious 
of  their  previous  doings,  yet  they  manage  to  be  quite 
amusing  in  spots.  A  cliff -hanging  sequence  towards 
the  finish  is  comically  effective : — 

Stan  Laurel,  a  butler,  and  Oliver  Hardy,  a  chef,  are 
employed  by  Mary  Boland,  a  wealthy  socialite,  to 
serve  at  a  dinner  in  honor  of  David  Leland,  boy  king 
of  a  foreign  government-in-exile.  On  the  afternoon 
preceding  the  dinner,  Philip  Merivale,  the  young 
monarch's  evil  uncle,  who  planned  to  seize  the  throne, 
conspires  with  confederates  to  kill  the  boy.  The 
scheme  is  foiled,  however,  when  the  young  regent 
wanders  off  by  himself  and  joins  a  group  of  young- 
sters playing  football.  Laurel  and  Hardy,  passing  by 
on  a  shopping  tour,  agree  to  referee  the  game.  After 
the  game,  the  King,  desirous  of  living  like  a  normal 
boy,  poses  as  a  waif  and  induces  the  two  men  to 
conceal  him  in  Miss  Boland's  home.  At  the  dinner, 
Merivale  explains  the  King's  absence  by  stating  that 
he  was  indisposed.  But  when  he  receives  word  of  the 
youth's  disappearance,  he  notifies  the  police.  Mean- 
while Laurel  and  Hardy  are  discharged  for  serving  a 
poor  meal.  They  take  the  boy  with  them  to  spend  the 
night  at  a  mission,  where  a  vagrant  recognizes  him 
as  the  missing  King  and  notifies  the  police.  Laurel  and 
Hardy  are  jailed  as  kidnappers,  but  the  King  uses  his 
influence  to  gain  their  release.  Merivale  employs  the 
two  men  as  butler  and  chef  for  a  reception  in  the 
King's  honor;  he  planned  to  poison  the  youth  and 
then  blame  Laurel  and  Hardy  for  his  death.  After  a 
series  of  incidents,  in  which  the  poisoned  canape  in- 
tended for  the  King  becomes  lost  among  the  other 
canapes,  the  young  monarch  learns  of  his  uncle's  plot. 
Laurel  and  Hardy  come  to  his  aid,  but  Merivale  covers 
them  with  a  gun  and  orders  all  three  to  jump  from 
a  window  high  above  the  street.  All  are  saved  when 
Merivale,  nibbling  on  the  poisoned  canape,  collapses. 

Russell  Rouse  and  Ray  Golden  wrote  the  screen 
play,  B.  F.  Zeidman  produced  it,  and  Sam  Taylor 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Henry  O'Neill  and 
others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


196 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  2,  1944 


might  become  disunited  is  decidedly  uncomplimeiv 
tary  in  view  of  their  achievements. 

Harry  Brandt  and  I  have  often  differed  on  indus' 
try  issues,  and  many  is  the  time  that  I  have  taken  him 
to  task  in  these  columns.  And  I  assure  you  that  I  shall 
continue  to  differ  with  Harry  whenever  he  advocates 
any  measures  which,  in  my  opinion,  is  not  to  the  best 
interests  of  either  the  exhibitors,  or  the  industry  as  a 
whole. 

In  the  present  instance,  however,  I  rise  to  Harry's 
defense,  not  because  I  favor  the  legislation  he  advo- 
cates,  but  merely  because  I  feel  that  Boxoffice  has 
done  him  an  injustice  when  it  pictured  him  as  a  dis- 
rupter of  the  industry's  unified  war  effort. 

Harry  Brandt's  war  record  needs  no  defense.  He 
has  played  a  leading  part  in  the  unification  of  the 
industry's  war  effort,  being  one  of  those  who,  in 
1940,  helped  organize  the  Motion  Picture  Committee 
co-operating  for  National  Defense,  which,  following 
the  attack  on  Pearl  Harbor,  became  the  War  Activi- 
ties Committee.  He  has  played  a  major  role  in  the 
Red  Cross  Drives  and  in  the  previous  bond  drives. 
His  appointment  as  National  Chairman  of  the  cur- 
rent Sixth  War  Loan  campaign  is  an  honor  he  has 
earned.  But  along  with  this  honor  goes  hard, relentless, 
heart-breaking  work  and  responsibility — the  sort  that 
taxes  one's  mind  and  body  to  the  extreme. 

It  took  self-sacrifice  and  courage  to  accept  that  posi- 
tion and,  for  his  willingness  to  devote  himself  to  this 
all-important  work,  Harry  Brandt  is  deserving  of  the 
industry's  thanks.  He  certainly  does  not  rate  the  back- 
handed slap  taken  at  him  by  Boxoffice. 


ANOTHER  DIRECTOR  TAKES 
EXCEPTION 

Tay  Garnett,  prominent  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
director,  who  has  directed,  among  others,  such  out- 
standing pictures  as  "One  Way  Passage,"  "China 
Seas,"  "Cheers  for  Miss  Bishop,"  "Bataan,"  and  the 
recently  released  "Mrs.  Parkington,"  has  this  to  say 
in  rebuttal  to  the  series  of  articles  entitled,  "Wanton 
Waste  in  Production,"  which  appeared  in  Harrison's 
Reports  recently : 

"In  Harrisons  Reports  recently,  directors  were 
charged  with  'cruel  waste'  of  negative  stock,  with 
over-shooting  films  so  that  thousands  of  dollars  were 
left  on  the  cutting  room  floor,  and  with  generally 
being  prima  donnas  and  wasting  money. 

"Despite  the  statements  of  the  anonymous  film 
studio  head  you  quoted,  the  average  film  director  is 
highly  cost-conscious.  It  is  true  that  on  rare  occasions 
Hollywood  produces  a  director  who  will  film  one 
scene  100  times,  but  to  think  such  a  director  is  typical 
is  like  thinking  that  Babe  Ruth,  in  his  heyday,  was 
typical  of  ball  players. 

"Rarely  do  I  ever  film  a  scene  more  than  two  or  three 
times — and  in  this  I  am  not  exceptional — although 
the  other  day  on  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 's  'The  Val- 
ley of  Decision,'  I  had  eighteen  takes.  However,  the 
scene  was  filmed  completely  only  three  times  and 
two  of  these  takes  were  spoiled  by  baubles — a  player 
stumbling  over  a  word. 

"Of  the  fifteen  takes,  five  were  spoiled  by  airplane 
noises;  one  was  spoiled  when  a  steam  pipe  began  to 
hiss;  four  were  the  result  of  players  forgetting  lines; 
two  were  caused  by  the  camera  crew  failing  to  move 


in  quickly  enough  on  a  dolly  shot;  three  were  caused 
by  a  lock  of  Gregory  Peck's  hair  falling  over  one  eye. 

"Through  the  years,  Hollywood's  top  flight  direc- 
tors have  been  those  whose  picture  grosses  in  relation 
to  picture  costs  are  consistently  on  the  healthy  side 
of  the  ledger.  If  these  directors  were  not  cost- 
conscious,  their  pictures  would  not  consistently  make 
money.  The  records  prove  that  they  do  make  money 
regardless  of  the  fact  that  seldom  do  directors  ever 
make  two  consecutive  pictures  from  scripts  prepared 
by  the  same  writers  or  for  the  same  producers. 

"The  article  also  blamed  directors  for  the  fact  that 
scripts  are  almost  invariably  over-long.  Except  in  the 
case  where  the  director  is  also  the  producer,  the  direc- 
tor has  little  or  nothing  to  say  regarding  the  original 
script  length. 

"Directors,  too,  were  charged  with  being  incon- 
siderate of  the  problems  of  the  cutter.  In  view  of  the 
fact  that  most  'A'  picture  directors  supervise  the  final 
editing  of  their  pictures  in  close  collaboration  with  the 
producer,  it  becomes  obvious  that  the  cutter's  prob- 
lems are  also  the  director's  problems.  A  length  prob- 
lem is  ultimately  the  director's  as  well  as  the  pro- 
ducer's headache. 

"In  another  portion  of  the  article,  you  propounded 
your  theory  that  pictures  should  be  'produced  in  the 
script,'  and  that  the  director  should  be  merely  'the  in- 
terpreter of  the  action  that  is  in  the  script.' 

"When  Arthur  Rubinstein  plays  a  Chopin  noc- 
turne he  is  only  interpreting  the  notes  Chopin  wrote 
down,  but  my  interpretation  of  the  same  notes  would 
sound  quite  different! 

"Since  the  day  the  bible  was  first  translated,  the 
world's  greatest  scholars  have  differed  as  to  the  mean- 
ing of  many  biblical  phrases. 

"Our  laws  have  been  phrased  so  as  to  remove  every 
possibility  of  misinterpretation,  yet  our  courts  are 
constantly  reversing  each  other  in  decisions  based 
solely  upon  interpretation  of  the  law. 

"The  analogy  is  obvious:  English  is  no  so  easily 
understood  as  your  theory  would  seem  to  indicate. 

"If  twelve  different  directors  were  handed  a  script 
and  told  to  direct  one  scene,  there  would  be  twelve 
different  versions  as  each  director  faithfully  strove  to 
put  on  film  what  he  understood  the  scene  to  be." 


A  RESOLUTION  AGAINST 
ADVANCED  ADMISSION  PRICES 

If  you  want  an  idea  of  how  deeply  the  public  re- 
sents the  constantly  expanding  practice  of  raising 
admission  prices  on  certain  pictures,  read  the  follow- 
ing resolution,  which  was  adopted  recently  by  the 
Ohio  Congress  of  Parents  and  Teachers : 

"The  State  Board  of  the  Ohio  Congress  of  Parents 
and  Teachers  hereby  registers  its  protest  against  the 
common  habit  of  raising  prices  for  a  really  good  pic- 
ture, since  prices  are  not  lowered  for  the  poor  ones. 

"Our  desire  is  that  more  people  should  see  more 
good  movies  and  the  advance  in  price  automatically 
decreases  the  attendance.  It  is  too  bad  to  deprive  large 
numbers  of  our  citizens  of  the  advantage  of  seeing 
pictures  which  could  be  of  great  benefit  to  them. 

"We  also  feel  it  is  not  in  keeping  with  the  times 
to  raise  any  prices  above  the  present  level." 

To  this  resolution,  Harrison's  Reports  adds: 
"Distributors,  take  heed!" 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

Harrison's  Reports 

Yearly  Subscription  Rates:  1270  SIXTH   AVENUE  Published     Weekly  by 

United  States   $15.00  RAnm1«19  Harrison's  Reports,  Inc., 

U.  S.  Insular  Possessions.  16.50  l\oom  1014  Publisher 

Canada                             16.50  New  York  20,  N.  Y.  P.  S.  HARRISON,  Editor 

Jf^ri^'  Spain ]Hl  A  Motion  Picture  Reviewing  Service   

Australia    New  'Zealand'  Devoted  Chiefly  to  the  Interests  of  the  Exhibitors  Established  July  1,  1919 

India,  Europe,  Asia  ....  17.50      Ug  Editoria,  Poiicy.  No  problem  Too  Big  for  Its  Editorial  Circle  7-4622 

*6C  a  copy  Columns,  if  It  is  to  Benefit  the  Exhibitor. 

A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  DECEMBER  9,  1944  No.  50 


A  NEW  COMPETITIVE  THREAT? 

In  the  November  29  issue  of  The  Exhibitor,  Mel 
Konecoff,  New  York  editor  of  that  trade  paper,  states 
in  his  weekly  column  that  "commercial  motion  pic- 
ture  exhibition  is  now  faced  with  another  entrant  into 
the  field  and  a  possible  potential  competitor  for  the 
ordinary  exhibitor,  the  night  club.  So,  in  the  postwar 
period,  in  addition  to  the  advent  of  popular  television, 
which  may  or  may  not  prove  a  competitor,  depending 
on  how  one  looks  at  it,  as  well  as  the  definite  increase 
in  the  use  of  16  mm.  film  and  projectors  in  homes, 
clubs,  and  schools,  the  night  spot  may  be  considered 
as  an  audience  capturer." 

Konecoff  then  goes  on  to  describe  a  room  that  has 
been  added  to  the  Monte  Carlo,  a  New  York  night- 
club, which  has  been  outfitted  with  the  latest  in  pro- 
jection, sound,  and  air-conditioning  equipment.  He 
adds  that,  "according  to  one  report,  'major  distribu- 
tors are  competing  with  one  another  to  supply  film  for 
this  "different'''  night  spot,1  and  we  were  just  wonder- 
ing what  the  score  is  along  those  lines.  Would  the  dis- 
tributors provide  product  for  any  and  all  clubs  oper- 
ated along  similar  lines?" 

Mel  Konecoff  has  indeed  brought  to  light  a  competi- 
tive threat  that  may,  if  not  checked  in  its  early  devel- 
opment, have  a  serious  effect  on  the  businesses  of  many 
established  exhibitors.  There  is  no  telling  how  alarm- 
ing the  competition  may  become  if  the  presentation  of 
motion  picture  entertainment  should  prove  desirable 
to  the  Monte  Carlo's  patrons;  the  idea  may  be  copied, 
not  only  by  night  clubs  throughout  the  country,  but 
also  by  country  clubs  and  by  the  local  branches  of 
national  organisations  such  as  the  American  Legion, 
Rotary  and  Elks  Clubs,  and  others,  most  of  which 
have  entertainment  halls  of  their  own. 

In  view  of  Konecoff 's  report  that  the  major  distribu- 
tors are  competing  with  one  another  to  supply  prod- 
uct to  the  Monte  Carlo,  and  since  the  continuance  of 
such  a  practice  may  prove  detrimental  to  the  interests 
of  established  exhibitors,  Harrison's  Reports  calls 
upon  the  distributors  to  make  their  positions  clear. 


MORE  ON  OPERATING  YOUR 
THEATRE  ON  A  SYSTEM 

A  recent  editorial  of  this  paper  dealing  with  the 
operation  of  a  theatre  on  a  system,  in  which  was  repro- 
duced a  percentage  cost  schedule  of  the  different 
phases  of  theatre  operation,  as  well  as  a  simplified 
form  issued  by  Leo  F.  Wolcott,  president  of  the  Allied 
Independent  Theatre  Owners  of  Iowa-Nebraska,  to 
help  small  theatre  owners  obtain  a  breakdown  of  their 
operational  costs,  has  brought  forth  from  exhibitors 
a  number  of  letters,  the  composite  substance  of  which 


is  contained  in  the  following  letter  from  a  Pennsyl- 
vania exhibitor : 

"The  article  on  page  192  of  your  November  25, 
1944  report  entitled  OPERATE  YOUR  THEATRE 
ON  A  SYSTEM  is  very  interesting. 

"Recognizing  that  the  cost  schedule  is  applicable 
to  1938,  do  you  have  any  similar  figures  reflecting 
current  conditions?  It  would  be  sufficient  if  you  were 
able  to  give  some  estimate  of  current  average  Film 
Rental  and  Profit. 

"We  presume  'Profit'  is  before  income  taxes. 

"Do  you  have  a  breakdown  of  'Film  Rental'  to 
features  and  shorts? 

"We  wonder  whether  Mr.  Wolcott  has  any  per- 
centage patterns  to  accompany  the  form  he  suggests 
for  analysis  of  overhead  information,  and  whether  he 
has  any  idea  of  current  average  film  rental." 

I  asked  Mr.  Wolcott  for  an  answer  to  these  in- 
quiries, and  the  following  is,  in  part,  his  reply : 

".  .  .  regarding  the  percentage  of  current  average 
film  rental  and  profit,  we,  too,  recommended  the  per- 
centage cost  of  operation  back  in  the  early  '30s,  but 
we  did  not  achieve  the  results  in  individual  theatres 
or  from  an  association  standpoint  with  that  system 
and  eventually  dropped  it  for  the  more  comprehen- 
sive outline  which  you  printed  on  November  25.  We 
find  this  latter  system  works  very  well  today  and  the 
results  of  any  theatre's  operations  can  be  easily 
checked  back  against  the  percentage  schedule. 

"It  will  be  noted  that  the  only  item  not  covered  in 
our  theatre  expense  form  of  today  is  feature  film 
rental,  for  the  simple  reason  this  varies  so  widely  from 
week  to  week  and  the  form  is  devised  for  the  purpose 
of  arriving  at  fair  feature  rentals.  The  percentage  of 
the  boxoffice  dollar  which  can  be  paid  for  film  rental 
will  vary  according  to  the  number  of  boxoffice  dollars. 
In  other  words,  25%  was  considered  fair  in  the  '30s. 
27j/2%  or  30%  might  be  considered  fair  today  be- 
cause of  the  added  business  generally  during  the  past 
year.  The  ultimate  result  of  all  this  is,  of  course,  to 
achieve  a  fair  and  substantial  net  profit  for  the  indi- 
vidual theatre  operation  and  it  can  not  be  arbitrarily 
set  up  for  all  the  theatres  in  the  country  because  the 
war-boom  theatres  may  be  able  to  pay  50%  film 
rental  and  still  retain  a  handsome  profit;  whereas 
there  are  numerous,  small,  war-stranded  theatres 
which  can  not  exist  at  even  20%  for  film  rental.  The 
Indiana  percentage  analysis  will  not  be  far  off  from 
the  average  successful  theatre  operation  today  except- 
ing in  film  rentals,  salaries,  and  perhaps  taxes.  Some 
reasonably  fixed  items  such  as  management,  heat, 
rent,  and  insurance  will  be  found  slightly  lower. 

"It  is  a  simple  matter  to  arrive  at  a  percentage 
schedule  of  the  gross  when  our  theatre  expense  form 
has  been  completed.  It  will  be  noted  income  taxes  are 
excluded." 


198 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  9,  1944 


"Destiny"  with  Alan  Curtis  and  Gloria  Jean 

(Unversal,  Dec.  22;  time,  65  mm.) 

An  unusually  interesting  program  picture,  revolving 
around  the  regeneration  of  an  embittered  ex-convict,  who, 
despite  his  sincere  efforts  to  lead  a  lawful  life,  after  serving 
a  jail  sentence,  becomes  an  innocent  particpant  in  a  bank 
robbery,  and  finds  himself  hunted  by  the  police.  The  action 
varies  from  fast-moving  gangster  melodrama,  showing  how 
he  had  become  implicated  in  a  life  of  crime,  to  the  idylic 
atmosphere  of  a  backwoods  farm,  where  the  fugitive's  faith 
in  mankind  is  resorted  by  a  blind  girl,  whose  kindness  and 
angelic  qualities  rid  him  of  his  anti-social  feelings.  Alan 
Curtis,  as  the  fugitive,  and  Gloria  Jean,  as  the  blind  girl, 
are  exceptonally  good.  Some  of  the  situations  are  deeply 
appealing,  while  others  are  extremely  suspensive.  A  dream 
sequence,  in  which  Curtis'  criminal  tendencies  get  the  best 
of  him,  is  very  effective: — 

Curtis,  an  honest  fellow  in  search  of  a  job,  is  influenced 
by  Vivian  Austin,  a  cabaret  singer,  to  work  with  Frank 
Fenton,  a  gangster.  Together,  they  implicate  Curtis  in  a 
robbery,  for  which  he  is  given  a  three  year  jail  term.  Re- 
leased from  prison,  Curtis  determines  to  go  straight,  but 
once  again  Fenton  shrewdly  implicates  him  in  a  robbery. 
Curtis  flees  from  the  police  and  seeks  refuge  in  a  highway 
tavern  operated  by  Minna  Gombell,  who  offers  to  help  him. 
But  he  catches  her  telephoning  the  police,  and  is  compelled 
to  continue  his  flight.  Embittered,  Curtis  makes  his  way  to 
a  farm  house  owned  by  Frank  Craven  and  his  blind  daughter, 
Gloria  Jean.  Curtis  accepts  shelter  for  the  night,  but,  having 
lost  his  faith  in  every  one,  plans  to  leave  on  the  following 
day.  Gloria,  sensing  that  Curtis  was  in  trouble,  asks  him  to 
remain  and  help  her  father  with  the  farm  work.  He  accepts 
the  offer  reluctantly,  but  with  the  passing  days  Gloria's 
kindliness  and  her  faith  in  him  rid  him  of  the  impulse  to  do 
wrong.  When  Craven  accidentally  shoots  himself,  Gloria 
pleads  with  Curtis  to  take  him  to  a  doctor  in  town.  Realizing 
that  it  will  mean  his  capture,  Curtis  agrees.  In  town,  the 
police  recognize  and  arrest  him,  but  they  release  him  when 
word  arrives  that  Fenton  had  been  apprehendd  and  had 
confessed  to  the  robbery,  exonerating  Curtis.  Jubilant,  Curtis 
returns  with  Gloria  and  her  father  to  the  farm. 

Roy  Chanslor  and  Ernest  Pascal  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Roy  William  Neill  produced  it,  and  Reginald  Le  Borg  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Grace  McDonald  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Experiment  Perilous"  with  Hedy  Lamarr, 
George  Brent  and  Paul  Lukas 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  91  min.) 

A  well  produced,  fairly  interesting  psychological  melo- 
drama. But  it  is  entertainment  mostly  for  class  audiences. 
The  rank-and-file  will  find  little  appeal  in  its  subject  matter, 
which  deals  with  the  machinations  of  a  maniacal  murderer, 
who,  through  subtle  suggestion,  tries  to  convince  his  wife 
that  she  is  mentally  unbalanced.  Moreover,  the  story  is  so 
involved  that  many  patrons  may  find  it  difficult  to  follow. 
There  is  considerable  suspense  in  some  of  the  situations, 
particularly  in  the  closing  scenes,  where  the  husband  tries  to 
kill  both  his  wife  and  a  doctor,  who  had  come  to  her  aid. 
As  far  as  box-office  results  are  concerned,  the  popularity  of 
the  stars  and  of  the  novel  may  attract  many  people,  but  it 
will  not  receive  extensive  advertising  from  those  who  will 
see  it: — 

On  a  train  bound  for  New  York,  George  Brent,  a  doctor, 
meets  Olive  Blakeney,  a  talkative  elderly  spinster,  who  tells 
him  that  she  was  going  to  visit  Hedy  Lamarr,  wife  of  Paul 
Lukas,  her  brother,  a  philanthrophist.  Later  that  night  at  a 
party,  Brent  overhears  that  Miss  Blakeney  had  died  of  a 
heart  attack  soon  after  reaching  Lukas'  home.  Suspicious, 
Brent  arranges  through  Albert  Dekker,  a  friend,  to  visit 
Lukas'  home  for  tea.  There,  Brent  finds  himself  attracted  to 


Hedy  but  is  disturbed  when  Lukas  takes  him  aside  and  in- 
sinuates that  she  was  mentally  unsound.  On  the  following 
day,  Lukas  visits  Brent's  office  to  discuss  Hedy's  mental  state. 
Finding  Lukas'  statements  contrary  to  many  things  Miss 
Blakeney  had  told  him  on  the  train,  Brent  becomes  con- 
vinced that  the  man  was  lying.  Through  Miss  Blakcney's 
diary,  which  had  become  mixed  with  his  luggage,  Brent 
learns  that  Hedy  was  afraid  of  Lukas  because  of  an  indis- 
cretion she  had  committed  a  few  years  back  with  a  young 
poet,  who  was  later  found  dead.  In  love  with  Hedy,  and 
fearing  for  her  life,  Brent  arranges  to  move  her  and  her 
young  son  to  a  place  of  safety.  Lukas,  learning  of  the  plan, 
traps  Brent  in  his  (Lukas')  home,  and  informs  him  that  the 
house  was  filled  with  gas  and  would  soon  explode.  Mean- 
while he  confesses  the  murders  of  the  young  poet  and  his 
sister.  Brent  attacks  the  deranged  man  and  manages  to  save 
Hedy  and  her  son  before  the  explosion  which  kills  Lukas. 

Warren  Duff  wrote  the  screen  play  and  produced  it. 
Jacques  Tourneur  directed  it.  Robert  Fellows  was  executive 
producer. 

"Farewell  My  Lovely"  with  Dick  Powell, 
Claire  Trevor  and  Anne  Shirley 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  96  min.) 

A  good  murder  mystery  melodrama;  it  should  do  better 
than  average  business.  The  story,  told  in  a  series  of  flash- 
backs, revolves  around  a  luckless  private  detective,  who 
becomes  involved  in  a  number  of  perplexing  adventures,  in- 
cluding a  murder,  when  an  ex-convict  employs  him  to  find 
his  former  sweetheart.  The  chief  fault  with  the  story  is  that 
it  depends  too  much  on  dialogue  to  explain  the  motivation 
of  the  different  characters;  consequently,  unless  the  specta- 
tor plays  close  attention,  parts  of  the  action  are  puzzling. 
Aside  from  its  talky  moments,  however,  the  picture  moves 
at  a  brisk  pace,  and  there  is  considerable  suspense  and  some 
comedy.  One's  interest  is  held  all  the  way  through  since 
the  mystery  is  not  cleared  up  until  the  finish: — 

Dick  Powell,  a  private  detective,  is  visited  by  Mike 
Mazurki,  an  ex-convict,  who  hires  him  to  find  his  ex-sweet- 
heart. Shortly  after,  Douglas  Walton,  a  man-about-town, 
asks  Powell  to  accompany  him  to  buy  back  a  jade  necklace 
from  some  thieves,  who  had  stolen  it  from  Claire  Trevor, 
beautiful  young  wife  of  Miles  Mander,  elderly  millionaire. 
Arriving  at  the  appointed  place,  Powell  is  knocked  un- 
conscious, and  Walton  is  murdered.  Powell's  investigation 
brings  him  to  Mander's  home,  where  Anne  Shirley,  Mander's 
daughter,  offers  to  pay  him  to  stop  his  investigation.  Powell 
refuses  and,  through  Claire,  learns  that  Otto  Kruger,  a 
"quack"  psychiatrist,  had  been  trying  to  blackmail  her  lest 
he  tell  her  husband  of  her  past.  Kruger,  learning  of  Powell's 
interest  in  his  activities,  informs  Mazurki  that  he  can  make 
Powell  reveal  the  whereabouts  of  his  girl-friend  if  he  will 
bring  him  to  his  (Kruger's)  apartment.  Mazurk  forces 
Powell  to  go  to  Kruger,  who  beats  him  severely  before  he 
escapes.  After  a  series  of  incidents  in  which  Mazurki  kills 
Kruger  for  fooling  him.  Powell  obtains  evidence  that  Claire 
herself  was  Mazurki's  former  sweetheart.  He  arranges  a  meet- 
ing with  Claire  at  her  beach  house,  where  he  pretends  to  en- 
joy her  lov-making  and  tricks  her  into  admitting  that  she  was 
the  ex-convict's  former  girl-friend,  that  her  jade  necklace 
had  not  been  stolen,  and  that  she  had  killed  Walton  because 
she  had  tired  of  him.  Realizing  that  she  had  been  tricked, 
Claire  tries  to  shoot  Powell,  but  just  then  Mander,  dis- 
tressed by  Claire's  infidelities,  enters  the  room  and  shoots 
her  down.  Mazurki  bursts  into  the  room  and  advances  on 
Mander  for  killing  Claire;  Mander  shoots  him  and  then 
kills  himself.  It  ends  with  Powell  and  Anne  looking  for- 
ward to  a  new  future. 

John  Paxton  wrote  the  screen  play,  Adrian  Scott  pro- 
duced it,  and  Edward  Dmytryk  directed  it. 

Strictly  adult  entertainment. 


December  9, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


199 


"Sunday  Dinner  for  a  Soldier"  with 
Anne  Baxter,  John  Hodiak  and 
Charles  Winninger 

(20th  Century-Fox,  December;  time,  86  min.) 

A  very  appealing  comedy-drama,  revolving  around  a 
poverty-stricken  family,  living  on  a  houseboat  in  Florida, 
which  decides  to  do  its  share  in  the  war  effort  by  inviting 
a  soldier  to  Sunday  dinner.  The  story,  though  simple,  has 
been  told  in  a  heart-warming  manner.  The  difficulties  en' 
countered  by  the  family  in  obtaining  sufficient  food,  and 
the  general  excitement  that  prevails  as  they  prepare  eagerly 
for  the  soldier's  visit,  give  the  proceedings  moments  that 
are  tenderly  touching  and,  at  times,  highly  hilarious.  All 
the  players  perform  very  well.  The  romantic  interest  is 
pleasing.  It  is  the  sort  of  picture  that  leaves  one  with  a 
pleasant  feeling,  for  all  the  characters  are  sympathetic: — 

Living  on  a  ramshackle  houseboat  anchored  in  a  lagoon, 
Charles  Winninger,  a  shiftless  but  kindly  old  man,  lives 
happily  with  his  four  grandchildren,  Anne  Baxter,  Connie 
Marshal,  Billy  Cummings,  and  Bobby  Driscoll.  Though  the 
family  was  poor,  Anne,  who  managed  the  household,  insists 
upon  inviting  a  soldier  to  Sunday  dinner  just  like  her  pros- 
perous neighbors.  Winninger  goes  to  town  and  files  an 
application  with  the  USO  to  send  a  soldier,  but  the  appli- 
cation is  destroyed  by  Anne  Revere,  a  prosperous,  middle- 
aged  neighbor,,  during  a  fit  of  pique  over  Winninger' s  re- 
fusal to  pay  attention  to  her.  Unaware  of  this,  the  family 
prepares  to  welcome  the  soldier.  On  Sunday,  all  wait  im- 
patiently for  their  guest,  and  are  saddened  considerably  by 
his  failure  to  arrive.  The  children  seeing  a  soldier  (John 
Hodiak)  walking  on  the  beach,  rush  to  greet  him.  Though 
puzzled  by  their  references  to  dinner,  Hodiak,  who  had  just 
happened  by,  gracefully  accepts  the  invitation.  He  is  wel- 
comed into  the  household  and  soon  becomes  one  of  the 
family.  Never  having  had  a  home  life  of  his  own,  Hodiak 
enjoys  himself  immensely.  Following  a  day  full  of  laughter, 
in  which  Hodiak  and  Anne  fall  in  love,  the  soldier  leaves  for 
the  fighting  fronts,  happy  in  the  thought  that  he  now  had  a 
"family,"  and  a  girl,  too. 

Wanda  Tuchock  and  Melvin  Levy  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Walter  Morosco  produced  it,  and  Lloyd  Bacon  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Chill  Wills,  Jane  Darwell  and  others. 


"Guest  in  the  House"  with  Anne  Baxter, 
Ralph  Bellamy  and  Ruth  Warwick 

(United  Artists,  Dec.  8,  time,  117  min.) 

Adapted  from  the  Broadway  stage  play  of  the  same  title, 
this  is  a  well  produced,  intelligently  directed  psychological 
drama,  the  sort  that  may  be  received  better  in  large  cities 
than  in  small  towns.  The  story,  which  deals  with  the 
anguish  and  dissension  brought  into  a  gay  household  by  a 
sweet-faced,  treacherous  neurotic,  is  somewhat  over-long, 
nevertheless,  it  holds  one's  attention  fairly  well.  Anne 
Baxter,  as  the  malicious  invalid,  is  properly  hateful  as  she 
shrewdly  disrupts  the  family  that  had  been  kind  to  her,  but 
at  times  she  overacts,  making  her  maliciousness  too  obvious. 
Ralph  Bellamy  and  Ruth  Warwick  are  first-rate  as  the  mar- 
ried couple  who  befriend  Anne  only  to  find  themselves 
estranged  by  her  villainy.  A  few  of  the  situations  are  on 
the  sexy  side,  but  they  have  been  handled  in  good  taste: — 

Scott  McKay,  a  young  doctor,  brings  Anne  Baxter,  his 
fiancee,  to  the  home  of  Ralph  Bellamy,  his  brother,  to  re- 
cuperate from  a  nervous  breakdown.  Bellamy,  an  artist, 
lived  happily  with  his  wife  (Ruth  Warwick)  and  child 
(Connie  Laird),  and  an  aunt  (Aline  MacMahon).  Anne,  an 
outwardly  kind  person,  is  welcomed  by  the  family.  Soon 
after  her  arrival,  Anne  cunningly  begins  to  disrupt  the 
servants.  When  Bellamy,  seeking  to  encourage  her  re- 
covery, tells  her  that  he  sees  in  her  the  possibilities  of  a 
physically  beautfiul  woman,  Anne  becomes  infatuated  with 
him.  She  determines  to  become  well,  and  schemes  to  sup- 


plant Marie  McDonald,  his  model,  as  well  as  Ruth,  his  wife. 
She  craftily  sows  suspicion  among  the  different  members  of 
the  household,  leading  them  to  believe  that  Bellamy  and 
his  model  were  having  an  affair.  As  a  result,  the  model 
leaves,  the  servants  quit  their  jobs,  little  Connie  acquires 
neurotic  tendencies,  and  finally  Ruth  and  Bellamy  become 
estranged.  Anne  soon  finds  herself  sole  possessor  of  the 
broken  home  and  openly  declares  her  love  for  Bellamy. 
Realizing  that  the  family's  troubles  were  caused  by  Anne's 
machinations,  Bellamy  orders  her  to  leave.  He  warns  his 
brother  of  her  viciousness,  but  McKay,  hopelessly  in  love 
with  Anne,  still  offers  to  marry  her.  The  aunt,  determined 
not  to  let  the  evil  girl  ruin  her  nephew's  life,  plays  upon 
Anne's  neuroticism  by  telling  her  that  a  bird  was  flying 
around  the  room.  Anne,  easily  terrorized  by  the  fluttering 
wings  of  a  bird,  flees  from  the  house,  losing  her  life  in  a 
fall  from  a  high  cliff. 

Ketti  Frings  wrote  the  screen  play,  Hunt  Stromberg  pro- 
duced it,  and  John  Brahm  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
Jerome  Cowan,  Percy  Kilbride,  Margaret  Hamilton  and 
others. 

"National  Velvet"  with  Mickey  Rooney 
and  Elizabeth  Taylor 

(MGM,  no  release  dae  set;  time,  125  min.) 

Excellent!  It  is  a  heart-warming  human  interest  drama, 
superbly  produced  in  Technicolor;  it  will  undoubtedly  be 
a  top  box-office  success,  for  it  is  the  sort  of  picture  that  will 
appeal  to  all  types  of  audiences.  The  story,  which  takes 
place  in  pre-war  England,  is  a  tender  tale  revolving  around 
an  eleven-year-old  girl  and  a  dispirited  former  jockey,  whose 
reformation  is  brought  about  by  their  mutual  love  for  a 
thoroughbred  horse.  The  circumstances  under  which  the 
girl  enters  the  horse  in  the  Grand  National  Sweepstakes, 
and  the  turn  of  events  that  find  her  riding  the  horse  to 
victory  in  England's  greatest  race,  is  told  with  warmth, 
understanding,  and  even  credibility.  The  race  itself  is  one 
of  the  most  thrilling  ever  seen  on  the  screen,  and  MGM's 
faithful  reproduction  of  the  Grand  National  course  is  an 
outstanding  piece  of  work.  The  English  countryside,  en- 
hanced by  Technicolor  photography,  is  a  delight  to  the  eye. 
Elizabeth  Taylor,  as  the  young  girl,  is  excellent,  and  Mickey 
Rooney,  as  the  homeless  jockey,  handles  his  difficult  role 
very  well.  Anne  Revere  and  Donald  Crisp,  as  Elizabeth's 
understanding  parents,  and  Jackie  Jenkins,  Rita  Quigley, 
and  Angela  Lansbury,  as  Elizabeth's  brother  and  sisters, 
give  capable  support.  The  family  scenes  are  delightful,  with 
little  Jackie  Jenkins,  of  "Human  Comedy"  fame,  providing 
most  of  the  laughs: — 

Rooney,  a  shrewd,  homeless  boy  of  seventeen,  is  be- 
friended by  Elizabeth's  parents,  who  give  him  a  job  in  their 
butcher  shop.  Rooney  plans  to  steal  money  from  the  family 
and  to  run  away,  but  Elizabeth's  faith  in  him  restrains  him. 
When  Reginald  Owen,  a  neighbor,  raffles  off  an  unman- 
ageable horse,  Elizabeth,  who  loved  horses,  wins  the  animal. 
When  the  girl  expresses  a  desire  to  enter  the  horse  in  the 
Grand  National  Sweepstakes,  Rooney  and  her  father  deem 
the  idea  fantastic,  but  her  mother  understandingly  provides 
the  entry  fee.  For  months,  the  two  youngsters  work  hard 
training  the  animal.  On  the  night  before  the  race,  Elizabeth's 
jockey  expresses  doubt  that  her  horse  will  win.  Angry, 
Elizabeth  refuses  to  let  him  ride.  She  disguises  herself  as  a 
boy  and  decides  to  ride  the  horse  herself.  She  wins  the 
gruelling  race,  slipping  out  of  the  saddle  in  a  dead  faint 
just  as  she  crosses  the  finish  line.  When  her  identity  is  dis- 
covered in  the  field  hospital,  her  horse  is  disqualified. 
Despite  the  loss  of  the  purse,  Elizabeth  and  Rooney  return 
home,  content  that  their  horse  had  proved  itself  a  champion. 

Theodore  Reeves  and  Helen  Duetsch  wrote  the  screen  play 
from  the  novel  by  Enid  Bagnold,  P*ando  S.  Berman  produced 
it,  and  Clarence  Brown  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Arthur 
Treacher  and  others. 


200 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  9,  1944 


"Night  Club  Girl"  with  Vivian  Austin, 
Edward  Norris  and  Billy  Dunn 

(Universal,  January  5;  time,  61  min.) 

Just  a  minor  program  comedy  with  music.  The  story  is 
hackneyed  and  the  production  values  are  ordinary.  More- 
over, the  players  lack  box-office  drawing  power.  The  musical 
numbers,  which  are  of  the  popular  variety,  are  its  main  at- 
tractions, but  even  these  present  nothing  unusual  and  they 
are  not  enough  to  hold  one's  interest  throughout.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  singing  and  dancing  of  Vivian  Austin  and  Billy 
Dunn,  others  doing  specialty  numbers  include  the  Delta 
Rhythm  Boys,  a  colored  quartet,  the  Mulcays,  an  harmonica 
team,  Judy  Clark,  a  "Betty  Hutton"  type  of  singer,  and 
Paula  Drake,  a  "torch"  singer: — 

With  the  help  of  their  home  town  chamber  of  commerce, 
Vivian  Austin  and  Billy  Dunn,  sister  and  brother,  go  to 
Hollywood  to  seek  fame  and  fortune  with  their  song-and- 
dance  act.  In  Hollywood,  they  soon  find  themselves  broke 
and  hungry.  Edward  Norris,  a  columnist,  learns  of  their 
plight  and  arranges  for  them  to  appear  that  night  in  a 
night-club  owned  by  Maxie  Rosenbloom.  But  the  youngsters, 
having  overeaten  on  "hot  dogs,"  are  unable  to  complete 
their  act.  Rosenbloom  orders  them  out,  but  the  employees  of 
the  club,  feeling  sympathetic  towards  the  young  couple, 
promise  to  help  them  put  on  their  act  once  again.  On  the 
following  night,  while  the  employees  and  Norris  trick  Rosen- 
bloom into  leaving  the  club  for  the  evening,  Vivian  teaches 
Leon  Bclasco,  the  chef,  her  recipe  for  "soupy  hash,"  a 
Missouri  dish.  Just  as  Vivian  and  Billy  prepare  to  do  their 
act,  Rosenbloom  returns  unexpectedly.  The  employees  lock 
him  in  the  ice-box  to  give  the  youngsters  an  opportunity  to 
do  their  routine.  Meanwhile  a  wealthy  food  manufacturer, 
visiting  the  night-club,  becomes  enthused  over  the  "soupy 
hash."  It  all  ends  with  the  young  couple  scoring  a  huge 
success  with  their  act,  and  with  their  concluding  a  deal  with 
the  food  tycoon  to  manufacture  the  "soupy  hash,"  with  the 
factory  in  their  home  town. 

Henry  Blankfort  and  Dick  Irving  Hyland  wrote  the 
screen  play,  Frank  Gross  produced  it,  and  Eddie  Cline  di- 
rected it.  The  cast  includes  Minna  Gombell,  Andrew 
Tombes,  Clem  Bevans  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Nevada"  with  Bob  Mitchum,  Ann  Jeffreys 
and  Nancy  Gates 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  62  min.) 

A  slightly  better  than  average  program  Western  melo- 
drama. Although  the  story  is  not  different  from  the  usual 
type  of  Western  story,  it  should  please  those  who  enjoy  this 
type  of  entertainment,  for  it  has  exciting  horse  riding,  a  few 
good  fist  fights,  and  some  comedy.  There  is  some  suspense 
throughout  because  of  the  danger  to  the  hero  in  bucking  up 
against  the  villains.  The  plot  developments  are  obvious,  but 
the  action  fans  may  overlook  that  fact  since  the  story  moves 
at  a  pretty  good  pace: — 

After  winning  $7,000  from  a  crooked  gambler,  Bob  Mit- 
chum, an  adventurous  cowboy,  and  his  two  pals,  Guinn 
Williams  and  Richard  Martin,  find  themselves  pursued  by 
the  gambler's  henchmen.  The  three  men  separate  and  agree 
to  meet  in  Gold  Hill,  a  gold-mining  town.  Meanwhile  in 
Gold  Hill,  Craig  Reynolds,  a  respected  citizen,  learns  that 
huge  deposits  of  blue  clay,  thought  by  the  miners  to  be 
worthless,  were  rich  in  silver.  He  keeps  this  discovery  to 
himself,  planning  to  buy  the  miners'  claims  at  low  prices. 
Learning  that  Larry  Wheat,  a  miner,  planned  to  have  the 
clay  assayed,  Reynolds  and  his  henchman,  Harry  Woods, 
kill  Wheat  from  ambush.  Mitchum,  on  his  way  to  town, 
discovers  the  body  just  as  a  sheriff  s  posse  arrives.  Since  the 
$7,000  in  his  pocket  was  precisely  the  amount  the  dead  man 
was  known  to  have  been  carrying,  Mitchum  is  accused  of 
murder  and  robbery.  Reynolds  and  Powell  stir  up  the  miners 
to  lynch  Mitchum,  but  Williams  and  Martin  arrive  in  time 
to  rescue  their  pal  through  a  clever  ruse.  Mitchum  clears  him- 
self of  the  murder  charge  by  decoying  the  crooked  gambler 


to  Gold  Hill  and  compelling  him  to  state  that  he  had  lost 
the  $7,000  to  him  in  a  gambling  game.  Determined  to  track 
down  the  killer,  Mitchum  tries  to  force  a  confession  from 
Powell.  Reynolds,  fearing  that  his  henchman  may  talk,  kills 
Powell  and  publicly  lays  the  blame  on  Mitchum.  Meanwhile 
Mitchum  learns  that  the  blue  clay  was  rich  in  silver,  and  that 
Reynolds  had  tricked  Nancy  Gates,  the  murdered  man's 
daughter,  into  selling  her  property  to  him.  Learning  that 
Reynolds  was  on  his  way  to  Carson  City  to  legalize  the 
claim,  Mitchum  pursues  and  captures  him  after  a  gun  battle. 
Reynolds  is  held  for  the  murder,  and  Mitchum  and  Nancy 
plan  a  new  future  together. 

Norman  Houston  wrote  the  screen  play  based  on  the 
Zane  Grey  novel,  Herman  Schlom  produced  it,  and  Edward 
Killy  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Hollywood  Canteen"  with  an  all-star  cast 

(Warner  Bros.,  December  30;  time,  124  min.) 

Good  popular  type  entertainment,  somewhat  similar  to 
"Stage  Door  Canteen."  Blending  comedy,  music,  and 
romance,  it  depicts  Hollywood's  generosity  in  providing 
recreation  for  the  thousands  of  servicemen  who  pass  through 
the  Dos  Angeles  area.  The  star-studded  cast,  which  includes 
most  of  the  Warner  Brothers  stars,  as  well  as  stars  from 
other  major  and  independent  studios,  assures  the  picture's 
box-office  success.  Many  of  the  outstanding  personalities 
appear  very  briefly,  speaking  just  a  few  lines,  while  others 
are  given  more  of  an  opportunity  to  display  their  particular 
talents,  but  all  have  been  presented  in  a  skillful  manner, 
keeping  one's  interest  alive  throughout  the  proceedings. 
Those  doing  specialties  include  Eddie  Cantor  and  Nora 
Martin  in  a  singing  duet;  Jack  Benny  matching  his  talent 
as  a  violinist  against  the  talent  of  Joseph  Szigeti,  famed 
violin  virtuoso;  Jane  Wyman  and  Jack  Carson  in  a  song 
and  dance  routine;  Roy  Rogers,  his  horse,  Trigger,  and  the 
Sons  of  the  Pioneers  in  a  Western  song  routine;  Dennis 
Morgan  and  Joe  E.  Brown  singing  "You  Can  Always  Tell 
a  Yank,"  a  stirring  tune;  Joan  McCracken  in  a  sensational 
comedy  ballet  dance;  the  Andrews  Sisters  singing  a  number 
of  "swingy"  tunes;  Kitty  Carlisle  singing  a  ballad;  Rosario 
and  Rosita  in  a  gypsy  dance;  and  the  Golden  Gate  Quartet 
singing  a  number  of  songs.  A  few  of  these  specialty  num- 
bers are  outstanding,  while  the  others  are  highly  entertain- 
ing. Jimmy  Dorsey  and  his  Band  and  Carmen  Cavallaro  and 
his  Rhumba  Orchestra  furnish  the  music. 

Winding  its  way  through  the  different  specialties  is  a 
human,  appealing  story  concerning  a  young  soldier  (Robert 
Hutton)  and  his  buddy  (Dane  Clark)  who,  after  being 
wounded  in  the  South  Pacific,  find  themselves  in  Hollywood 
on  a  short  leave.  Visiting  the  Hollywood  Canteen,  Hutton 
hopes  to  meet  Joan  Leslie,  his  favorite  actress.  John  Gar- 
field and  Bette  Davis,  learning  of  Hutton's  desire,  arrange 
for  him  to  meet  Joan.  On  one  of  his  nightly  visits  to  the 
Canteen,  Hutton  finds  himself  hailed  as  the  millionth  guest 
and,  as  a  prize,  he  is  given  an  expensive  hotel  suite,  the  use 
of  a  shiny  limousine,  and  his  choice  of  an  actress  for  a 
week-end  date.  Of  course,  he  selects  Joan.  The  rest  of  the 
story  is  devoted  to  their  falling  in  love  and,  towards  the 
finish,  a  slight  misunderstanding  leads  Hutton  to  believe  that 
his  romance  with  Joan  was  just  a  publicity  stunt.  As  he  pre- 
pares to  leave  Hollywood,  however,  Joan  sees  him  off  at  the 
train  and  convinces  him  that  her  love  was  genuine. 

Joan  Leslie  and  Hutton  make  a  very  appealing  romantic 
couple,  while  Dane  Clark  is  exceptionally  good  as  his  buddy; 
his  misadventures  at  the  Canteen  with  the  different  stars 
provoke  considerable  laughter. 

Delmar  Daves  wrote  the  screen  play  and  directed  it.  Alex 
Gottlieb  produced  it.  The  cast  includes  Julie  Bishop,  Joan 
Crawford,  Helmut  Dantine,  Faye  Emerson,  Victor  Francen, 
Mary  Gordon,  Sydney  Greenstreet,  Alan  Hale,  Paul  Hen- 
reid,  Peter  Lorre,  Ida  Lupino,  Irene  Manning,  Eleanor 
Parker,  Joyce  Reynolds,  John  Ridgely,  S.  Z.  Sakall,  Zachary 
Scott,  Alexis  Smith,  Barbara  Stanwyck,  Donald  Woods  and 
many  others. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  DECEMBER  16,  1944  No.  51 


A  Smashing  Victory 


The  United  States  Supreme  Court's  decision  last  Mon- 
day, which  upheld  the  Department  of  Justice  in  its  anti- 
trust suit  against  the  Crescent  Amusement  Company  and 
its  affiliates,  is  a  major  victory  for  the  Government  and  a 
great  step  forward  in  the  independent  exhibitors'  fight 
against  the  monopolistic  practices  that  have  plagued  them 
these  many  years. 

In  an  editorial  discussing  the  possible  effects  of  the  Gov- 
ernment's appeal  to  the  Supreme  Court  in  this  case,  Harri- 
son's Reports,  in  its  July  24,  1943  issue,  concluded  that 
".  .  .  although  there  is  the  possibility  that  the  .  .  .  appeal 
may  have  no  effect  on  the  industry  whatever,  there  is  a 
greater  possibility  that  the  Crescent  Case  may  wind  up  with 
limitless  implications  as  to  the  future  conduct  of  business 
within  the  industry."  And  that  is  exactly  what  has  hap- 
pened, for  the  decision  handed  down  by  the  Supreme  Court 
is  so  far-reaching  that  its  rulings  will  strengthen  immeasur- 
ably the  Government's  position  in  other  pending  anti-trust 
suits,  and  will  serve  to  curb  considerably  the  widespread 
elimination  of  independent  competition  by  the  larger 
theatre  circuits,  both  affiliated  and  unaffiliated. 

The  Crescent  case  has  been  in  litigation  so  long  that  many 
of  you  may  have  forgotten  its  details.  A  short  recapitulation 
of  the  facts  should,  therefore,  prove  helpful. 

The  Government  filed  its  suit  against  Crescent  and  its 
affiliated  companies  in  1938,  charging  them  with  restraint 
of  trade  and  conspiracy  to  violate  the  anti-trust  laws.  The 
eight  major  producer-distributors  were  named  co-defendants 
but  when  the  case  came  to  trial,  the  five  companies  that  had 
signed  the  Consent  Decree  were  dismissed  and,  later  on,  the 
Court  found  that  the  charges  against  Columbia  and  Univer- 
sal had  not  been  sustained.  United  Artists,  however,  was 
found  to  have  violated  the  anti-trust  laws  by  combining  with 
some  of  the  defendants  to  eliminate  independent  theatre 
competition  in  two  small  situations. 

The  case  was  tried  by  Judge  Elmer  D.  Davies,  of  the 
United  States  District  Court  for  the  Middle  District  of 
Tennessee,  who  in  a  final  decree  handed  down  in  May,  1943, 
found  the  defendants  guilty  of  building  up  a  monopoly  in 
the  theatre  business,  and  enjoined  and  restrained  them 
from  continuing  in  combination  with  each  other  for  the 
purpose  of  maintaining  their  monopoly;  declared  invalid 
the  existing  film  franchises  entered  into  between  the  de- 
fendants and  the  distributors  (except  for  their  theatres  in 
Nashville);  ordered  the  divestment  of  interlocking  owner- 
ship among  the  defendants;  and  prohibited  the  coercion  of 
independent  exhibitors  into  either  selling  their  theatres  or 
abandoning  whatever  plans  they  had  to  compete  with  the 
defendants. 

Despite  its  victory  in  the  District  Court,  however,  the 
Government  felt  that  Judge  Davies'  decree  failed  to  incorpo- 
rate an  effective  restriction  upon  the  defendants'  right  to 
acquire  additional  theatres,  and  was,  therefore,  inadequate 
to  secure  the  continued  existence  of  independent  compe- 
tition as  contemplated  by  the  Sherman  Act.  Accordingly, 
the  Government,  in  July  1943,  filed  an  appeal  in  the  U.  S. 
Supreme  Court  asking  that  the  decree  be  remanded  for  a 
correction,  which  would  enjoin  and  restrain  the  defendants 
from  acquiring  any  additional  theatres,  outside  of  Nash- 


ville, unless  they  first  proved  to  the  Court  that  such  acqui- 
sitions would  not  unreasonably  restrain  competition.  The 
Government  contended  that,  unless  the  Court's  approval 
were  obtained  prior  to  the  acquisitions,  the  defendants 
could  continue  to  eliminate  theatres  in  competitive  situa- 
tions, and  though  the  Government  might  subsequently  prove 
that  the  acquisitions  were  in  restraint  of  trade,  it  would  be 
impossible,  as  a  practical  matter,  to  restore  the  competitive 
situations  to  their  original  status. 

Shortly  after  the  Government  filed  its  appeal,  Crescent 
filed  a  cross-appeal  seeking  to  overthrow  the  decree  in  its 
entirety,  on  the  grounds  that  there  was  no  evidence  to  sup- 
port the  District  Court's  findings,  and  that  the  provision  for 
divestment  of  stock  interests  would  be  tantamount  to  confis- 
cation under  the  current  tax  laws. 

Briefly,  the  Supreme  Court  ruled  as  follows: 
Not  only  did  it  uphold  the  District  Court's  decree  in  its 
entirety,  but  it  also  expanded  the  decree  by  ruling  that  it 
should  be  revised  "so  as  to  prohibit  future  acquisitions  of  a 
financial  interest  in  additional  theatres  outside  of  Nashville 
except  after  an  affirmative  showing  that  such  acquisitions 
will  not  unreasonably  restrain  competition."  It  upheld  the 
invalidation  of  existing  franchises;  the  provisions  against  use 
of  buying  power  in  non-competitive  situations  as  a  means  of 
compelling  the  distributors  to  grant  monopoly  rights  in 
competitive  situations;  and  the  provision  requiring  each  of 
the  defendants  to  divest  itself  of  financial  interest  in  the 
others. 

Lack  of  space  prevents  Harrison's  Reports  from  pre- 
senting in  this  issue  either  a  comprehensive  review  of  the 
Supreme  Court's  decision,  or  a  full  discussion  of  the  pos- 
sible effects  its  rulings  will  have  in  alleviating  some  of  the 
hardships  suffered  by  the  independent  exhibitors.  But  it  will 
refer  to  this  decision  again  in  subsequent  issues.  Meanwhile, 
it  should  like  to  reproduce  this  part  of  the  Supreme  Court's 
opinion: 

"The  crux  of  the  Government's  case  was  the  use  of  the 
buying  power  of  the  combination  for  the  purpose  of  elimi- 
nating competition  with  the  exhibitors  and  acquiring  a 
monopoly  in  the  areas  in  question.  There  was  ample  evi- 
dence that  the  combination  used  its  buying  power  for  the 
purpose  either  of  restricting  the  ability  of  its  competitors  to 
license  films  or  of  eliminating  competition  with  the  exhibi- 
tors in  acquiring  a  monopoly  in  the  areas  in  question.  There 
was  ample  evidence  that  the  combination  used  its  buying 
power  for  the  purpose  either  of  restricting  the  ability  of  its 
competitors  to  license  film  or  of  eliminating  competition  by 
acquiring  the  competitor's  property  or  otherwise.  For  ex- 
ample, the  defendants  would  insist  that  a  distributor  give 
them  monopoly  rights  in  towns  where  they  had  competition 
or  else  defendants  would  not  give  the  distributor  any  busi- 
ness in  the  closed  towns  where  they  had  no  competition. 
The  competitor  not  being  able  to  renew  his  contract  for  films 
would  frequently  go  out  of  business  or  come  to  terms  and 
sell  out  to  the  combination  with  an  agreement  not  to  com- 
pete for  a  term  of  years.  The  mere  threat  would  at  times  be 
sufficient  and  cause  the  competitor  to  fall  out  to  the  com- 
bination 'because  his  mule  scared.' 

(Continued  on  last  page) 


202 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  16,  1944 


"Crazy  Knights"  with  Billy  Gilbert, 
Shemp  Howard  and  Maxie  Rosenbloom 

(Monogram,  Dec.  8;  time,  62  min.) 
Poor  program  entertainment.  It  is  a  rowdyish  mur- 
der mystery  with  comedy,  much  of  it  slapstick,  which 
may  prove  amusing  to  children.  Most  adults,  however, 
will  probably  find  it  extremely  tiresome.  Not  only  is 
the  story  insipid,  but  also  the  acting  is  bad.  The  whole 
thing  could  have  been  put  into  two  reels  with  room 
to  spare.  This  is  the  second  comedy  in  which  Billy 
Gilbert,  Shemp  Howard,  and  Maxie  Rosenbloom  have 
been  featured  together,  their  first  being  "Three  of  a 
Kind,"  which,  too,  was  a  mediocre  picture.  All  three 
comedians  have  the  ability  to  provoke  laughs,  but  the 
material  given  them  thus  far  has  been  too  much  of  a 
handicap: — 

Gilbert  and  Howard,  performers  in  a  trained  gorilla 
act,  and  Bernie  Snell,  their  manager,  stop  their  car  to 
aid  John  Hamilton,  his  niece,  Jane  Hazard,  and  his 
secretary,  Tay  Dunn,  who  were  stranded  on  the  road 
with  auto  trouble.  They  drive  them  and  their  chauf- 
feur (Maxie  Rosenbloom)  to  Hamilton's  country  es- 
tate, and  accept  an  invitation  to  remain  overnight. 
From  Hamilton's  conversation  and  from  some  queer 
happenings  in  the  house,  the  boys  gather  that  he 
feared  for  his  life.  During  the  night,  no  one  is  able  to 
sleep;  Hamilton  is  knocked  unconscious  by  a  mysteri- 
ous person;  strange  voices  cry  out  in  the  night;  ghosts 
skip  around  on  the  front  lawn  adjoining  the  family 
cemetery;  and  Dunn  is  found  murdered.  Tim  Ryan, 
a  private  detective  engaged  by  Minerva  Urecal,  the 
housekeeper,  arrives  on  the  scene  to  investigate  and, 
to  add  to  the  confusion,  the  act's  gorilla  escapes  from 
its  cage.  Eventually,  Howard  and  Gilbert  discover  an 
underground  cave  entrance  to  the  house,  with  secret 
passages  that  led  to  Hamilton's  room.  There,  the  boys 
trap  Hamilton  and  prove  that  he  intended  to  murder 
his  niece  to  gain  control  of  her  money,  and  that  he  had 
murdered  Dunn  because  he  had  discovered  his  plans. 

Tim  Ryan  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sam  Katzman 
and  Jack  Dietz  produced  it,  and  William  Beaudine 
directed  it.  Barney  Sarecky  was  associate  producer. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Three  Caballeros" 

(RKO,  no  release  date  set;  time,  72  mm.) 

Very  good  and  very  unique!  It  is  a  gay,  colorful 
blend  of  music,  comedy,  animation  and  live  action, 
the  sort  that  should  delight  every  type  of  audience. 
The  picture  is  a  revolutionary  departure  in  screen  en- 
tertainment in  that  it  combines  real  life  personalities 
with  animated  figures,  both  appearing  in  the  same 
scenes  against  backgrounds  that  are  real  and  animated. 
One  cannot  help  but  marvel  at  Disney's  perfection  of 
this  new  technique,  which,  for  example,  permits  his 
animated  characters  to  dance  with  the  live  characters, 
and  even  to  cavort  on  a  real  sandy  beach,  playfully 
chasing  real  life  bathing  beauties.  The  array  of  bril- 
liant colors  and  the  magnificence  of  the  Technicolor 
photography  hold  the  spectator  fascinated. 

The  story  begins  on  Donald  Duck's  birthday,  and 
he  is  shown  receiving  a  huge  package  from  his  friends 
in  Latin  America.  Inside  he  finds  a  number  of  smaller 
packages,  including  a  16  mm.  projector,  screen,  and 
film.  After  a  series  of  hilarious  gags,  in  which  he  finds 
himself  rolled  up  in  the  screen,  Donald  succeeds  in 
putting  the  projector  into  operation,  and  there  un- 
folds on  the  screen  a  story  about  rare  South  American 
birds.  Shown  are  the  misadventures  of  a  South  Pole 
penguin,  who  sets  out  for  a  warm  climate  because  he 


could  not  keep  his  feet  warm,  and  the  story  of  a  flying 
donkey,  who,  captured  by  a  little  boy-gaucho,  is 
trained  by  him  in  secret  to  win  a  horse  race  at  a  fiesta. 
The  picture  finished,  Donald  opens  another  gift  pack- 
age and  finds  a  book  titled  "Brazil,"  out  of  which  pops 
Joe  Carioca,  the  Brazilian  parrot-about-town,  his  old 
friend,  who  takes  him  on  a  tour  of  Brazil  by  boarding 
a  train  pictured  in  the  book.  They  go  to  colorful  Baia, 
where  both  participate  in  a  gay  fiesta  in  which  Donald 
becomes  enamoured  of  Aurora  Miranda,  a  flirtatious 
singer  and  samba  dancer.  Donald  and  Joe  return  from 
their  trip  and  both  open  up  the  last  of  Donald's  pack- 
ages, out  of  which  jumps  Panchito,  a  Mexican  charro 
rooster,  who  was  a  gentleman  cowboy  from  Mexico 
City.  Embracing  the  two  and  giving  them  each  a 
sombrero,  Panchito  takes  them  on  a  tour  of  Mexico. 
The  three  visit  among  other  places  the  beach  resort  of 
Acapulca,  Vera  Cruz,  and  Mexico  City.  During  their 
tour,  the  boys  participate  in  native  dances,  learn  about 
Mexican  customs,  become  involved  in  a  bullfight,  and 
have  many  other  adventures  too  numerous  to  men- 
tion, all  hilariously  funny. 

The  picture's  sixteen  tuneful  Latin  American  songs, 
and  the  fascinating  samba  and  rhumba  dances,  are  a 
treat  to  the  ear  and  the  eye.  Featured  in  the  scenes 
combining  live  action  and  animation  are  Aurora  Mir- 
anda, of  Brazil,  and  Dora  Luz  and  Carmen  Molina 
of  Mexico. 


"Dancing  in  Manhattan" 
with  Fred  Brady  and  Jeff  Donnell 

(Columbia,  Dec.  14;  time,  61  min.) 
Just  one  of  those  minor  program  comedy-melo- 
dramas, in  which  there  is  little  human  interest,  and 
no  sympathy  is  felt  for  the  characters.  The  story  is 
thin  and  artificial,  and  it  contains  no  new  angles.  Here 
and  there  it  has  an  amusing  bit  of  comedy,  but  there  is 
not  enough  of  it  to  put  the  picture  over.  Most  of  the 
action  is  slow-moving,  because  of  the  excessive  talk 
and,  since  the  outcome  is  obvious,  there  is  little  to 
hold  one's  interest.  Another  drawback  is  the  fact  that 
none  of  the  players  means  anything  at  the  box- 
office: — 

Blackmailed  by  William  Wright  and  his  wife,  Ann 
Savage,  Howard  Freeman  arranges  with  police  inspec- 
tor Cy  Kendall  to  pay  the  blackmailing  couple  $5,000 
in  marked  money.  When  Kendall  approaches  the  pair 
in  the  Crystal  Room,  a  fashionable  night-club,  to 
arrest  them,  Ann  drops  the  money  in  a  bowl  of  salad, 
which  eventually  finds  its  way  into  a  garbage  can.  On 
the  following  morning,  the  money  is  found  by  Fred 
Brady,  a  garbage  collector,  who  resigns  from  his  job, 
buys  his  girl  (Jeff  Donnell)  a  new  dress,  and  takes 
her  to  the  Crystal  Room  for  an  evening  of  fun.  Mean- 
while Wright  and  Ann  trace  the  money  to  Brady  and 
learn  that  he  had  gone  to  the  night-club.  They  follow 
him  there,  unaware  that  they  were  being  trailed  by 
Kendall.  At  the  Crystal  Room,  the  blackmailers  strike 
up  an  acquaintance  with  Brady  and  Jeff.  Wright,  to 
get  back  the  money,  tries  to  induce  Brady  to  invest  in 
a  fake  oil  stock.  Meanwhile  Ann  learns  from  a  cigar- 
ette girl  that  Brady  had  tipped  her  and  other  employ- 
ees with  marked  bills.  Informed  by  Ann  of  this  de- 
velopment, Wright  decides  to  move  quickly;  he  in- 
duces Brady  to  accompany  him  to  his  office  immedi- 
ately to  close  the  stock  transaction.  At  the  office, 
Wright  viciously  demands  the  money  from  Brady, 
starting  a  fight.  Kendall  and  the  police  arrive  in  time 
to  stop  the  fight  and  to  arrest  Wright.  Kendall  takes 
Brady  back  to  Jeff  at  the  night-club,  where  Freeman 


December  16,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


203 


gives  the  young  man  a  $5,000  reward  for  helping  to 
trap  the  blackmailers. 

Brna  Lazarus  wrote  the  screen  play,  Wallace  Mac- 
Donald  produced  it,  and  Henry  Levin  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Keys  of  the  Kingdom" 
with  Gregory  Peck 

(20th  CenturyFox,  January;  time,  137  mm.) 
Based  on  A.  J.  Cronin's  best-selling  novel  of  the 
same  title,  this  is  a  distinguished,  heart-warming 
drama  about  a  kindly  Scottish  priest,  who  unselfishly 
devotes  many  years  of  his  life  to  bring  Christianity  to 
the  poor  people  of  an  inland  Chinese  city.  It  is  a  story 
of  sacrifice,  tolerance,  and  faith,  told  in  a  dignified, 
sympathetic,  and  impressive  way.  The  picture's  pace 
is  too  slow  in  spots,  and  the  elimination  of  some  of  the 
footage  would  benefit  it,  nevertheless,  it  holds  one's 
attention  all  the  way  through.  Gregory  Peck,  as  the 
priest,  gives  a  flawless  and  sensitive  performance.  He 
is  shown  as  a  kindly  soul,  trying  to  live  up  to  the  pre- 
cepts  of  his  religion,  yet  being  liberal  in  his  views  and 
tolerant  of  the  beliefs  of  others.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
his  closest  friend  is  shown  as  a  confirmed  atheist. 
Many  of  the  situations  are  deeply  moving,  particu- 
larly the  one  towards  the  end,  where  the  priest,  after 
more  than  a  half  century  of  unswerving  devotion  to 
his  work,  in  which  he  succeeds  in  establishing  his 
mission  despite  many  hardships,  is  bid  farewell  by  his 
Chinese  converts  and  by  his  many  other  friends  as  he 
leaves  to  assume  charge  of  a  parish  in  his  native  Scot- 
land. 

The  story,  told  in  flashback,  begins  with  the  visit  of 
Monsignor  Sir  Cedric  Hardwicke  to  the  aged  priest's 
Scotland  parish,  where  he  had  come  to  investigate  the 
parish's  poorly  managed  affairs.  Determined  to  recom- 
mend Peck's  retirement,  Hardwicke  comes  upon  the 
old  priest's  diary  and  learns  that,  as  a  child,  he  had 
been  orphaned  by  the  untimely  death  of  his  parents, 
and  that  he  had  been  befriended  by  an  aunt,  who  had 
raised  him  and  had  paid  for  his  education.  When  the 
girl  he  loved  had  proved  unfaithful  to  him,  Peck 
turned  to  an  ecclesiastical  career  for  solace.  He  had 
failed  miserably  in  his  first  two  curacies,  and  had  been 
induced  by  Bishop  Edmund  Gwenn,  his  friend  and 
advisor,  to  accept  a  missionary  post  in  China.  In 
China,  Peck  had  found  the  mission  house  in  ruins, 
and  he  had  learned  that  his  predecessor  had  kept  the 
former  congregation  together  by  payments  of  rice. 
He  had  refused  to  obtain  converts  by  subsidizing  them 
and,  as  a  result,  his  progression  with  a  new  mission 
had  been  slow.  Aided  by  Benson  Song,  a  sincere 
Chinese  convert,  and  by  a  wealthy  mandarin  whose 
son  he  had  saved  from  death,  Peck  had  slowly  built 
his  new  mission.  His  church  had  been  destroyed  dur- 
ing a  civil  war,  and  he  had  found  it  necessary  to  per- 
sonally help  the  Government  troops  destroy  the 
Chinese  bandits  in  order  to  save  the  remainder  of  his 
mission.  After  many  difficult  years,  he  had  succeeded 
in  rebuilding  and  expanding  the  mission,  before  being 
returned  to  the  Scotland  parish.  Hardwicke,  impressed 
by  the  hardships  and  disappointments  Peck  had  en- 
dured, humbly  discards  his  recommendation  for  re- 
tirement and  assures  the  old  priest  that  his  position 
in  the  parish  will  not  be  altered. 

The  performances  of  the  supporting  cast  are  out- 
standing. They  include,  among  others,  Thomas  Mitch- 
ell, as  the  priest's  atheist  friend,  who  loses  his  life 
defending  the  mission  against  the  bandits;  Leonard 
Strong,  as  the  Mandarin ;  Vincent  Price,  as  a  pompous 


Bishop;  Roddy  McDowall,  as  the  priest  as  a  child; 
James  Gleason  and  Anne  Revere,  as  friendly  mission- 
aries of  another  faith;  Rosa  Stradner,  as  the  haughty 
mother  superior  who  is  slow  to  recognize  Peck's  noble 
work;  and  Ruth  Nelson  and  Dennis  Hoey,  as  Peck's 
parents. 

Nunnally  Johnson  and  Joseph  L.  Mankiewicz 
wrote  the  screen  play.  Mr.  Mankiewicz  produced  it, 
and  John  M.  Stahl  directed  it.  Other  members  in  the 
cast  include  Peggy  Ann  Garner,  Jane  Ball,  Philip 
Ahn,  Edith  Barrett,  Sara  Allgood,  Richard  Loo,  Ruth 
Ford  and  Abner  Biberman. 


"Music  for  Millions"  with  June  Allyson, 
Margaret  O'Brien  and  Jimmy  Durante 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  118  min.) 
This  is  a  fairly  good  mass  entertainment,  effectively 
blending  classical  music,  comedy,  and  an  appealing 
story.  Its  two  hours'  running  time,  however,  is  much 
too  long  for  what  the  picture  has  to  offer,  and  some 
judicious  cutting  would  not  hurt  it.  Musically,  the 
picture  offers  the  compositions  of  Liszt,  Tschaikow- 
sky,  Dvorak,  Herbert,  Grieg,  Debussy,  Chopin  and 
others,  played  by  a  symphony  orchestra  led  by  Jose 
Iturbi,  who  displays  also  his  talents  as  a  pianist;  a 
huge  mixed  choir  singing  the  Hallelujah  Chorus  from 
Handel's  "Messiah";  Larry  Adler,  famed  harmonica 
player,  in  a  rendition  of  "Clare  de  Lune";  and  Jimmy 
Durante  singing  two  comical  ditties  in  his  well  known 
bombastic  style.  Dramatically,  it  offers  a  heart-warm- 
ing story  revolving  around  a  group  of  girls  playing 
in  the  orchestra,  who  try  to  prevent  one  of  their  num- 
ber, an  expectant  mother,  from  cracking  under  the 
strain  of  not  having  heard  from  her  soldier-husband 
overseas.  June  Allyson,  as  the  anguished  girl,  shines 
as  a  dramatic  actress;  she  makes  one  feel  keenly  her 
joy  and  her  sorrow.  And  Margaret  O'Brien,  as  June's 
little  sister,  who  urges  her  to  have  faith  in  prayer,  is 
as  appealing  as  ever.  The  situation  in  which  Margaret 
explains  to  Durante  that  angels,  not  storks,  deliver 
babies,  is  a  memorable  highlight.  Durante,  as  the  or' 
chestra's  general  handyman,  provides  most  of  the 
comedy,  while  Hugh  Herbert  has  an  amusing  bit  as  a 
forger. 

In  the  development  of  the  story,  Margaret  arrives 
in  New  York  to  stay  with  June,  who  lived  together 
with  a  group  of  girls,  her  co-players  in  the  symphony 
orchestra.  On  the  day  the  orchestra  prepares  to  go  on 
a  tour  of  army  camps,  a  telegram  arrives  announcing 
the  death  of  June's  husband  in  action.  Lest  the  news 
affect  June's  health,  the  girls  decide  to  keep  it  from 
her  until  after  her  baby  is  born.  June's  failure  to  hear 
from  her  husband  causes  her  to  worry,  and  she  soon 
becomes  convinced  that  he  had  died.  Margaret,  a  firm 
believer  in  prayer,  urges  June  to  pray  for  his  safety. 
To  ease  June's  mind,  the  girls  arrange  with  Hugh 
Herbert,  a  forger,  to  send  her  a  letter  in  her  husband's 
handwriting.  A  few  days  later,  when  a  letter  arrives 
from  her  husband  explaining  that  he  had  been  lost  in 
the  jungle,  June  becomes  her  normal  self.  On  the  night 
June  is  taken  to  the  hospital,  the  girls  meet  Herbert, 
who,  intoxicated,  apologizes  for  failing  to  write  the 
letter.  The  girls  joyously  realize  that  June's  husband 
was  really  alive,  and  their  happiness  is  complete  when 
June  bears  a  son.  Margaret  beams  with  pride,  satisfied 
that  her  prayers  had  been  answered. 

Myles  Connoly  wrote  the  screen  play,  Joe  Paster- 
nak produced  it,  and  Henry  Koster  directed  it.  The 
cast  includes  Marsha  Hunt,  Marie  Wilson,  Harry 
Davenport,  Helen  Gilbert  and  others. 


204 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  16,  1944 


"In  that  way,  some  of  the  affiliates  were  born.  In  sum- 
marizing various  deals  of  this  character  the  district  court 
said,  each  of  these  agreements  not  to  compete  with  Crescent 
or  its  affiliates  in  other  towns  extended  far  beyond  the  pro- 
tection of  the  business  being  sold,  and  demonstrated  a  clear 
intention  to  monopolize  theatre  operation  wherever  they  or 
their  affiliates  secured  a  foothold. 

"The  same  type  of  warfare  was  waged  with  franchise  con- 
tracts with  certain  major  distributors  covering  a  term  of 
years.  These  gave  the  defendants  important  exclusive  film 
licensing  agreements.  Their  details  varies,  but  generally  they 
gave  the  defendant  exhibitors  the  right  to  first-run  exhibit 
of  all  feature  pictures  which  they  chose  to  select  in  their 
designated  towns.  Clearances  over  the  same  or  nearby  towns 
were  provided,  i.e.,  a  time  lag  was  established  between  the 
showing  by  the  defendant  exhibitors  and  a  subsequent  show- 
ing by  others.  The  opportunity  of  competitors  to  obtain  fea- 
ture pictures  for  subsequent-runs  was  further  curtailed  by 
repeat  provisions  which  gave  the  defendant  exhibitors  the 
option  of  showing  the  pictures  in  their  theatres  a  second 
time.  In  reviewing  one  of  these  franchise  agreements  the 
district  court  concluded,  the  repeat-run  clause  in  the  fran- 
chise was  completely  effective  in  preventing  the  sale  of  a 
second-run  of  any  Paramount  features  to  any  opposition 
theatre. 

"We  are  now  told,  however,  that  the  independents  were 
eliminated  by  the  normal  processes  of  competition;  that  their 
theatres  were  less  attractive;  that  their  service  was  inferior; 
that  they  were  not  as  efficient  business  men  as  the  defend- 
ants. We  may  assume  that  if  a  single  exhibitor  launched 
such  a  plan  of  economic  warfare  he  would  not  run  afoul  of 
the  Sherman  Act.  But  the  vice  of  this  undertaking  was  the 
combination  of  several  exhibitors  in  a  plan  of  concerted 
action.  They  had  unity  of  purpose  and  unity  of  action.  They 
pooled  their  buying  power  for  a  common  end.  It  will  not  do 
to  analogize  this  to  a  case  where  purchasing  power  is  pooled 
so  that  the  buyers  may  obtain  more  favorable  terms.  The 
plan  here  was  to  crush  competition  and  to  build  a  circuit 
for  the  exhibitors.  The  district  court  found  that  some  of  the 
distributors  were  co-conspirators  on  certain  phases  of  the 
program.  But  we  can  put  that  circumstance  to  one  side  and 
not  stop  to  inquire  whether  the  findings  are  adequate  on 
that  phase  of  the  case.  For  it  is  immaterial  whether  the  dis- 
tributors technically  were  or  were  not  members  of  the  con- 
spiracy. The  showing  of  motion  pictures  is  of  course  a  local 
affair.  But  action  by  a  combination  of  exhibitors  to  obtain 
an  agreement  with  a  distributor  whereby  commerce  with  a 
competing  exhibitor  is  suppressed  or  restrained  is  a  con- 
spiracy in  restraint  of  trade  and  a  conspiracy  to  monopolize 
a  part  of  the  trade  or  commerce  among  the  states,  each  of 
which  is  prohibited  by  the  Sherman  Act. 

"The  exhibitors,  however,  claim  that  the  findings  against 
them  on  the  facts  must  fall  because  of  improper  evidence. 
The  evidence  to  which  this  objection  is  directed  consists  of 
letters  or  reports  written  by  employees  of  certain  of  the 
major  distributors  to  other  employees  or  officers  in  the  same 
company  stating  reasons  why  the  distributor  was  discrimi- 
nating against  independents  in  favor  of  defendants.  The 
United  States  asserts  that  these  letters  or  reports  were  decla- 
rations of  one  conspirator  in  furtherance  of  the  common 
objective  and  therefore  admissable  as  evidence  against  all. 
And  it  is  argued  that  it  makes  no  difference  that  these  dis- 
tributors were  dismissed  out  of  the  case  since  they  were 
charged  with  being  co-conspirators  and  since  the  findings 
are  with  certain  exceptions  adequate  to  support  the  charge. 
We  do  not  come  to  that  question.  The  other  evidence  estab- 
lished the  position  of  the  distributors  in  their  relations  to  the 
theatres  involved,  what  the  distributors  in  fact  did,  the  com- 
bination of  the  defendants,  the  character  and  extent  of  their 
buying  power,  and  how  it  was  in  fact  used.  This  other  evi- 
dence was  sufficient  to  establish  the  restraints  of  trade  and 
monopolistic  practices;  the  purpose,  character,  and  the  ex- 
tent of  the  combination  are  inferable  from  it  alone.  Thus 
even  if  error  be  assumed  in  the  introduction  of  the  letters 
and  reports  the  burden  of  showing  prejudice  has  not  been 
sustained." 

Being  the  first  industry  case  to  reach  the  Supreme  Court 
in  which  divestiture  of  theatre  holdings  was  a  main  issue,  the 


independent  exhibitors  may  well  rejoice  in  the  knowledge 
that  the  highest  court  in  the  land  looks  favorably  upon 
theatre  divorcement  as  a  remedy  when  the  facts  justify  such 
action.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  decision  will  have  an 
important  bearing,  not  only  on  the  pending  anti-trust  cases, 
but  also  on  the  future  dealings  between  the  distributors  and 
the  larger  circuits  in  that  they  will  have  to  curtail  and  even 
cease  their  predatory  practices  aimed  at  squeezing  out  the 
independent  exhibitor. 


THE  PRODUCERS  SHOULD  HAVE 
REGARD  FOR  THE  PUBLIC'S 
SENTIMENTS 

Mr.  Harold  Heffcrnan,  Hollywood  correspondent  of  the 
Detroit  ?iews  and  of  the  North  American  Newspaper  Alli- 
ance, wrote  the  following  in  his  November  27  column: 

"Behind  the  movie  headlines:  When  Joel  McCrea  re- 
belled at  killing  off  his  best  friend  in  a  piece  of  movie  fiction 
at  Paramount  a  couple  of  weeks  ago,  neither  he  nor  the 
studio  looked  for  such  substantial  support  of  his  stand  by 
fans  throughout  the  country.  Letters  have  been  pouring  in 
assuring  McCrea  that  he  is  on  the  right  track.  And  now 
Joel  is  more  determined  than  ever  that  a  revise  writing  job 
must  be  done  on  'The  Virginian,'  so  that  his  cattle-rustling 
pal — his  name  was  Steve  in  Owen  Wister's  novel — will  be 
treated  to  some  other  form  of  justice  rather  than  hanging 
from  a  tree. 

"The  McCrea  protest  was  extremely  interesting  in  view  of 
overnight  type  reversals  on  the  part  of  many  Hollywood 
heroes  noted  for  their  fine,  brave,  kindly  deeds  and  nothing 
else.  Charles  Boyer  is  known  to  be  slightly  aghast  at  the 
tone  of  the  letters  he's  received  since  his  82-minute  persecu- 
tion of  Ingrid  Bergman  in  'Gaslight.'  Fred  MacMurray  is 
being  soundly  spanked  in  his  mail  these  days  for  entering 
into  a  murderous  plot  with  Barbara  Stanwyck  via  the  popu- 
lar 'Double  Indemnity."  Fred  says  he  will  think  long  and 
hard  before  doing  any  more  celluloid  dirt. 

"In  view  of  these  kickbacks,  Ray  Milland  is  now  appre- 
hensive about  the  reception  he'll  receive  in  'The  Lost  Week- 
end.' In  that  one  Ray  plays  a  psychopathic  drunk  and  is 
anything  but  a  sympathetic  character.  .  .  ." 

This  is  not  the  first  time  that  the  public  has  expressed  its 
disapproval  of  villainous  parts  taken  by  its  screen  idols.  The 
late  Tom  Mix,  in  all  the  pictures  that  he  made,  had  never 
been  seen  to  take  a  drink  at  a  bar  or  anywhere  else.  When- 
ever he  entered  a  saloon,  he  would  order  a  glass  of  milk.  He 
knew  the  effect,  not  only  upon  his  popularity,  but  also  upon 
the  minds  of  the  young,  who  were  his  chief  supporters. 
Harry  Carey  was  induced  by  the  late  Irving  Thalberg  to  play 
the  villain  in  "The  Trail  of  '98."  That  part  broke  the  hearts 
of  Carey's  young  followers,  as  they  expressed  themselves  in 
letters  to  him.  It  took  him  years  to  live  down  that  part  and 
today  Harry  Carey  will  not  take  a  villainous  part  if  he  were 
offered  a  truckful  of  gold.  The  popularity  of  George  Ban- 
croft was  killed  by  two  pictures  in  which  he  played  villain- 
ous parts.  George  Raft  refused  to  take  the  chief  character's 
part  in  "Temple  Drake"  (William  Faulkner's  "Sanctuary") 
and  was  suspended  by  Paramount,  until  Harrison's 
Reports  took  up  his  case  and  he  was  reinstated.  Jack  LaRue 
took  that  part  and,  as  a  result,  the  popularity  he  had  gained 
as  the  priest  in  "Farewell  to  Arms"  was  destroyed. 

Mr.  Heffernan  mentions  that  Ray  Milland  is  worrying 
about  the  reception  that  the  public  will  give  him  as  the 
psychopathic  drunk  in  "The  Lost  Weekend."  Milland  has 
cause  to  worry,  for  excessive  drinking  has  been  looked  upon 
by  the  public  with  disfavor. 

The  producers  should  give  a  little  more  thought  to  the 
sentiments  of  the  picture-goers;  they  enjoy  the  heroic  illus- 
ions built  up  by  their  screen  idols,  and  many  of  them  become 
keenly  disappointed  when  these  illusions  are  destroyed  by 
unsympathetic  parts.  When  a  producer  receives  one  hundred 
letters  from  fans  expressing  their  disapproval  of  either  ex- 
cessive drinking,  or  some  other  objectionable  performance, 
he  should  not  assume  that  there  are  no  more  than  one  hun- 
dred indignant  patrons;  such  a  number  is  infinitestimal  as 
compared  with  the  number  of  those  who  object  but  who  do 
not  make  their  objections  heard. 


Entered  as  second-class  matter  January  4,  1921,  at  the  post  office  at  New  York,  New  York,  under  the  act  of  March  3,  1879. 

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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  DECEMBER  23,  1944  No.  52 


A  LOST  OPPORTUNITY 


On  November  18,  the  motion  picture  industry- 
gave  in  Hollywood,  on  the  occasion  of  the  opening 
of  the  Sixth  War  Loan  Drive,  one  of  the  greatest 
pageants  that  have  ever  been  held  in  the  United  States 
for  any  purpose.  More  than  five  thousands  horses, 
approximately  five  hundred  vehicles,  and  thousands 
of  picture  people,  including  almost  twenty  top  screen 
stars,  took  part  in  this  affair,  named  the  "Cavalcade 
of  the  West."  It  was  so  huge  that  it  took  more  than 
three  hours  for  the  parade  to  pass  by  any  one  point, 
and  so  impressive  that  the  officials  who  represented 
the  Treasury  Department  did  not  hesitate  to  express 
their  amazement.  They  told  Messrs.  Eugene  Strong 
and  Dick  Dixon,  two  veteran  motion  picture  men 
who  managed  the  affair,  that  they  had  no  conception 
that  it  was  to  be  so  great  a  pageant,  and  offered  to 
them  their  congratulations  and  the  thanks  of  the 
Government,  not  only  orally  but  also  by  personal 
letters. 

Because  of  the  shortage  of  newsprint  the  affair  did 
not  get  in  the  newspapers  of  the  nation  the  space  that 
it  would  have  been  given  if  times  had  been  normal. 
Even  the  Los  Angeles  papers,  to  whom  this  affair  was 
a  local  pride,  were  compelled  to  give  it  limited  space. 

The  motion  picture  producing  companies  had  an 
opportunity  to  play  this  pageant  up  in  the  nation's 
papers  and  national  magazines  through  institutional 
advertising,  and  thus  gain  the  good  will  of  the  Amer' 
ican  public, — a  good  will  that  may,  when  times  be- 
come  normal,  prove  invaluable  to  the  industry. 
Through  such  advertisements,  they  could  have  told 
the  public  what  the  industry  has  done  and  still  is 
doing,  not  only  for  the  war  loan  drives,  in  which  it  has 
always  played  a  leading  role,  but  also  for  G.I.  Joe — 
taking  picture  entertainment  to  him,  no  matter  how 
inaccessible  may  be  the  place  where  he  is  stationed, 
and  no  matter  how  difficult  the  conditions  under 
which  the  pictures  are  shown.  They  could,  for  ex- 
ample,  tell  the  American  people  of  instances  in  the 
Pacific  where  pictures  have  been  shown  to  the  service- 
men  in  the  rain — they  did  not  mind  the  rain  provided 
they  could  see  the  full  picture. 


There  are  a  thousand  and  one  other  such  instances 
where  the  producers  could  tell  the  American  people 
what  the  industry  is  doing  to  uphold  the  morale  of 
the  nation's  armed  forces,  not  only  by  either  making 
them  laugh  or  by  moving  them,  but  also  by  taking  to 
them  a  bit  of  home.  But  they  have  done  very  little  to 
enlighten  the  American  people  as  to  the  very  signifi- 
cant  part  the  industry  is  playing  in  this  war. 

When  a  Government  extols  an  industry  by  striking 
a  postage  stamp  in  its  honor,  that  industry's  leaders 
should  certainly  avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity 
of  bringing  that  honor  forcibly  before  the  public. 

Other  industries  are  spending  millions  of  dollars 
(most  of  which  is  deductible  from  income  for  tax  pur- 
poses)  to  acquaint  the  public  with  the  part  they  are 
playing  in  helping  the  nation  win  the  war.  The  mo- 
tion picture  industry  is  the  only  one  that  has  done 
nothing  of  the  kind;  it  merely  lets  the  work  itself 
impress  the  public.  But  this  is  not  the  most  effective 
way  when  one  bears  in  mind  the  number  of  "vultures" 
who  have  always  been  ready  to  spring  upon  the  indus- 
try to  tear  it  apart. 

Need  we  remind  the  readers  of  this  publication  of 
the  Washington  hearings,  held  for  the  purpose  of 
hamstringing  the  industry,  which  hearings  were  in- 
terrupted only  because  of  the  war? 

The  motion  picture  industry  may  never  again  find 
an  opportunity  to  gain  the  good  will  of  the  public  to 
the  same  extent  that  it  is  finding  it  now,  but  nothing 
is  being  done  about  it. 

What  is  the  matter  with  the  industry  leaders?  Are 
they  so  selfish  as  to  be  willing  to  lose  such  an  oppor- 
tunity just  because,  in  publicizing  the  industry's  con- 
tribution towards  the  war,  they  do  not  publicize  their 
own  individual  companies? 

Harrison's  Reports  calls  upon  Spyros  Skouras  to 
take  the  lead  in  inducing  the  other  companies  to 
undertake  at  once  institutional  advertising.  Mr. 
Skouras,  though  a  veteran  in  the  picture  business,  is 
still  young  and  not  bound  by  prejudices.  He  can  get 
them  together  if  he  wants  to. 


Harrison's  Reports  offers  to  its  subscribers  and  readers  The  Greetings  of  the  Season 


206 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


"Practically  Yours"  with  Claudette  Colbert 
and  Fred  MacMurray 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  90  min.) 
Good  entertainment  for  the  masses.  It  6tarts  off  in  highly 
dramatic  fashion  and,  by  a  clever  twist,  turns  into  a  breezy 
romantic  comedy-farce,  deftly  combining  amusing  situations 
with  several  dramatic  moments.  The  story  is  thin  but  unique, 
and  the  romantic  complications  are  so  amusing  that  audiences 
will  chuckle  with  delight  at  some  of  the  situations.  Claudette 
Colbert  and  Fred  MacMurray  give  engaging  performances, 
both  winning  the  spectator's  sympathy.  Considering  their 
popularity,  the  picture  should  prove  to  be  a  strong  box-office 
attraction : — 

Disappearing  in  a  burst  of  smoke  as  he  dives  his  plane 
into  a  Jap  carrier,  Lieutenant  Fred  MacMurray's  last  words 
are  about  his  love  for  "Peggy."  His  remarks,  recorded  by 
naval  monitor,  are  broadcast  to  the  station  during  memorial 
services  honoring  him  as  a  hero.  "Peggy"  (Claudette  Col- 
bert), a  girl  with  whom  MacMurray  formerly  worked  in  the 
same  office,  is  stunned  to  learn  that  he  died  with  her  name  on 
his  lips.  The  nation's  sympathy  goes  out  to  her,  and  she 
is  besieged  by  requests  to  appear  at  war  bond  rallies.  When 
word  suddenly  comes  that  MacMurray  had  been  found  alive, 
and  that  he  was  returning  home  on  furlough.  Claudette 
rushes  to  greet  him.  MacMurray,  whose  last  words  had  been 
in  reference  to  his  dog,  "Piggy,"  is  ill  at  ease,  but  wishing 
to  spare  Claudette's  feelings,  he  does  not  reveal  the  truth. 
Both  are  invited  to  be  the  house  guests  of  Cecil  Kellaway, 
their  wealthy  employer,  who  makes  elaborate  plans  for  their 
marriage  before  the  end  of  MacMurray's  furlough.  Alone 
with  Claudette,  MacMurray  tells  her  the  truth,  but  both 
agree  to  pretend  that  they  were  in  love  so  as  not  to  disillusion 
their  many  well-meaning  friends.  Claudette,  to  salve  her  hurt 
pride,  informs  MacMurray  that  she  was  in  love  with  Gil 
Lamb,  a  pompous  fellow  worker.  For  most  of  MacMurray's 
furlough,  the  young  couple  find  themselves  projected  into 
many  difficulties  as  they  try  to  keep  up  appearances  and  to 
delay  Kellaway's  plans  for  their  marriage.  Meanwhile  Mac- 
Murray  really  falls  in  love  with  Claudette  and  asks  her  to 
marry  him — after  the  war.  Claudette,  determined  not  to 
wait,  announces  their  wedding  plans  over  the  radio  during 
the  launching  of  a  ship  named  after  MacMurray,  and  she 
asks  Robert  Bentley,  a  Supreme  Court  judge,  to  marry  them 
on  the  spot.  MacMurray,  finding  no  way  out,  goes  through 
with  the  ceremony. 

Norman  Krasna  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Mitchell  Leisen 
produced  and  directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Tom  Powers, 
Jane  Frazee,  Rosemary  De  Camp,  Isabel  Randolph,  Mikhail 
Rasumny  and  others.  Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Can't  Help  Singing" 
with  Deanna  Durbin  and  Robert  Paige 

(Universal,  Dec.  29;  time,  89  min.) 

A  good  entertainment,  produced  lavishly;  its  gay  quality 
should  put  it  over  with  all  types  of  audiences.  Musically,  it 
is  fine;  Deanna  Durbin,  in  better  voice  than  ever  before, 
handles  the  singing  expertly,  doing  justice  to  the  excellent 
musical  score  composed  by  Jerome  Kern.  A  few  of  the  songs 
are  already  fast  becoming  national  favorites.  The  story,  a 
typical  musical  comedy  plot,  is  featherweight,  but  it  is 
pleasant  and  has  romantic  appeal.  The  comedy  is  not  of  the 
boisterous  sort,  but  it  keeps  one  chuckling  throughout.  Akim 
Tamiroff  and  Leonid  Kinskey,  as  two  fake  Russian  noblemen, 
are  fairly  amusing.  Deanna  Durbin  is  as  charming  as  ever  as 
the  headstrong  daughter  of  a  Senator,  and  she  appears  to 
better  advantage  here  than  she  has  appeared  for  some  time. 
The  action  takes  place  during  the  California  gold  rush  days, 
and  the  settings,  costumes,  and  Technicolor  photography 
are  a  creditable  part  of  the  production : — 

To  keep  his  daughter  (Deanna)  from  seeing  Lieutenant 
David  Bruce,  Senator  Ray  Collins  uses  his  influence  to  have 
him  transferred  to  California.  Deanna,  without  informing 
her  father,  sets  out  from  Washington  to  follow  Bruce.  At 
Independence,  Mo.,  Deanna,  failing  to  obtain  accommoda- 
tions on  a  wagon  train,  buys  a  horse  and  wagon  from  Andrew 
Tombes,  a  swindler,  only  to  learn  that  it  was  not  his  to  sell. 
She  locates  Tombes  in  a  gambling  hall  just  as  he  loses  the 
money  to  Robert  Paige  in  a  poker  game.  When  Deanna  in- 
sists that  he  return  the  money  to  her,  Paige  recognizes  her 
as  the  missing  daughter  of  Senator  Collins,  for  whom  a 
$5,000  reward  had  been  offered.  Lest  Paige  report  her, 
Deanna  offers  him  $10,000  if  he  will  take  her  to  California, 
promising  him  that  the  money  will  be  paid  to  him  by  Thomas 
Gomez,  a  wealthy  miner,  whom  she  misrepresents  as  her 
fiance.  Paige,  believing  her  false  story,  agrees.  En  route,  both 
become  attracted  to  each  other  despite  their  outward  an- 


tagonism and,  by  the  time  they  reach  California,  each  prom- 
ises never  to  leave  the  other.  Complications  arise,  however, 
when  Gomez  arrives  in  town  and  Paige  insists  that  Deanna 
tell  him  of  her  new  love.  Before  Deanna  can  explain  the 
hoax,  Bruce  dashes  up  and  embraces  her  and,  in  the  midst  of 
this  confusion,  her  father  arrives,  leading  Paige  to  believe 
that  he  was  a  third  suitor.  Deanna  finally  explains  matters 
to  Paige's  satisfaction,  and  both  receive  the  blessing  of  her 
father,  who  was  delighted  at  her  rejection  of  Bruce. 

Lewis  R.  Foster  and  Frank  Ryan  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Felix  Jackson  produced  it,  and  Mr.  Ryan  directed  it. 

"Here  Come  the  Waves"  with  Bing  Crosby, 
Betty  Hutton  and  Sonny  Tufts 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  99  min.) 

With  Bing  Crosby  and  Betty  Hutton  heading  the  cast, 
this  romantic  comedy  with  music  should  have  no  trouble 
attracting  customers,  but  they  will  find  it  no  more  than  just 
fair  entertainment.  The  story,  though  timely,  is  thin,  and  it 
unfolds  in  a  manner  one  expects.  The  musical  part  of  the 
picture,  which  consists  of  a  few  production  numbers  and 
some  songs  sung  by  Crosby  and  Miss  Hutton,  is  fairly  good. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  little  more  music  and  a  little  less  story 
would  have  helped  matters  considerably.  Betty  Hutton  does 
good  work  in  her  dual  role  of  twin  sisters,  each  of  different 
temperaments,  and  Bing  Crosby  is  his  usual  pleasing  self, 
but  both  are  handicapped  by  the  inadequate  script: — 

Visiting  a  night-club  with  Sonny  Tufts,  his  sailor-pal, 
Crosby,  a  famous  crooner,  meets  the  Adams  twins,  red- 
headed Rosemary  (Betty  Hutton),  a  quiet  girl,  and  Susie 
(also  Miss  Hutton),  a  boisterous  sort.  Both  were  WAVES. 
Susie,  an  inveterate  admirer  of  Crosby's,  is  thrilled,  but 
Rosemary  remains  aloof,  arousing  Crosby's  interest.  Tufts, 
too,  had  eyes  for  Rosemary.  When  Crosby  joins  the  Navy 
and  is  shipped  to  San  Diego  together  with  Tufts,  Susie  re- 
quests and  is  granted  a  transfer  to  the  same  city.  Rosemary 
goes  along  under  the  same  orders.  The  girls  meet  up  again 
with  Crosby  and  Tufts,  who  continuously  doublecross  each 
other  as  they  vie  for  Rosemary's  attentions.  Susie,  however, 
is  too  madly  in  love  with  Crosby  to  notice  his  affection  for 
her  sister.  Worried  lest  Crosby  be  assigned  to  combat  duty, 
Susie  signs  her  name  to  a  letter  suggesting  that  he  put  on  a 
big  show  to  recruit  WAVES.  Crosby,  chagrined,  accepts 
the  assignment  but  blames  Tufts  for  writing  the  letter.  Rose- 
mary, not  in  on  the  plot,  believes  Crosby  had  deliberately 
tried  to  avoid  combat  duty.  The  night  before  the  opening  of 
the  show,  Crosby  tries  to  propose  to  Rosemary.  Tufts,  des- 
perate, attempts  to  prevent  the  proposal;  he  induces  Susie 
to  don  a  red  wig  and  to  impersonate  Rosemary,  and  then 
makes  love  to  her  to  disillusion  Crosby.  A  comedy  of  errors 
results  when  Rosemary  arrives  on  the  scene  and,  after  a 
series  of  misunderstandings,  Susie  and  Tufts  confess  the 
hoax.  It  all  ends  with  the  show  a  huge  success,  Rosemary  in 
Crosby's  arms,  and  Susie  and  Tufts  in  love. 

Allan  Scott,  Ken  Englund,  and  Zion  Myers  wrote  the 
screen  play,  and  Mark  Sandrich  produced  and  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Double  Exposure"  with  Chester  Morris 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  64  min.) 

An  entertaining  program  murder-mystery  melodrama  with 
amusing  comedy  situations.  Because  the  comedy  is  stressed, 
it  is  difficult  for  the  spectator  to  take  the  melodramatic  angle 
seriously,  nevertheless,  the  story  offers  several  new  twists 
and,  since  the  mystery  is  not  solved  until  the  end,  it  holds 
one's  attention  well.  Nancy  Kelly,  as  the  small-town,  quick- 
witted photographer,  is  particularly  good.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  direction  and  the  performances  are  superior  to  the 
story  values: — 

Impressed  with  a  photo  in  a  small-town  newspaper, 
Chester  Morris,  editor  of  a  national  picture  magazine,  wires 
an  offer  of  a  job  to  the  paper's  photographer.  He  is  delight- 
fully surprised  when  the  photographer  turns  out  to  be  an 
attractive  girl  (Nancy  Kelly),  and  he  loses  no  time  promot- 
ing a  romance  with  her.  When  Philip  Terry,  Nancy's  fiance, 
arrives  in  town,  Nancy,  to  protect  her  job,  leads  Morris  to 
believe  that  Terry  was  her  brother.  Terry,  though  jealous, 
agrees  to  the  hoax.  One  evening  at  a  night  club,  Charles 
Arnt,  a  drunken  playboy,  tells  Nancy  that  he  and  his  sixth 
wife  (Jane  Farrar)  had  separated,  and  he  asks  her  to  marry 
him.  He  gives  Nancy  the  key  to  his  apartment,  telling  her  to 
use  it  during  his  stay  in  Reno.  The  incident  provokes  Jane, 
who  quarrels  publicly  with  Nancy.  Shortly  after,  Morris 
gives  Terry  a  job  on  the  magazine  and  assigns  him  with 
Nancy  to  make  "Photomystery  of  the  Week,"  a  weekly 
feature.  Nancy  goes  to  Arnt's  vacant  apartment,  where  she 
poses  in  one  of  Jane's  negligees  for  a  series  of  murder  pic 


December  23, 1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


207 


tures  taken  by  Terry.  Morris  eventually  learns  that  Terry 
was  not  Nancy's  brother,  and  he  tricks  him  into  boarding  a 
boat  bound  for  Russia  so  that  he  could  have  a  clear  field 
with  Nancy.  Shortly  after  the  "Photomystery"  pictures  are 
published,  Arnt's  wife  is  found  murdered  and,  by  a  strange 
coincidence,  one  of  Nancy's  photos  is  an  exact  replica  of  the 
murder  scene  photographed  by  the  police.  The  district  attor- 
ney, believine  Nancy's  photo  to  be  genuine,  charges  her  with 
the  murder,  claiming  that  she  killed  Jane  in  an  argument 
over  Arnt.  Realizing  that  he  had  to  find  the  real  murderer 
to  save  Nancy,  Morris  starts  an  investigation  of  his  own  and, 
through  trick  photography,  succeeds  in  proving  that  Arnt 
was  the  murderer.  It  all  ends  with  Nancy  falling  into  Morris' 
arms  just  as  Terry  returns  from  Russia  with  a  Slavic  bride. 

Winston  Miller  and  Maxwell  Sahne  wrote  the  screen 
play,  and  William  Berke  directed  it.  It  is  a  Pine-Thomas  pro- 
duction.    Unobjectionable  morally. 

"Gentle  Annie"  with  Marjorie  Main, 
James  Craig  and  Donna  Reed 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  80  min.) 

A  moderately  entertaining  western-like  program  melo- 
drama. The  action,  which  takes  place  in  the  Oklahoma  ter- 
ritory in  1900,  is  considerably  exciting  in  spots,  but  the 
story  is  thin,  implausible,  and  not  very  clear;  the  average 
audience  may  find  it  difficult  to  understand.  The  action  re- 
volves around  a  pioneer  woman  and  her  two  sons,  train- 
robbers,  whose  befriendment  of  a  U.  S.  Marshal  posing  as  a 
hobo  leads  to  their  undoing.  A  by-plot  concerning  the  sons' 
feud  with  the  local  sheriff  serves  only  to  confuse  the  main 
story  line  and  to  provide  some  gunplay.  There  is  some  ro- 
mantic interest,  but  that,  too,  has  no  direct  bearing  on  the 
plot.  There  is  deep  human  interest  in  the  sons'  devotion  to 
their  mother,  but  one  finds  it  difficult  to  sympathize  with 
them  because  of  their  nefarious  ways: — 

James  Craig,  a  U.  S.  Marshal  dressed  as  a  hobo,  goes  to 
the  Oklahoma  territory  to  investigate  a  train  robbery. 
Through  town  gossip,  he  learns  that  Paul  Langton  and 
Henry  Morgan,  brothers,  were  suspected  of  the  crime.  He 
makes  their  acquaintance  when  he  intervenes  in  a  brawl  be- 
tween Langton  and  Sheriff  Barton  MacLane.  After  the  fight, 
in  which  Craig  saves  Langton's  life,  the  brothers  take  him 
to  their  ranch,  where  they  lived  with  their  mother,  Marjorie 
Main.  Befriended  by  the  family,  and  impressed  by  the  boys' 
devotion  to  their  mother,  Craig  becomes  so  fond  of  the 
brothers  that  he  does  not  believe  them  to  be  the  train  rob- 
bers he  was  hunting.  The  brothers,  having  accepted  Craig 
as  their  friend,  reveal  that  they  had  robbed  the  train  and  ask 
him  to  join  them  in  another  robbery.  Compelled  to  reveal  his 
identity,  Craig  informs  the  boys  that  he  has  no  alternative 
but  to  arrest  them.  Meanwhile  the  sheriff,  himself  a  thief, 
comes  to  the  ranch  in  search  of  the  stolen  money  and  shoots 
the  boys'  mother.  Before  she  dies,  Miss  Main  tells  Craig  that 
MacLane  had  shot  her.  Promising  the  brothers  a  fair  trial  in 
Kansas  City,  Craig  returns  their  guns  and  takes  them  into 
town.  A  gun  battle  ensues  when  the  three  encounter  Mac- 
Lane and  his  henchmen.  The  gang  is  wiped  out,  but  Langton, 
too,  loses  his  life.  Craig  puts  the  remaining  brother  on  a  train 
bound  for  Kansas  City,  placing  him  on  his  honor  to  report 
to  a  deputy  Marshal. 

Lawrence  Hazard  wrote  the  screen  play,  Robert  Sisk  pro- 
duced it,  and  Andrew  Marton  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
the  late  John  Philliber  and  others.  Adult  entertainment. 

"House  of  Frankenstein" 
with  Boris  Karloff  and  Lon  Chaney 

(Universal,  no  release  date  set;  time,  70  min.) 

The  presence  in  one  picture  of  such  worthies  as  Franken- 
stein's Monster,  Dracula,  the  Wolf  Man,  a  murderous  psy- 
chopathic hunchback,  and  the  inevitable  mad  scientist, 
will  undoubtedly  gladden  the  hearts  of  the  avid  horror  pic- 
ture fans,  and  should  be  of  considerable  help  to  the  exhibitor 
in  selling  the  picture  to  them.  Despite  this  array  of  horrific 
characters,  however,  "House  of  Frankenstein"  is  only  a  mild 
horror  picture,  more  ludicrous  than  terrifying.  The  whole 
thing  is  a  rehash  of  the  fantastic  doings  of  these  characters 
in  previous  pictures  and,  since  they  do  exactly  what  is  ex- 
pected of  them,  the  spectator  is  neither  shocked  nor  chilled. 
It  should,  nevertheless,  get  by  as  a  supporting  feature  wher- 
ever this  type  of  entertainment  is  acceptable: — 

Boris  Karloff,  a  scientist,  imprisoned  for  his  macabre  ex- 
periments with  Frankenstein,  escapes  from  jail  together  with 
J.  Carrol  Naish,  a  deformed  murderer.  They  meet  George 
Zucco,  owner  of  a  traveling  exhibit  of  horrors,  among  which 
was  the  skeleton  of  Dracula  (John  Carradine).  Killing 
Zucco,  both  men  travel  with  the  exhibit  to  Riegelburg,  where 


Karloff  planned  to  kill  Sig  Ruman,  the  man  responsible  for 
his  imprisonment.  There,  Karloff  brings  Dracula  to  life  and 
induces  him  to  murder  Ruman.  Dracula,  however,  himself 
meets  death  when  he  attempts  to  kidnap  Anne  Gwynne, 
Ruman's  granddaughter;  trapped  by  the  police,  he  turns  into 
a  skeleton  at  dawn.  Meanwhile  Karioff  and  Naish  escape  and 
head  for  the  ruins  of  Frankenstein's  castle.  En  route,  they 
pick  up  Elena  Verdugo,  a  gypsy  dancer,  with  whom  Naish 
falls  in  love.  At  the  ruins,  they  find  the  frozen  forms  of  both 
Frankenstein's  Monster  (Glenn  Strange)  and  the  Wolf  Man 
(Lon  Chaney).  Karloff  frees  both  creatures  from  the  ice,  and 
the  Wolf  Man  turns  into  a  human.  Secretly  planning  to 
transplant  Chaney's  brain  to  the  Monster's  body,  Karloff 
finds  himself  thwarted  when  Chaney,  affected  by  a  full  moon, 
turns  into  a  werewolf  and  attacks  the  gypsy  girl,  who  kills 
him  before  dying  herself.  The  hunchback,  enraged  by  the 
girl's  death,  blames  Karloff  and  attacks  him  just  as  the 
Monster  is  brought  to  life  by  the  use  of  electronics.  Rilling 
the  hunchback  and  rendering  Karloff  unconscious,  the  Mon- 
ster, with  the  scientist  under  one  arm,  flees  to  a  swamp,  where 
both  are  engulfed  by  the  quicksands. 

Edward  T.  Lowe  wrote  the  screen  play,  Paul  Malvern 
produced  it,  and  Earle  C.  Kenton  directed  it.  The  cast  in- 
cludes Peter  Coe  and  others.  Unpleasant  for  children. 

"Tomorrow,  the  World" 
with  Fredric  March,  Betty  Field 
and  Skippy  Homeier 

(United  Artists,  Dec.  29;  time,  86  min.) 

A  powerful,  intelligently  produced  drama,  one  that  pre- 
sents a  timely  problem — the  reformation  of  millions  of 
German  children  who  have  been  indoctrinated  with  Nazi 
ideology.  This  drama  does  not  furnish  the  answer,  but  it 
certainly  calls  attention  to  the  problem  in  an  objective  and 
meaningful  way.  The  action  revolves  around  a  diabolically 
cunning  twelve-year-old  German  boy,  who,  given  refuge  in 
the  home  of  his  American  uncle,  deliberately  brings  confu- 
sion and  grief  to  the  family  as  he  flouts  the  democratic  way 
of  life  and  tries  to  carry  out  the  ideals  of  his  Nazi  training. 
Much  of  what  transpires  is  somewhat  overdrawn  and  ex- 
aggerated, but  the  direction  and  the  acting  are  of  such  ex- 
cellence that  what  is  shown  is  at  all  times  very  effective. 
Skippy  Homeier,  as  the  despicable  Nazi  youngster,  gives  a 
remarkably  fine  performance;  his  portrayal  is  so  perfect  that 
one  feels  like  cheering  when  his  exasperated  uncle  almost 
strangles  the  life  out  of  him.  It  is  a  grim  entertainment,  one 
which  will  appeal  mostly  to  class  audiences,  but  the  fame  of 
the  stage  play,  from  which  the  story  has  been  adapted,  and 
the  word-of-mouth  advertising  that  will  surely  be  given 
Skippy's  performance,  should  attract  considerable  attention 
from  the  rank  and  file: — 

Arriving  at  the  mid-western  home  of  his  uncle  (Fredric 
March),  a  chemistry  professor,  Skippy  is  welcomed  by  Joan 
Carroll,  March's  motherless  daughter;  Agnes  Moorehead, 
his  spinster  sister;  and  Betty  Field,  a  Jewish  school  teacher, 
whom  March  planned  to  marry.  Extremely  stiff  and  formal 
in  his  actions,  Skippy  makes  a  disparaging  remark  when  he 
discovers  that  Betty  is  Jewish,  and  marches  off  to  change  his 
clothes.  Later,  he  comes  downstairs  in  a  Hitler  Youth  uni- 
form and  savagely  attacks  March's  German-American  maid 
when  she  refuses  to  Heil  Hitler.  Realizing  that  the  boy's 
mind  had  been  distorted  by  Nazi  teachings,  March  and  Betty 
determine  to  cure  him  through  patience  and  kindness. 
Skippy,  however,  scoffs  at  the  American  way  of  life.  At 
school,  he  promptly  makes  himself  hated  because  of  his 
arrogance  and,  at  home,  he  deliberately  starts  a  "divide  and 
conquer"  campaign,  aimed  at  breaking  up  March's  approach- 
ing marriage  to  Betty.  He  succeeds  in  provoking  a  quarrel 
between  the  couple,  causing  Betty  to  break  the  engagement. 
One  day,  little  Joan  catches  Skippy  in  the  act  of  going 
through  March's  desk  in  search  of  important  papers  that 
might  be  of  use  to  the  Nazis.  When  she  threatens  to  inform 
her  father,  Skippy  attacks  her  with  a  poker  and  flees  from 
the  house.  With  Joan  injured  seriously,  March  puts  the 
police  on  Skippy's  trail,  and  determines  to  send  him  to  an 
orphanage.  When  Skippy  returns  to  the  house,  March,  in- 
sane with  rage,  almost  chokes  him  to  death,  but  Betty  re- 
strains him.  The  realization  that  he  had  almost  killed  Joan 
brings  about  a  sudden  reformation  in  Skippy  and  he  breaks 
down  with  genuine  remorse.  Betty,  convinced  that  the 
youngster  now  understood  the  fallacies  of  Nazism,  induces 
March  to  let  the  boy  stay. 

Ring  Lardner  Jr.  and  Leopold  Atlas  wrote  the  screen  play, 
Lester  Cowan  produced  it,  and  Leslie  Fcnton  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Edith  Angold,  Rudy  Wissler,  Boots  Brown, 
Marvin  Davis  and  others. 


208 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  23,  1944 


"Lake  Placid  Serenade" 
with  Vera  Hruba  Ralston 

(Republic,  release  date  not  set;  time,  85  min.) 

Those  who  enjoy  watching  graceful  figure  skating  and 
lavish  production  numbers  with  ice-skating  ballets  should 
find  much  in  "Lake  Placid  Serenade"  to  please  them,  for  the 
skating  part  of  the  picture  is  well  done.  Not  much  can  be 
said,  however,  for  the  story,  which  is  extremely  weak,  nor 
for  the  comedy,  which  is  pretty  dull.  Miss  Ralston  is  an  ex- 
cellent skater,  executing  her  routines  with  the  utmost  of 
ease  and  grace.  An  apache  dance  on  skates,  with  McGowan 
and  Mack,  is  an  outstanding  specialty  number.  Roy  Rogers 
puts  in  an  appearance  as  a  guest  star  in  a  carnival  sequence, 
singing  one  song.  His  introduction,  however,  is  embarrass- 
ingly commercial.  Ray  Noble  and  his  Orchestra  and  Harry 
Owens'  Hawaiians  furnish  the  music: — 

Miss  Ralston,  an  orphan  girl  raised  by  Lloyd  Corrigan 
in  a  Czech  vilage,  wins  the  national  skating  championship 
of  her  country,  and  receives  an  invitation  to  appear  at  the 
Lake  Placid  Carnival  in  the  United  States.  Turning  down  an 
offer  of  a  contract  from  Walter  Catlett,  an  American  ice- 
show  producer,  and  Vera  Vague,  his  wealthy,  man-hunting 
financial  backer,  Miss  Ralston  goes  to  Lake  Placid  where 
she  receives  a  rousing  ovation  for  her  skating  skill.  When 
the  outbreak  of  war  prevents  her  return  to  Czechoslovakia, 
she  contacts  Eugene  Pallettc,  her  wealthy  American  uncle, 
whom  she  had  never  met.  Pallette  welcomes  her  into  his 
palatial  home,  where  he  lived  with  his  two  daughters, 
Stephanie  Bachelor  and  Ruth  Terry.  Stephanie,  a  snob, 
treats  her  cousin  shabbily,  but  Ruth  is  more  congenial.  Miss 
Ralston  meets  and  falls  in  love  with  Robert  Livingston,  Pal- 
lette's  junior  partner,  but  is  dismayed  when  she  learns  that 
he  was  Stephanie's  "property."  Lest  she  cause  unhappincss  to 
Stephanie,  Miss  Ralston  runs  away  from  the  house.  She 
signs  a  contract  with  Catlett,  with  a  provision  that  she  be 
permitted  to  skate  under  an  assumed  name.  Pallette,  discov- 
ering the  reason  for  her  disappearance,  learns  that  Miss 
Ralston  was  scheduled  to  appear  in  a  New  York  ice  show, 
and  is  instrumental  in  bringing  Livingston  to  her.  Stephanie, 
realizing  that  her  love  for  Livingston  was  hopeless,  graciously 
gives  the  young  couple  her  blessing. 

Dick  Irving  Hyland  wrote  the  screen  play,  Harry  Grey 
produced  it,  and  Steve  Sekely  directed  it.  The  cast  includes 
William  Frawley,  John  Litel,  Ludwig  Stossel,  Andrew 
Tombes,  Twinkle  Watts,  the  Merry  Meisters  and  others. 

"Alaska"  with  Kent  Taylor 
and  Margaret  Lindsay 

(Monogram,  Dec.  22;  time,  76  min.) 

A  fair  program  melodrama  about  the  Northwest.  The 
story,  based  on  Jack  London's  "Flush  of  Gold,"  is  somewhat 
muddled  in  its  development,  and  the  action  is  considerably 
slow  in  spots,  but  on  the  whole  it  contains  enough  excitement 
and  thrills  to  satisfy  non-discriminating  audiences.  They 
should  particularly  enjoy  the  climatic  fist  fight  towards  the 
finish,  where  the  hero  beats  the  villain  into  submission,  com- 
pelling him  to  reveal  the  identity  of  the  claim  jumpers'  secret 
leader.  The  performances  are  generally  good: — 

Arrested  and  charged  with  the  murder  of  two  claim  jump- 
ers, who  had  murdered  his  father,  Kent  Taylor  is  released 
by  Marshal  Dean  Jagger  in  the  custody  of  George  Cleveland, 
Postmaster  of  Rocky  Mount,  Alaska,  until  the  weather 
would  permit  travel  to  Juneau.  Margaret  Lindsay,  singer  in 
Nils  Asther's  gambling  palace,  determines  to  help  Taylor 
clear  himself;  she  loved  Kent,  although  married  to  John 
Carradine,  a  former  Shakespearean  actor  and  inveterate 
drunkard.  Asther,  who  loved  Margaret,  was  secretly  in 
league  with  the  claim  jumpers.  When  Kent  utilizes  his  free 
time  to  obtain  evidence  against  the  claim  jumpers,  who  were 
working  together  with  the  town's  crooked  judge,  Asther 
frames  a  false  murder  charge  against  him  and  has  him  placed 
in  the  local  jail,  where  he  could  be  railroaded  by  the  crooked 
judge.  Margaret  agrees  to  go  away  with  Asther  if  he  would 
save  Kent.  Asther  promises,  then  contrives  to  have  the  jail 
set  on  fire  with  Kent  in  it.  Carradine,  realizing  Margaret's 
love  for  Kent,  and  eager  to  redeem  himself  for  the  unhappi- 
ness  he  had  caused  her,  dashes  into  the  burning  jail  and 
saves  Kent  at  the  cost  of  his  own  life.  Kent  hurries  to  the 
saloon,  where  he  surprises  Asther  as  he  prepares  to  make  a 
getaway.  Beaten  into  submission  by  Kent,  Asther  is  shot  dead 
by  Jagger  just  as  he  starts  to  name  the  secret  leader  of  the 
claim  jumpers.  Jagger  admits  being  the  leader  and,  in  a  short 
struggle,  is  subdued  by  Kent  and  jailed. 

George  W.  Sayre,  Malcolm  S.  Boylan,  and  Harrison 
Orkow  wrote  the  screen  play,  Lindsley  Parsons  produced  it, 
and  George  Archainbaud  directed  it. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 


"Between  Two  Women"  with  Van  Johnson 
and  Lionel  Barrymore 

(MGM,  no  release  date  set;  time,  83  min.) 

A  pretty  good  addition  to  the  "Dr.  Gillepsie"  6eries  of 
comedy-dramas.  The  story  offers  a  pleasing  blend  of  drama 
and  humor,  with  more  than  the  usual  stress  placed  on  the 
comedy.  The  dialogue  is  unusually  bright,  and  Van  John- 
son's romance  with  Marilyn  Maxwell  has  been  given  some 
amusing  touches.  It  has  the  usual  human  interest  of  the 
previous  pictures,  and  there  are  several  emotional  situations. 
One  in  particular  is  where  Johnson  performs  a  delicate  op- 
eration on  a  woman  whose  confidence  in  him  was  unshake- 
able.  Lionel  Barrymore  continues  his  role  of  the  caustic  but 
loveable  head  doctor,  and  the  comedy  resulting  from  his  by- 
play with  the  hospital  staff  is  consistently  amusing.  Two 
night-club  sequences  provide  an  opportunity  for  the  presen- 
tation of  some  pleasing  musical  interludes: — 

While  at  a  night-club  with  Marilyn  Maxwell,  Van  John- 
son is  called  to  one  of  the  dressing  rooms,  where  Gloria 
DeHaven,  a  singer,  had  fainted.  Johnson  takes  her  to  Blair 
Hospital  where,  after  a  complete  physical  examination,  he 
diagnoses  her  illness  as  a  case  of  neuro-psychiatric  self- 
starvation.  Diplomatically  probing  into  her  private  life, 
Johnson  learns  that  Gloria  was  blaming  herself  for  the  death 
of  a  chorus  girl,  who  had  lost  her  job  after  a  quarrel  with 
her.  Because  the  girl  had  died  of  starvation,  Gloria  could 
not  partake  of  any  food.  Johnson  investigates  the  case  and 
learns  that  the  dead  girl  had  been  an  alcoholic,  who  drank 
herself  into  malnutrition  and  death.  Convinced  by  Johnson 
that  the  dead  girl  had  sufficient  funds  for  food,  and  that  she 
was  not  responsible  for  her  death,  Gloria  regains  her  desire 
to  eat.  Meanwhile  Mary  Blake,  the  hospital's  telephone 
operator,  is  taken  ill,  and  an  x-ray  reveals  that  one  kidney 
must  be  removed.  Though  assured  that  a  leading  surgeon 
would  perform  the  operation,  Mary  refuses  to  go  through 
with  it  unless  Johnson  operates;  she  wanted  a  doctor  who 
would  have  a  personal  interest  in  seeing  her  live.  Johnson 
performs  the  operation  successfully  and,  following  Mary's 
recuperation,  Dr.  Lionel  Barrymore  gives  a  party  in  her 
honor  at  a  fashionable  night-club. 

Harry  Ruskin  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  Willis  Goldbeck 
directed  it.  The  cast  includes  Keenan  Wynn,  Alma  Kruger, 
Keye  Luke  and  others. 


"Dangerous  Passage"  with  Robert  Lowery 
and  Phyllis  Brooks 

(Paramount,  no  release  date  set;  time,  62  min.) 

A  routine  program  action  melodrama,  revolving  around 
the  adventures  of  a  young  American,  who,  on  his  way  home 
from  South  America  to  claim  an  inheritance,  becomes  mixed 
up  with  an  assortment  of  odd  characters  and  finds  himself 
beset  by  intrigue,  murder,  and  a  deliberate  shipwreck.  In 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  far-fetched  story  is  more  confusing 
than  mystifying,  the  action  fans  will  probably  find  it  to  their 
liking,  for  it  offers  some  exciting  moments.  Since  the  hero's 
life  is  constantly  in  danger,  it  has  considerable  suspense: — 

Robert  Lowery,  an  American  in  San  Angel,  obtains  affi- 
davits from  Charles  Arnt,  an  attorney,  proving  that  he  is  the 
legal  heir  to  $200,000  left  by  his  grandfather  in  Galveston. 
After  handing  Lowery  the  affidavits  and  a  steamship  ticket, 
Arnt  has  one  of  his  henchmen  (Jack  LaRue)  attack  the 
young  man  in  an  effort  to  steal  the  affidavits;  Arnt  hoped  to 
substitute  LaRue  for  Lowery  in  claiming  the  inheritance. 
Lowery  beats  off  LaRue  and,  instead  of  waiting  for  his  sched- 
uled boat,  sails  immediately  on  a  tramp  freighter  to  avoid  a 
possible  trap.  On  board  ship  he  meets  Phyllis  Brooks,  a 
night-club  entertainer;  Alec  Craig,  the  steward;  and  John 
Eldredge,  an  official  of  the  steamship  line,  who  resented  his 
attentions  to  Phyllis.  Before  long,  Lowery  learns  that  Phyllis 
and  Craig  were  insurance  investigators,  seeking  to  obtain 
evidence  against  Eldredge,  who  was  suspected  of  scuttling 
ships  to  collect  insurance  money.  After  a  series  of  incidents, 
in  which  Craig  is  murdered  and  several  attempts  are  made  on 
his  own  life,  Lowery  finds  himself  confronted  by  Arnt  and 
LaRue,  who  had  boarded  the  ship  at  the  first  stop.  He  halts 
their  search  for  the  affidavits  by  revealing  that  he  had  mailed 
them  to  himself  in  Galveston,  care  of  general  delivery.  That 
night,  Eldredge  deliberately  steers  the  ship  on  a  reef,  and 
all  except  Phyllis,  Lowery,  Arnt,  and  LaRue  lose  their  lives. 
Arnt  and  LaRue  attempt  to  murder  Lowery  but  he  is  saved 
by  Phyllis  just  as  a  seaplane  comes  to  their  rescue.  In  Gal- 
veston, Arnt  and  LaRue  make  a  final  effort  to  obtain  the  in- 
heritance while  Lowery  lies  injured  in  a  hospital.  Phyllis, 
however,  foils  their  plans,  later  aiding  Lowery  to  trap  and 
turn  them  over  to  the  police. 

Geoffrey  Homes  wrote  the  screen  play,  and  William  Burke 
directed  it.  Pine-Thomas  produced  it.  Unobjectionable. 


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A  REVIEWING  SERVICE  FREE  FROM  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  FILM  ADVERTISING 

Vol.  XXVI  SATURDAY,  DECEMBER  30,  1944  No.  53 


The  Implications  of  the  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  Decision 

in  the  Crescent  Case 


In  the  issue  of  Harrison's  Reports  of  December  17  there 
was  discussed  the  victory  of  the  U.S.  Government  in  the 
Crescent  case  as  a  result  of  the  decision  of  the  U.S.  Supreme 
Court.  In  that  issue  the  statement  was  made  that  reference  to 
this  case  and  to  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court  decision  will  again 
be  made. 

The  decision  of  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court  is  so  important 
that  Harrison's  Reports  again  refers  to  it,  in  greater  detail. 
In  doing  so,  it  feels  that  it  is  rendering  the  industry  as  a 
whole  a  great  service,  for  it  is  this  paper's  desire  that  pro- 
ducers, distributors  and  exhibitors,  whether  affiliated  or  in- 
dependent, owners  either  of  a  single  theatre  or  of  a  circuit  of 
theatres,  whether  large  or  small,  understand  the  implications 
of  this  decision  clearly,  lest  they  find  themselves  in  serious 
trouble  if  they  should  continue  to  resort  to  practices  they 
resorted  to  in  the  past. 

In  order  to  save  the  reader  the  trouble  of  looking  up  either 
the  December  16  issue  or  other  issues  for  the  facts  of  this 
case,  a  recapitulation  of  these  facts  may  not  be. out  of  place: 

In  1938,  the  Department  of  Justice  brought  suit  against 
Crescent  Amusement  Company,  of  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
and  its  affiliates  as  well  as  against  some  of  the  officers  of  the 
parent  company  and  of  its  affiliates,  for  violation  of  the  Anti- 
Trust  laws  in  effecting  and  maintaining  a  monopoly  in  re- 
straint of  trade  in  the  theatre  business  in  the  territories  where 
they  operate,  by  the  following  acts:  employing  their  buying 
power  for  the  purpose  of  making  it  either  difficult  or  impos- 
sible for  their  competitors  to  buy  film,  eventually  compelling 
many  of  them  to  sell  their  theatres  to  the  "monopoly"  by 
means  of,  (a)  buying  the  building  in  which  a  competitor  had 
a  theatre;  (b)  building  a  competitive  theatre  regardless  of 
the  town's  needs;  (c)  compelling  the  distributors  to  sell  their 
pictures  to  them  instead  of  to  their  competitors;  (d)  long 
term  franchises;  (e)  repeat  runs,  and  by  other  acts. 

The  eight  major  companies  were  named  as  co-defendants, 
but  when  the  case  came  to  trial  the  complaint  against  the  five 
companies  that  signed  the  Consent  Decree  was  dismissed, 
and  later  on  the  Court  found  that  the  charges  against  Uni- 
versal and  Columbia  had  not  been  sustained,  but  United 
Artists  was  found  to  have  violated  the  Anti-Trust  laws  in 
two  small  towns  by  combining  with  some  of  the  defendants 
to  eliminate  independent  theatre  competition. 

The  case  was  tried  before  Judge  Elmer  D.  Davies  and,  in 
May,  1943,  Judge  Davies  found  the  defendants  guilty  of 
building  up  and  maintaining  in  the  picture  theatre  business  a 
monopoly  and  enjoined  and  restrained  them  from  continuing 
their  monopoly.  The  judge  declared  the  film  franchises  of 
the  combination  with  the  film  distributors,  with  exception  of 
those  entered  into  by  its  Nashville  theatres,  invalid,  ordered 
the  divestment  of  interlocking  ownership  among  the  de- 
fendants, and  prohibited  them  from  any  further  employing 
their  tactics  against  their  independent  exhibitor  competitors. 

Because  of  the  fact  that  Judge  Davies  did  not  incorporate 
in  his  decree  a  provision  restraining  the  defendants  from  ac- 


quiring additional  theatres  as  a  protection  for  the  independ- 
ent exhibitors  in  their  (the  defendant's)  territories,  the 
Department  of  Justice  filed  an  appeal  with  the  U.S.  Supreme 
Court  requesting  that  the  decree  be  remanded  to  Judge 
Davies  for  correction  so  as  to  enjoin  and  restrain  the  de- 
fendants from  acquiring  additional  theatres,  except  in  Nash- 
villle,  unless  they  first  proved  to  the  Court  that  the  acquisi- 
tion of  a  theatre  would  not  restrain  competition  unreason- 
ably. The  contention  of  the  Government  was  that,  once  a 
theatre  is  acquired  by  the  defendants,  the  damage  to  compe- 
tition cannot  be  repaired  even  if  the  Government  should 
afterwards  prove  that  the  acquisition  of  that  theatre  was  in 
restraint  of  trade.  And  the  U.S.  Supreme  Court,  by  its 
sweeping  decision  of  December  11,  found  for  the  Govern- 
ment. 

This  decision  settles  some  questions  that  no  other  decision 
had  settled  previously. 

One  of  the  most  important  is  its  declaration  that  exhibition 
of  motion  pictures  is  Interstate  Commerce.  The  Court  said : 

"Interstate  commerce  was  found  to  have  been  employed  in 
consummating  the  conspiracy.  ..." 

After  explaining  how  pictures  are  sold  and  in  which  way 
they  reach  the  exhibitor,  the  Court  said : 

"...  The  findings  are  wholly  adequate  to  establish  that  the 
business  of  the  exhibitors  involves  a  regular  interchange  of 
films  in  interstate  commerce.  As  we  shall  see,  that  course  of 
business  may  be  sufficient  to  make  the  Sherman  Act  applic- 
able to  the  business  of  exhibiting  motion  pictures.  ..."  And 
elsewhere  in  the  decision,  "...  And  as  we  have  said,  the 
course  of  business  which  involves  a  regular  exchange  of  films 
in  interstate  commerce  is  adequate  to  bring  the  exhibitors 
within  the  reach  of  the  Sherman  Act.  ..." 

The  second  question  that  it  settles  is  the  fact  that  a  de- 
fendant in  a  motion  picture  anti-trust  case  cannot  use  the 
argument  that  he  will  suffer  hardships  in  order  to  dissuade 
the  court  from  ordering  him  to  divest  himself  of  his  illegally 
acquired  theatre  interests.  The  defendants  in  this  case,  in 
their  cross-appeal,  pleaded  that  the  divestment  of  their  stock 
interests  would,  under  the  current  tax  laws,  be  tantamount 
to  confiscation.  But  the  Court  said: 

"In  the  five-year  period  ended  in  August  1939  when  this 
bill  was  filed  the  exhibitors  experienced  a  rather  rapid  growth 
— in  the  number  of  towns  where  their  theatres  were  oper- 
ated; in  the  number  of  towns  where  they  operated  without 
competition;  in  their  earnings  and  surplus.  The  United 
States  claims  that  that  growth  was  the  product  of  restraints 
of  trade  in  violation  of  §1  of  the  Sherman  Act  and  of 
monopolistic  practices  in  violation  of  §2."  (The  enumeration 
of  the  violations  follows.)  And  in  its  decision,  the  Court 
stated : 

"Those  who  violate  the  Act  [the  Sherman  Act]  may  not 
reap  the  benefits  of  their  violations  and  avoid  an  undoing  of 
their  unlawful  project  on  the  plea  of  hardship  or  incon- 
( Continued  on  last  page) 


210 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  30,  1944 


"The  Suspect"  with  Charles  Laughton 
and  Ella  Raines 

(Universal,  Jan.  26;  time,  85  min.) 

Good  production  values,  expert  direction,  fine  per- 
formances by  the  cast,  and  an  engrossing  story,  make 
this  murder  melodrama  a  superior  thriller.  It  holds 
one  in  suspense  from  beginning  to  end,  never  once 
letting  the  spectator's  attention  slip.  It  is  a  grim  study 
of  an  inherently  kind  man,  who  is  goaded  into  mur- 
dering his  nagging  wife  in  order  to  protect  the  repu- 
tation of  a  decent  young  woman,  with  whom  he  had 
an  innocent  relationship.  The  subsequent  develop- 
ments, which  compel  him  to  murder  a  drunken  black- 
mailer so  as  to  cover  up  his  first  crime,  will  keep  the 
spectator  on  the  edge  of  his  seat.  Charles  Laughton, 
as  the  middle-aged  murderer,  gives  one  of  the  best 
portrayals  of  his  career,  managing  to  win  one's  sym- 
pathy despite  his  murderous  deeds.  The  only  uncon- 
vincing part  of  the  picture  is  the  romance  between 
Laughton  and  Ella  Raines;  one  finds  it  hard  to  believe 
that  a  beautiful  young  woman  would  fall  in  love  with 
a  man  who  is,  not  only  old  enough  to  be  her  father, 
but  is  also  an  unromantic  type.  The  action  takes  place 
in  London  at  the  turn  of  the  century : — 

Laughton,  manager  of  a  tobacco  shop,  returns  home 
from  work  one  evening  and  finds  his  son  (David 
Harens)  packing  to  leave  home  because  of  a  quarrel 
with  his  mother  (Rosalind  Ivan) .  Having  endured  his 
wife's  nagging  for  many  years,  Laughton  sympathizes 
with  the  boy.  He  grasps  the  opportunity  to  move  out 
of  his  wife's  bedroom  and  moves  into  his  son's  former 
room.  When  jobless  and  lonely  Ella  Raines  comes  to 
his  shop  seeking  employment,  Laughton,  unable  to 
employ  her  himself,  finds  a  job  for  her  elsewhere.  A 
gentle  friendship  develops  between  the  two,  and  they 
see  each  other  frequently,  Laughton,  however,  does 
not  tell  her  that  he  was  married.  His  wife  learns  of  the 
relationship  and,  during  a  bitter  quarrel,  taunts  him 
unmercifully  about  the  girl  and  threatens  to  blacken 
her  name.  Driven  insane  by  her  goading,  Laughton 
murders  his  wife  and  makes  it  appear  as  if  her  death 
had  been  accidental.  The  "accident,"  however,  arouses 
the  suspicions  of  Inspector  Stanley  Ridges,  whose  un- 
tiring investigation  causes  Laughton  considerable  con- 
cern. Laughton  and  Ella  eventually  marry,  and  both 
settle  down  to  a  happy  life.  Ridges,  however,  with 
bulldog  tenacity,  continues  questioning  every  one  who 
might  know  something  about  Laughton.  The  Inspec- 
tor's questions  arouse  the  suspicions  of  Henry  Daniell, 
Laughton 's  drunken  neighbor,  who  shrewdly  guesses 
that  Laughton  might  have  murdered  his  first  wife. 
Daniell  confronts  Laughton  and,  slyly  convincing 
him  that  he  was  aware  of  the  murder,  demands  black- 
mail money.  Distraught,  Laughton  murders  the 
drunkard  by  poisoning  his  drink.  He  disposes  of  the 
body  and  makes  arrangements  to  go  to  Canada  with 
his  unsuspecting  bride.  Aboard  ship,  with  but  a  few 
minutes  before  sailing  time,  Ridges  runs  into  Laugh- 
ton as  if  by  accident.  Ridges  wishes  Laughton  bon 
voyage  and  off-handedly  mentions  that  Daniell's  body 
had  been  found,  and  that  the  dead  man's  wife  (Molly 
Lamont),  a  kindly  soul,  had  been  charged  with  the 
murder.  Although  free  to  leave  England  if  he  chooses, 
Laughton 's  sense  of  decency  does  not  permit  him  to 
let  an  innocent  woman  suffer;  he  leaves  the  boat  and 
gives  himself  up. 


Bertram  Millhauser  wrote  the  screen  play,  Islin 
Auster  produced  it,  and  Robert  Siodmak  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Raymond  Severn,  Maude  Eburn, 
and  others. 

Strictly  adult  entertainment. 


"Tahiti  Nights"  with  Jinx  Falkenburg 
and  Dave  O'Brien 

(Columbia,  Dec.  28;  time,  63  min.) 

A  mediocre  program  musical.  It  is  a  weak  box- 
office  attraction;  in  addition  to  the  fact  that  it  lacks 
star  names,  the  story  is  inane.  Nor  do  the  romantic 
mixups,  which  involve  Jinx  Falkenburg  and  Dave 
O'Brien,  provide  any  amusement,  for  what  happens 
is  too  silly  to  be  entertaining.  The  Vagabonds,  a  com- 
edy quartet  who  sing  to  their  own  musical  accom- 
paniment, provide  the  picture's  most  entertaining 
moments  and,  except  for  a  few  spurts  of  comedy  pro- 
voked by  their  antics,  the  rest  of  the  proceedings  are 
boresome : — 

Completing  an  engagement  in  Honolulu,  Dave 
O'Brien  and  his  band  take  a  trip  to  a  Tahitian  island, 
where  O'Brien's  mother  (Florence  Bates)  was  the 
Queen.  O'Brien,  a  light-skinned  native,  learns  to  his 
dismay  that  his  mother  had  promised  him  in  marriage 
to  Jinx  Falkenburg,  daughter  of  Cy  Kendall,  chief  of 
another  community.  O'Brien  protests  in  vain.  Mean- 
while Jinx,  too,  resented  the  forthcoming  marriage, 
and  she  pleads  with  her  father  to  be  released.  Kendall, 
however,  insists  that  she  go  through  with  the  mar- 
riage. O'Brien  and  Jinx,  who  did  not  know  each  other, 
meet  accidentally  at  a  swimming  pond.  Both  fall  in 
love  and  bewail  the  fact  that  each  has  to  marry  some- 
one else.  In  their  ecstasy,  they  neglect  to  tell  each 
other  their  names.  O'Brien,  however,  eventually 
learns  who  she  is,  but  does  not  reveal  his  own  iden- 
tity. On  the  day  of  the  marriage  ceremony,  Jinx 
dresses  Mary  Treen,  her  maid,  in  the  bridal  veil.  She 
instructs  Mary  to  take  her  place  at  the  altar  while  she 
runs  away.  Confusion  reigns  when  the  deception  is 
discovered,  but  Jinx  cannot  be  found.  Just  as  O'Brien 
prepares  to  leave  the  island,  Jinx  is  discovered  and 
brought  back  to  the  village.  She  is  delighted  no  end 
to  find  that  she  had  been  running  away  from  the 
man  she  loved. 

Lillie  Hayward  wrote  the  screen  play,  Sam  White 
produced  it,  and  Will  Jason  directed  it.  The  cast 
includes  Carole  Matthews  and  others. 

Unobjectionable  morally. 

"The  Mummy's  Curse"  with  Lon  Chaney 
and  Peter  Coe 

(Universal,  no  release  date  set;  time,  60  min.) 
A  run-of-the-mill  program  horror  melodrama. 
Since  what  transpires  is,  in  the  main,  repetitious  of 
the  wierd,  fantastic  dramatics  that  were  used  in  the 
previous  "Mummy"  pictures,  its  chief  appeal  will  be 
to  those  to  whom  the  series  is  new,  as  well  as  to  the 
avid  horror  picture  fans.  As  in  the  other  pictures,  the 
action  revolves  around  a  three  thousand-year-old 
mummy,  who,  restored  to  life  by  a  mysterious  brew  of 
rare  leaves,  terrorizes  the  countryside  as  he  searches 
for  his  mate,  another  mummy,  who  miraculously  frees 
herself  from  her  mummified  state  and  becomes  a  mod- 
ern though  strange  beautiful  woman.  The  bayou 
country  of  Louisiana  and  a  deserted  monastery  pro- 
vide an  effective  eerie  background  for  the  strange  pro- 


December  30,  1944 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


211 


ceedings,  which  have  all  the  suspense  and  chills  gen' 
erally  found  in  pictures  of  this  type : — 

Addison  Richards,  superintendent  of  a  construe 
tion  project  in  the  bayou  country,  finds  it  difficult  to 
keep  the  natives  on  the  job;  a  series  of  strange  mur- 
ders in  the  swamps  had  terrified  them.  Dennis  Moore, 
a  curator,  and  Peter  Coe,  his  Egyptian  assistant,  ar' 
rive  in  the  midst  of  Richards'  trouble  and  announce 
that  they  had  come  to  search  for  two  mislaid  mum- 
mies, last  known  to  have  disappeared  in  the  surround- 
ing swamps.  They  explain  that  the  mummies  had 
been  an  Egyptian  prince  and  princess  more  than  three 
thousand  years  previously,  and  that  the  prince  had 
been  buried  alive  as  punishment  for  trying  to  restore 
the  princess  to  life  after  she  had  died.  Moore  wanted 
both  mummies  for  his  museum.  Unknown  to  Moore, 
Coe  was  an  Egyptian  high  priest,  who  had  been  com- 
missioned by  his  sect  to  find  and  return  the  mummies 
to  Egypt.  Martin  Kosleck,  Coe's  henchman,  had  lo- 
cated Kharis,  the  male  mummy  (Lon  Chaney),  and 
had  hidden  him  in  a  deserted  monastery  pending 
Coe's  arrival.  Coe,  with  a  mysterious  brew  of  leaves, 
brings  Kharis  to  life.  The  brew  brings  to  life  also 
Princess  Ananka,  the  female  mummy,  who  rises  from 
the  swamps.  The  sun's  rays,  however,  turn  her  into  a 
beautiful  woman  (Virginia  Christine) .  She  is  found 
wandering  in  the  swamps  by  Moore,  who  gives  her 
shelter  in  his  camp.  Coe,  recognizing  her  as  Kharis' 
princess,  orders  the  mummy  to  capture  her.  In  the 
ensuing  action,  Kharis  creates  a  reign  of  terror  as  he 
pursues  the  princess,  murdering  those  who  get  in  his 
way.  The  girl  tries  to  elude  him,  but  he  eventually 
catches  her  and  carries  her  to  the  monastery,  where 
she  resumes  her  mummified  state.  Meanwhile  Moore 
and  a  posse  descend  on  the  monastery  and,  after  a 
tense  battle,  destroy  the  Egyptian  priests  and  the 
mummies. 

Bernard  Schubert  wrote  the  screen  play,  Oliver 
Drake  produced  it,  and  Leslie  Goodwins  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Kay  Harding,  Kurt  Katch  and 
others. 

Too  horrifying  for  children. 


"I'll  Be  Seeing  You"  with  Joseph  Cotten, 
Ginger  Rogers  and  Shirley  Temple 

(United  Artists,  Jan.  5;  time,  85  mm.) 
An  intelligently  produced,  emotion-stirring  drama, 
with  a  particular  appeal  to  women  because  of  the 
romantic  involvements.  It  is  a  timely,  poignant  story 
about  a  shell-shocked  soldier,  who,  on  a  furlough  from 
a  hospital  to  prove  to  himself  that  he  had  a  definite 
place  in  society,  meets  and  falls  in  love  with  a  girl, 
who  herself  was  on  a  ten-day  holiday  from  a  state 
penitentiary,  where  she  was  serving  a  six-year  term 
for  accidental  manslaughter.  As  the  young  couple 
seeking  to  rehabilitate  themselves,  Joseph  Cotten  and 
Ginger  Rogers  play  their  respective  roles  with  keen 
understanding,  winning  the  spectator's  sympathy 
with  their  fine  traits.  One  feels  deeply  the  strain  un- 
der  which  Ginger  labors  as  she  tries  to  keep  her  con- 
vict life  secret  from  Cotten  lest  the  revelation  wreck 
the  new-found  confidence  she  had  helped  him  attain. 
The  action  is  somewhat  slow  and  somber  in  spots,  but 
this  does  not  detract  from  one's  enjoyment  of  the  pic- 
ture, for  it  has  many  appealing  situations,  and  the 
story  holds  one's  interest  throughout: — 


Given  a  ten-day  Christmas  leave  from  prison  be- 
cause of  good  behaviour,  Ginger  Rogers  boards  a  train 
for  Pinehill,  where  she  had  been  invited  to  spend  the 
holidays  at  the  home  of  her  aunt  and  uncle  (Spring 
Byington  and  Tom  Tully) ,  and  their  daughter  (Shir- 
ley Temple) .  En  route,  Ginger  meets  Sergeant  Joseph 
Cotten,  who  was  on  furlough  from  an  army  hospital, 
where  he  had  been  undergoing  treatment  as  a  neuro- 
psychiatric,  the  result  of  wounds  received  in  battle. 
Cotten,  pretending  he  had  a  sister  in  town,  gets  off 
the  train  at  Pinehill  and,  shortly  after,  telephones 
Ginger  and  asks  her  for  a  date.  Ginger's  understand- 
ing relatives  ask  her  to  invite  him  to  dinner.  A  ro- 
mance develops  between  the  two  and,  under  Ginger's 
kindly  influence  and  guidance,  Cotten  slowly  regains 
confidence  in  himself.  Ginger,  too,  finds  hope  in  the 
future  under  the  steadying  influence  of  her  genial 
aunt  and  uncle.  Meanwhile  she  withholds  the  truth 
about  herself  from  Cotten  lest  its  disclosure  have  an 
adverse  effect  on  his  improved  mental  condition.  At 
the  end  of  his  furlough,  when  Cotten  comes  to  the 
house  to  bid  Ginger  and  the  family  goodbye,  Shirley 
inadvertently  reveals  to  him  the  truth  about  Ginger. 
He  departs  from  Pinehill  disillusioned,  leaving  Ginger 
heartbroken.  Returning  to  the  penitentiary,  Ginger 
finds  Cotten  waiting  for  her  at  the  gates.  He  promises 
to  wait  for  her  release,  and  both  part  with  renewed 
hope  for  the  future. 

Marion  Parsonett  wrote  the  screen  play,  Dore 
Schary  produced  it,  and  William  Dieterle  directed  it. 
The  cast  includes  Chill  Wills  and  others. 

Morally  suitable  for  all. 


A  CORRECTION 

The  Harrison's  Reports  Partial  Index  No.  6 
(Blue  Issue),  dated  November  25,  1944,  mistakenly 
gave  the  release  date  of  Paramount  News  No.  24  as 
Sunday,  November  19.  The  correct  release  date  of 
Paramount  News  No.  24  is  Thursday,  November  23. 
As  a  result  of  this  error,  the  complete  listing  of  the 
Paramount  News  release  schedule,  as  shown  in  Partial 
Index  No.  6,  is  out  of  order.  The  following  is  the 


corrected  schedule : 

No.  24  Thursday  (E)   Nov.  23 

No.  25  Sunday  (O)   Nov.  26 

No.  26  Thursday  (E)   Nov.  30 

No.  27  Sunday  (O)   Dec.  3 

No.  28  Thursday  (E)  Dec.  7 

No.  29  Sunday  (O)   Dec.  10 

No.  30  Thursday  (E)  Dec.  14 

No.  31  Sunday  (O)   Dec.  17 

No.  32  Thursday  (E)   Dec.  21 

No.  33  Sunday  (O)   Dec.  24 

No.  34  Thursday  (E)   Dec.  30 

No.  35  Sunday  (O)   Dec.  31 

No.  36  Thursday  (E)   Jan.  4 

No.  37  Sunday  (O)   Jan.  7 


LOOK  OVER  YOUR  FILES 

Around  the  holidays,  a  copy  of  your  Harrison's 
Reports  may  have  gone  astray.  Look  over  your  files 
and  if  you  find  one  missing,  let  us  know  so  that  we 
may  duplicate  it.  A  sufficient  number  of  copies  of 
each  issue  is  held  in  stock  to  provide  for  such  an 
emergency. 


212 


HARRISON'S  REPORTS 


December  30,  1944 


venience.  That  principle  is  adequate  here  to  justify  divesti' 
turc  of  all  interests  in  some  of  the  affiliates  since  their  acqui- 
sition was  part  of  the  fruits  of  the  conspiracy.  ..." 

To  the  complaint  of  the  defendants  that  the  divestiture 
provisions  of  the  decree  are  harsh,  particularly  to  the  mi- 
nority stockholders,  the  Court  said: 

"Serious  complaint  is  made  of  the  divestiture  provisions 
of  the  decree.  It  requires  each  corporate  exhibitor  to  divest 
itself  of  the  ownership  of  any  stock  or  other  interest  in  any 
other  corporate  defendant  or  affiliated  corporation,  and  en- 
joins it  from  acquiring  any  interest  in  those  companies.  .  .  . 
A  year  from  the  date  of  entry  of  the  decree  is  allowed  for 
completing  this  divestiture. 

"It  is  said  that  these  provisions  are  inequitable  and  harsh 
income  tax  wise,  that  they  exceed  any  reasonable  require- 
ment for  the  prevention  of  future  violations,  and  that  they 
are  therefore  punitive. 

"The  Court  has  quite  consistently  recognized  in  this  type 
of  Sherman  Act  case  that  the  government  should  not  be 
confined  to  an  injunction  against  further  violations.  Dissolu- 
tion of  the  companies  will  be  ordered  where  the  creation  of 
the  combination  is  itself  the  violation.  .  .  . 

"The  fact  that  minority  stockholders  of  the  affiliated  com- 
panies are  not  parties  to  the  suit  is  no  legal  barrier  to  a 
separation  of  the  companies.  .  .  .  No  legal  right  of  one  stock- 
holder is  normally  affected  if  another  stockholder  is  required 
to  sell  his  stock  and  no  exception  to  that  rule  has  been  shown 
to  exist  here.  ..." 

To  the  objection  of  the  defendants  as  regards  the  provi- 
sions of  the  decree  enjoining  them  from  making  franchises 
with  certain  distributors  "with  the  purpose  and  effect  of 
maintaining  their  theatre  monopolies  and  preventing  inde- 
pendent exhibitors  from  competing  with  them"  on  the 
ground  that  these  provisions  will  aggrandize  the  distributors 
at  the  expense  of  the  exhibitors  in  that  they  deprive  the  ex- 
hibitors of  group  purchasing  power;  that  the  franchise  agree- 
ments are  normal  and  necessary  both  for  distributors  and 
exhibitors,  and  that  these  provisions  of  the  decree  will  greatly 
burden  the  conduct  of  these  businesses,  the  Court  said: 

"It  is  not  for  us,  however,  to  pick  and  choose  between 
competing  business  and  economic  theatries  in  applying  this 
law.  Congress  has  made  that  choice.  It  has  declared  that  the 
rule  of  trade  and  commerce  should  be  competition  not 
combination.  ..." 

A  third  question  that  it  seems  to  settle  is  the  fact  that  it  is 
not  necessary  that  there  be  a  combination  of  exhibitors  with 
distributors  in  order  to  effect  a  conspiracy  in  restraint  of 
trade.  A  combination  of  exhibitors  alone,  even  of  two  of 
them,  may  effect  the  conspiracy.  The  Court,  however,  took 
pains  to  distinguish  between  pooling  of  independent  theatres 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  product  on  better  terms,  and  a 
combination  of  exhibitors  for  the  purpose  of  either  depriving 
another  exhibitor  of  an  opportunity  to  obtain  product  or  of 
resorting  to  other  acts  the  effect  of  which  would  be  to  drive 
him  out  of  business.  A  conspiracy  may  now  be  considered  as 
having  been  effected  by  exhibitors  within  a  single  state,  a 
single  county,  and  even  a  single  street.  The  Court  said: 

"The  District  Court  found  that  some  of  the  distributors 
were  co-conspirators  on  certain  phases  of  the  program.  But 
we  can  put  that  circumstance  to  one  side  and  not  stop  to  in- 
quire whether  the  findings  are  adequate  on  that  phase  of  the 
case.  For  it  is  immaterial  whether  the  distributors  technically 
were  or  were  not  members  of  the  conspiracy.  The  showing 
of  motion  pictures  is  of  course  a  local  affair.  But  action  by  a 
combination  of  exhibitors  to  obtain  an  agreement  with  a 
distributor  whereby  commerce  with  a  competing  exhibitor  is 
suppressed  or  restrained  is  a  conspiracy  in  restraint  of  trade 
and  a  conspiracy  to  monopolize  a  part  of  the  trade  or  com- 
merce among  the  States,  each  of  which  is  prohibited  by  the 
Sherman  Act.  And  as  we  have  said,  the  course  of  business 
which  involves  a  regular  exchange  of  films  in  interstate  com- 
merce is  adequate  to  bring  the  exhibitors  within  the  reach  of 
the  Sherman  Act.  ..." 


A  fourth  question  that  U.S.  Supreme  Court  answered  was 
in  establishing  the  precedent  that  the  courts  may  police  the 
acts  of  guilty  defendants  in  the  event  that  they  should  desire 
to  acquire  new  theatres.  The  Court  stated: 

"The  Court  at  times  has  rather  freely  modified  decrees  in 
Sherman  Act  cases  where  it  approved  the  conclusions  of  the 
District  Court  as  to  the  nature  and  character  of  the  viola- 
tions. .  .  .  We  recognize  however  that  there  is  a  wide  range 
of  discretion  in  the  District  Court  to  mould  the  decree  to  the 
exigencies  of  the  particular  case;  and  where  the  findings  of 
violations  are  sustained,  we  will  not  direct  a  recasting  of  the 
decree  except  on  a  showing  of  abuse  of  discretion.  .  .  .  We 
think  this  is  a  case  where  we  should  act  lest  the  public  in- 
terest not  be  adequately  protected  by  the  decree  as  cast. 

"The  generality  of  this  provision  of  the  decree  bids  fair  to 
call  for  a  retrial  of  a  Sherman  Act  case  any  time  a  citation 
for  contempt  is  issued.  The  crucial  facts  in  each  case  would 
be  subtle  ones  as  is  usually  true  where  purpose  and  motive 
are  at  issue.  This  type  of  provision  is  often  the  only  practical 
remedy  against  continuation  of  illegal  trade  practices.  But 
we  are  dealing  here  with  a  situation  which  permits  of  a  more 
select  treatment.  The  growth  of  this  combine  has  been  the 
result  of  predatory  practices  condemned  by  the  Sherman  Act. 
The  object  of  the  conspiracy  was  the  destruction  or  absorp- 
tion of  competitors.  It  was  successful  in  that  endeavor.  The 
pattern  of  past  conduct  is  not  easily  forsaken.  Where  the 
proclivity  for  unlawful  activity  has  been  as  manifest  as  here, 
the  decree  should  operate  as  an  effective  deterrent  to  a  repe- 
tition of  the  unlawful  conduct  and  yet  not  stand  as  a  barrier 
to  healthy  growth  on  a  competitive  basis.  The  acquisition  of 
a  competing  theatre  terminates  at  once  its  competition.  Pun- 
ishment for  contempt  does  not  restore  the  competition  which 
has  been  eliminated.  And  where  businesses  have  been 
merged  or  purchased  and  closed  out  it  is  commonly  impos- 
sible to  turn  back  the  clock.  Moreover  if  the  District  Court 
were  to  supervise  future  acquisitions  in  this  case,  it  would 
not  be  undertaking  an  onerous  and  absorbing  administrative 
burden.  The  burden  would  not  seem  more  onerous  than 
under  the  alternative  provision  where  in  substance  the  issue 
would  be  violation  of  the  Sherman  Act  vel  non. 

"These  considerations  impel  us  to  conclude  that  the  decree 
should  be  revised  so  as  to  prohibit  future  acquisitions  of  a 
financial  interest  in  additional  theatres  outside  Nashville 
'except  after  an  affimative  showing  that  such  acquisition  will 
not  unreasonably  restrain  competition."  " 

(To  be  concluded  next  wee\) 


PICTURE  PROPAGANDA  AMONG 
COMMUNITY  GROUPS 

"Major  companies,"  says  the  November  25  issue  of  Mo- 
tion Picture  Herald,  "are  expanding  their  promotion  and 
exploitation  departments  to  include  particularized  coverage 
of  special  community  groups.  ..." 

The  article  then  goes  on  to  say  what  some  companies  are 
doing  with  the  aforementioned  idea  in  view. 

Working  among  women's  clubs,  Kiwannis,  Rotanans  and 
others  is,  indeed  commendable,  but  such  work  would  have 
been  much  more  effective  if  the  quality  of  pictures  were 
raised.  The  present  run  of  pictures  is  the  worst  seen  in  years, 
and  even  though  large  sums  of  money  are  paid  for  stories, 
and  fewer  pictures  are  produced,  the  percentage  of  good 
pictures  out  of  the  total  is  no  higher  than  it  was  in  previous 
years.  It  is  true  that  a  greater  number  of  expensive  pictures 
are  produced,  but  the  percentage  remains  the  same. 

It  seems  as  if  the  ease  with  which  the  dollars  are  rolling 
into  the  box  offices  of  the  theatres  is  the  main  cause;  it  has 
robbed  the  producers  of  the  incentive  of  improving  the  qual- 
ity. If  any  one  makes  a  remark,  the  producers  present  him 
with  figures  of  receipts  as  an  answer. 


Scanned  from  the  collection  of  the 

Karl  Thiede 


Coordinated  by  the 
Media  History  Digital  Library 
www.mediahistoryproject.org 


Funded  by  a  donation  from 
Matthew  Bernstein